Packing...

You'll have to forgive me for taking so long to tell you about the pack out.  The last several weeks have been busy, to say the least and I'm just now sitting down to digest the recent events.  Actually, we're on the road from Pensacola to Jacksonville--the dullest, most boring road trip known to man--and I'm taking a break from looking at the trees to share our experiences with you.  It's really quite a sacrifice on my part...

Day 1  (May 25)
On Day 1 our moving guys--Stanley, Travis, & Mark--showed up around 11:00am to pack up our express shipment--all the things we wanted to have on Okinawa as soon as possible.  Most of the stuff in there was kitchen stuff, but we also threw in our computer and scooters and boogie boards.  When they finished, they said that shipment was way underweight and asked if I wanted them to pack up the rest of the kitchen.   Woohoo!  I felt it was a good omen--I never feel settled until our kitchen is unpacked and now I'll be able to get that finished before the regular shipment arrives.

During this time, the boys were busy upstairs preparing their Legos to go in the express shipment.  If you've ever visited our house (or if you've ever had a conversation with Michael longer than 2 minutes) you know that these boys have about a zillion Legos in their room.  And they're all carefully crafted into intricate creations that fall apart easily when touched, breathed on, or looked at the wrong way.  So you can imagine the challenge posed in having to move these structures halfway across the world.  We decided that the best plan would be to place each aircraft, vehicle, and command center into large Ziploc bags then carefully pack them in a box.  I've warned them that more than likely the Lego sets will fall apart in transit, but at least each set will be in its own bag so all the pieces won't get mixed up.  I'm a little worried that Michael will have a not-so-minor breakdown when he actually sees his precious Lego sets broken into a zillion pieces, but I'm hoping he'll eventually look on the bright side..at least he won't be bored the for the first six months because he'll be spending all his time fixing his Legos!

Anyway, the boys packed their Legos in about an hour, then spent the rest of the time milling around the house and being told to stay out of the way of the packers.  It took them about 3 hours to pack up the express shipment, then it was loaded up in a large wooded crate (about the size of one of those POD storage things.)  The crate was nailed shut and labeled and sent on its way.  After the packers had been gone for about 20 minutes, it dawned on Michael that THE LEGOS WERE STILL IN HIS ROOM!  Then, he dangerously made the following comment:  "Mom, how come you didn't remember to tell them to pack the Legos?"  Because, you know....there aren't any other things going on and the Legos should be the first thing on my mind at all times.  How silly of me!  We had a little chat about responsibility and all the things going on right now, and we assured him that the Legos are still going to get to Okinawa.  Afterward, I went to check on his packing technique.  Between you and me, those Legos would have NEVER arrived in any recognizable form!

Day 2  (May 26)
The Big Day had finally arrived!  This was our final chance to decide what things would go to Okinawa and what would stay.  When Stanley and the guys arrived, I took him around the house and optimistically showed him all the stuff we wanted to join us in Okinawa.  Of course, there were the things in Okinawa Square,  but there were other smaller piles of items throughout the house, like stuff in the boys' room and the playroom that never made is to Okinawa Square because I never got around to dragging them downstairs.  After the "tour," I tentatively asked Stanley, "Well, what do you think?  Are we over our weight allowance?  He shook his head and gave me a sympathetic look.  "I don't know, Ma'am...that's a lot of stuff."  Not to be dissuaded, I stubbornly  boldly told him, "Well, this is what has to go.  If we're over-weight, too bad."  

So they started packing.  And packing.  I kept finding things throughout the house that we couldn't live without for three years, and I'd secretly inconspicuously place them in Okinawa Square.  Whenever Stanley would catch me, I'd guiltily make up some pitiful excuse:  "Come on....this Flip Flop shaped fly swatter with the South Carolina logo doesn't weigh a thing...it won't make much difference!"  or "This is Andrew's favorite book...do you really expect him not to READ for 3 years?"  It was pathetic.  They packed for about 6 hours with a break for lunch from KFC provided by Yours Truly.  As they're loading up the last crate in the big truck, I asked Stanley one more time, "What do you think?  Are we way over?"  And he answered, "Oh, don't worry about it.  We like you guys....you were real good to us.  We got lunch and drinks--do you know some people don't ever offer us water?  You guys were real nice."  I'm thinking, "Yes, we're wonderful people....but are we going to have to pay to ship all this?"  But he went on, "I'll tell you what--I'm going to help you out.  If we get to the scales and your stuff is over weight, I'll make it so that it all comes out even."  He must have seen my puzzled look because he gave me a little wink and said, "Don't worry...I have my ways."  I'm not quite sure what that means, but I hope that doesn't mean he's going to help himself to some of our prized possessions as a way of lowering the weight of our shipment.  Other than that, I don't really care what he does to "make it all come out even."  Normally I would be feeling guilty or nervous about breaking the rules, but I've recently discovered that both Air Force and Army families get to take all their things to Okinawa...none of this 25% of the weight allowance stuff.  So I'm not exactly feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Marine Corps and their thrifty ways.  If they're telling us to move halfway around the world, the least they can do is let us take our most prized possessions is, right?

Day 3  (May 27)
By this point, all the major decisions had been made and what was going to Okinawa had already left.  The next round of packers came to pack all the things that were going into storage--primarily furniture.  By the time they left the only things left unpacked were the things we'll be taking with us on the plane (or leaving behind in Jacksonville at the Feeks/Linares Storage Facilities.)

I also took the little kids (Mary & Andrew) for their 2nd round of flu shots and I went in for a required pre-Okinawa pregnancy test.  Naturally, there was confusion at the Naval Hospital and when the person in the lab didn't know how to order my test (because I wasn't under a doctor's order) I jokingly said, "I can't be the first person going to Okinawa that you've dealt with, right?"  and she said, "Well, actually, you are!"  Maybe she was the new girl, who knows, but it was a just so typical and the only surprise should have been that I wasn't expecting it already.  We eventually got it all worked out, I did my thing, and we were on our way.  And, since I know you're all wondering--no, I'm not pregnant! 
 

Day 4  (May 28)
This is when the pack out process got really easy for me because we decided that I would take the kids to Jacksonville for a few days and Bill would stay behind to do some painting and repairs at the house.  But, not before one last breakfast at IHOP. 

Afterward, I said good bye to the furniture and prayed they wouldn’t be mold-ridden when I saw them again,  Then the kids and I headed down to Jacksonville.  After 3 hours in the car with 4 children, I started wondering who got the better deal. 

Days 5-7  (May 29-31)
I got to take a break from thinking about the move as I relaxed and spent a few days with my family in Jacksonville.  Bill spent those days painting the kids’ rooms upstairs and over-seeing the loading of the moving truck.

Day 8 (June 1)
I returned to Beaufort on Wednesday with the girls for the most dreaded part of any move—the cleaning.  But before we started that, I had a Pack Out party with some girlfriends.  There were so many things I couldn’t possibly take to Okinawa with me and that couldn’t be stored (like food and cleaners, etc…)  My friends came over with their kids we enjoyed a final pizza dinner in our furniture-less house, then they rummaged through my pantry and refrigerator and grabbed the stuff they wanted.  There was only one small squabble when some prized liquor was almost taken.  Bill had separated some of the alcohol to share with his family in Pensacola, and when he realized that some of it was being ransacked he got a little agitated.  In our defense, it wasn’t clearly labeled as “Do Not Take” items.  At any rate, the liquor was promptly returned and saved for the Pensacola reunion.  (I can practically hear the his brothers & sisters breathing a sigh of relief.) 

We spent the next couple of days feverishly painting, packing, & cleaning.  Eventually we gave up on the painting and decided to let professionals handle the rest of it.  You know how it is…there’s always one more spot left to be done.   We turned in our keys to the property manager on Friday afternoon and drove down to Jacksonville for some much needed rest.    

That’s pretty much it—the pack out was surprisingly uneventful.  We spent the following week in Jacksonville with family and old friends and we had a going away party at my sister’s house.   This last week we've been in Pensacola with Bill's family at an amazing beach house and we've had a wonderful time.  (Really, how many other people can say that about spending a week at the beach with their in-laws?)  It's been such a great break from this crazy move and I'm so glad they were all willing to accomodate their schedules to do this trip before we left.  Well, we’re finally in Jacksonville.  Thanks for reading all of this—it’s been a really boring drive (sort of like this post) so I got a little wordy back there.   Next time I write, I may be crossing the Pacific!

FAQ

I thought I'd take a break from our wonderful beach vacation to answer some of the most common questions we get about our move.  See how much I care about you! 

Question 1:
Where is Okinawa?  What's it like?

According to the always reliable Wikipedia, Okinawa "...is one of Japan's southern prefectures and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan..."  For those who are more visual, here's a map:

I did a little research, and the circumference of the Earth is almost 25,000.  So, Okinawa is almost as far away as one can get from our hometown.  Do I know how to do a move, or what!  I've always been an overachiever.  

You may be wondering what the heck the Marines are doing over there in Okinawa.  I'll try to keep this little history lesson short, but basically after WWII the US wanted to keep Japan from getting all "uppity" again, so they decided to set up camp right in their backyard.  They also thought it might be polite to stick around and help cleanup and rebuild since we pretty much annihilated parts of their country. Nowadays, the military is there to "maintain a presence" in that part of the world and there are currently 23,000 Marines and 18,000 Airmen stationed on the island of Okinawa.  In other words, uh....China, North Korea....Hi....you know all those plans you have for world domination?  Don't try any funny business because there are 23,000 Marines at your doorstep ready to beat the crap out of you.   (Can you see why my application for that State Department position keeps getting rejected?)

When they're not scowling at those other countries, the Marines also like to do some nice things.  Whenever there's an earthquake or tsunami in that neighborhood, they'll get right to it and start digging people out of rubble and rebuilding bridges and stuff. 

I know when you heard we were moving to Okinawa, you thought we'd be moving to some third world country with rickshaws and dirt roads and no indoor plumbing.  Well, don't panic.  Okinawa has a population of over 1,300,000.  It is far from rural.  There are expressways, theme parks, aquariums, and shopping malls.  Compared to some places we've lived, this will be a step up.  I'm looking at you Havelock & Beaufort. 

And, there's this: 

And this.....

And this...

Jealous yet?  I'll be taking reservations for visitors starting August, 2011. 

Question 2:
What do you do with your cars?  Can you take them with you?
Short answer, no.  The government will pay to store one car in the US while we are overseas.  Once a month the car will be driven around and checked to make sure everything is working properly.  We decided we'd store Bill's car because it's newer and because I'm sick of the van.  We're planning on taking the van to Carmax and just accepting whatever they offer us as long as it's relatively reasonable, unless we find a buyer by Tuesday. 

Once we're on Okinawa, we won't be allowed to buy new cars until we take a driving test and receive our SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreement) license.  We'll do that about a week after we get there.  Then, we'll get to go car shopping.  My understanding of the cars over there is that they're pretty much passed down from service member to service member.  They're pretty old (about 10 years old) but they're all maintained really well because every two years they go through a rigorous inspection process and if anything is broken it must be repaired before the car can pass inspection. 



Bill may be driving this sexy minivan very soon...

Little trivia...they drive on the left side of the road in Okinawa...should be an interesting change. 

Question 3
Will you keep homeschooling the kids?
We're planning on sending the kids to DoD (Department of Defense) schools while we're over there.  These are American schools on base filled with other kids who have a parent in the military.  I have only heard wonderful things about these schools and all that they have to offer.  If I could do better than the schools, I would happily keep them home, but I just don't think that I can.  If we get over there and discover that the schools are not what they were made out to be, we'll go back to homeschooling.  But for now, I'm readying myself for crazy mornings filled with activities like packing lunches, looking for lost shoes and missing homework, and brushing unruly hair.

Question 4
When do you leave?  How long is the flight?
We're leaving from Jacksonville next Tuesday (June 21.)  We have a layover in Dallas before we get to Seattle.  We'll spend a day and a half in Seattle.  The kids have heard about the Space Needle and they're wanting to go there, but I'm not sure if my fear of heights is going to allow that. 

In the wee hours of the morning on June 23 we'll get to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and begin the check in process for our flight to Okinawa (which leaves around 9am.)  Bill & I had a difference of opinion on what time we would get to the airport.  The guidance we received from the official paperwork was that we were to "report" for our flight no earlier than 0200, (2am) and no later than 0500 (5am).  So, naturally, I wanted to get there at 2:05am and Bill wanted to arrive at 4:55am.  My plan was to get a hotel for one night then camp out a the airport the 2nd night while we wait around for our flight. His plan was to get the hotel for 2 nights (which I thought was a waste of money), then get to the airport just in time (probably right before the plane takes off.)  So, in order to stay married we compromised.  I agreed to splurge on the 2nd night at the hotel, and he agreed that we'd arrive at the airport around 2am.  Marriage it all about give and take, right?

Once we leave Seattle, we'll be on the plane for about 11 painful hours.  Then we'll make our first stop on mainland Japan.  We have a 3 hour layover while they clean out the plane and do whatever they have to do to make sure the plane won't plunge into the Pacific with all of us onboard.  Then we fly 1 1/2 hours to another stop in  Japan.  After a 2 hour layover there, we'll fly 1 1/2 more hours to Okinawa.  In total, it's about 18 hours of travel time.  I'm praying assuming the kids will sleep for at least part of that time.  For the rest of it, we have lots of Benadryl  movies & games to keep them busy. 

Question 5
Where will you live?
The short answer is I have no idea.  The long answer is hopefully base housing.  The problem is that the area where we would normally be assigned housing is undergoing renovations and there may not be available housing in the other housing areas.  If that ends up happening we will be forced to live out in town...among the locals and everything!  I'm quite panicked apprehensive about this possibility.  I'm ok with moving halfway around the world.  I'm even ok with the 18-hour death-defying flight across the Pacific.  But asking me to actually interact and learn about the culture of the country we'll be living in?  That's going a little too far.  I may even have to learn some Japanese!  (gasp!) 

In all seriousness--if we do have to live in town, I'll manage...but it's not how I would have chosen to do things.  I would have taken baby steps---live on base a little while, get to know the lay of the land, and if for some reason base housing was intolerable THEN we make the leap to living in town.  But when has the Marine Corps ever said, "Maybe we should ask Laura F. what she'd like to do in this situation?" 

Question 6
How do you feel about this move?  How are handling all of this?

Throughout this move everyone has kept asking me how I was handling it all and I kept saying, “Oh, fine.”   And really, I am fine…but it’s interesting  the reactions I get when I say that.  My Marine Wife friends take that answer at face value and move on…lots have them have gone through this themselves so they know it’s doable, and that there are much worse military-induced life changes that can happen.  I’d happily take this over a deployment any day.  My normal  civilian friends always look at me suspiciously when I say that I’m fine, as if they’re thinking, “She can’t really be fine.  She's just delusional."  I think we’re all just taking this move step at a time and we’re looking forward to whatever adventures lie ahead.   This nomadic life grows on you after a while and the moves become less and less daunting. 



I think that's everything....if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask! 

10 Things I'll Miss about South Carolina (and 5 that I won't)

1.  The Palm and Moon--These people love their state logo.  It's everywhere...on flags, tshirts, purses, glasses, plates, jewelry, shoes, toilet seats...you get the idea. 

2.  Jane Wayne Day-- A day full of shooting, falling rappelling, and yelling....what's not to love?

3.  Our home--This was our 1st home-owning experience.  Ahhhh, the sweet freedom of knowing you can do anything to your house and no one will charge you for it.  Unfortunately, Mary took this luxury a little too far.  I'm currently taking a break from painting.  

4.  The Causeway going into Parris Island--you can almost feel the terror every recruit    must felt as they ride the bus down that two-lane road during their last moments of freedom as civilians.  And you can also feel the relief and pride they feel as they ride that road one last time as Marines. 

     

5.  Marine Graduations--I sniffled my way through the first one, and every one since I've felt that familiar lump in my throat.  Watching the families hug their new Marines--it gets me every time!  It's either that, or I see the wives hugging their new Marine husbands and I'm thinking, "Run for your lives!  Save yourselves!"   

  

6.  The Salt Marsh--it's everywhere, and we know a lot about it because almost every homeschool fieldtrip was some version of "Life in the Salt Marsh."  Somehow seeing that endless view of tall grass and flowing water makes everything seem so peaceful.  You're driving over a bridge and the kids are yelling and you're late for something, but that almost constant view of the salt marsh seems to calm everything down.  

7.  No Traffic--have to be somewhere at 5:10pm, and you're still home at 5:00?  No problem.  Try doing that in Quantico!  

8.  Homeschooling--Everyone thought I was crazy for doing this, but what no one ever tells you is how great it is to teach your own kid to read.  Or to watch him "get" long division.  I can't even describe it--it's like a secret no one knows about.   

9.  Close to home--being with family for birthdays, holidays, random weekends...it's a simple pleasure most people take for granted.  

10.  Girlfriends--I've made great friends at other duty stations, but these girls were so FUN!  It was like being in the cool crowd.  Half the time I expected someone to say, "What do you think you're doing here?"  Having a husband stationed at Parris Island isn't always easy, but they were all so strong and supportive of each other and their husbands...it was very impressive. 

...and 5 things I won't mind leaving behind. 

1.  Bugs--there's a special species of insect around here...the invisible kind.  You can't see 'em, but you sure can feel 'em. 

2.  S-L-O-W  P-E-O-P-L-E    -----    Y-o-u -- k-n-o-w -- h-o-w -- y-o-u-'r-e -- f-e-e-l-i-n-g --       r-e-a-d-i-n-g -- t-h-i-s -- s-e-n-t-e-n-c-e-? -- T-h-a-t-'s -- h-o-w -- i-t -- i-s -- a-l-l -- t-h-e --       t-i-m-e.

3.  Marine Graduations--Remember that thing about no traffic in Beaufort?  That doesn't apply on Thursday and Friday mornings if you're trying to get onto Parris Island.

4.  Close to Home-- While we've had some great arguments bonding moments sitting in traffic in the construction zone on I-95,  I think I've seen enough of the interstate for now. 

5.  Home Ownership -- 5 bedroom/3 bath Home For Rent.  (I guess this one's sort of following us, huh?)