I am so excited to start this new adventure and especially excited to see my husband again. Its been a long, hard journey to get to Japan (more on that in a bit) but if it means I get to be in Japan with Brett again then it is all worth it.
This whole thing started back in April this year. Brett was going to be picking orders for his first permanent duty station and the choices weren't too exciting. Basically the only place a married couple could go was to Norfolk, VA, just a short distance away from where we already were. We like Virginia alright but it defiantly was not where we wanted to stay for the next 4-5 years of our lives, but if we had no choice and that's where we had to go then so be it. The night before the class was going to pick, the were told exactly where the orders where to. Four orders for single sailors to San Diego (we really wanted to go there to be close to family), six orders for Norfolk, one order for Pearl Harbor and one order for Yokosuka, Japan. Brett has always wanted to go to Japan and it was one of the reasons he wanted to join the Navy so when he heard that we could have a chance to go there he was beyond elated. That night we went to one of my favorite places for a quick bite and sat down and made a lot of phone calls. We were trying to campaign for Japan and hoped that no one else wanted it so that when the time came we would have no problem getting it. Picking orders goes by grades and the guy above Brett it turns out, also really wanted Japan. So, crap...no way to get it now. We called this guy basically begging to let us get the order and he said no way.
The morning of choosing all the guys sat down and as Brett tells it, it was a very tense morning. Everyone had been talking to each other so it was pretty much decided who was taking what. Number 1 in the class was obviously picking Hawaii and the single guys had to choose San Diego. It came down to the guy above Brett and he said, "Japan". The teacher then pulled this guy aside and told him since he has a daughter and doesn't live with her that he should stay in the states so he can see her when he is able. The guy was eventually convinced and chose to stay in VA. Brett snatched up Japan and called me an hour or so and told me the amazing news. I couldn't believe it. I was moving to a place I had never even had thought about visiting.
Soon as we got over the shock and immediate excitement of getting Japan we started making plans for our huge move. We notified our apartment and told them we would be out on April 19, just three weeks later. Brett's chief told him that everything would be done quickly and to start getting everything done asap. So we did. The mover came on April 17 and took our belongings and we were left with a empty apartment once again. It was very exciting at the time. Expect we were now homeless...With no travel plans as of yet and no place to stay we called a couple of my friends and stayed at their places. Thank goodness for that because I don't know what we would have done other wise.
As things go in the military, our paperwork was going slowly and we would have to wait another couple weeks to get out of VA. I had applied for my No-Fee Passport through the military and hoped it would go quickly and I tried making appointments for something called an overseas screening. If you haven't figured it out yet, we didn't have someone helping us out at this time letting us know what to do. Eventually we got our amazing sponsor from Japan that was a huge help. I finally got to the right people and completed my screening and turned it in. And we waited...and waited...and waited. It was now the beginning of May. Brett was told to be ready for a call to leave any day and I still didn't have my paperwork ready. So we made reservations for him at the Navy Lodge at the base in Japan and tried to get housing to help us out. On May 5th Brett got a call to be at the airport in half an hour and that his flight to WA and then on to Japan was leaving in an hour and a half. We gathered all the stuff that wasn't already in his suitcase and rushed off to Norfolk Airport. Of course I was a mess and so upset that I would have to be left there without him for who knows how long. The airport kindly let me go to the gate with him to see him off. Let me tell you, that was hard. I know I wasn't sending him off to war, but not to know when you will see him again is an awful feeling.
The very next day I received my overseas screening packet and was told to go to the PSD at Dam Neck to work on the Dependant Entry Approval and so I went. As I was talking the PS3 there I was informed that since my husband was no longer at the base that it would faster (haha) to have him complete the paperwork over in Japan. Me not knowing any better went along with it and took my papers and asked Brett to do it. Turns out, nope, it will take the same time or longer. Surprise, surprise. I decided to come home to CA after I made sure that they would still fly me out if I wasn't in VA so that I could at least be with my family as I waiting to move. Brett worked tirelessly to get me to Japan. Things went wrong all the time and it was the most complicated process I have ever had to go through.
Finally about two weeks ago I was given approval to stay in Japan. Thank goodness! Both of our emotions and nerves were on edge and couldn't take one more disappointment. Brett went over to set up my travel and, guess what, they couldn't take care of my travel arrangements. Both of us were broken at that point. I had given up too many times to count and I just cried. Brett worked on it with the help of quite a few people to no avail. They would not pay for it and Virginia was putting him through a ringer. We were told it would take at least another month to two months before they could fly me out. It had already been four and looking at another possible two months without the promise that it would happen then was beyond our capability. Brett and I talked about it and decided to fork over the money to buy the plane ticket ourselves. I talked to housing to make sure that that was all squared away and made sure the paperwork was all in order. The flight was bought and the bags are now packed. I am finally on my way.
On August 31, 2010 I will be flying out of LAX to go to Tokyo, Japan and see my favorite person in the whole world once again. I cannot wait to see him and have him show me all the amazing things that he has discovered. I will be documenting our time there on this blog so that I can in the future remember our time there and also so my friends and family at home can see what we are doing.
