All Good Things Must Come to an End

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a girl who really liked to blog.  As time went on, however, she became so busy living on her tiny tropical island that the blogging took a backseat to all of the fun she was having.  What fun was that, you might ask?  Well, boonie stomping (hiking), snorkeling, running, playing tennis, being a taxi driver, hanging with friends and traveling to Palau, just to name a few.  Who knew this far away land would have so much to offer?  The girl gives thanks everyday for getting to experience such a place.

OK, enough with the third person fairy tale.  Life has been busy but so very much in a good way.  Little did I know when we found out more than a year ago that we were moving to Guam how much I would love it here.  I've made some wonderful friends and done things I never thought I'd do.  We recently returned from a trip to Palau, which was AMAZING!  Gorgeous beyond belief!  Guam is incredible, too, and I look at pictures from my boonie stomps and snorkeling and think, "Wow, I really get to do this?"  For all of the negatives I hear about Guam, I can give you double the positives.  It's all about getting out there and exploring.  My daughter said there is actually a girl in her class whose parents do not want to leave the base, so they won't let her participate in sports off base.  I have so much trouble understanding this, but to each their own.

Any news these past, let's see, 3 months?  Why, yes, there is.  I started this blog last year, right after we found out about the Guam assignment.  I mentioned in that post that we got the phone call on my oldest daughter's birthday.  I find it ironic that we received another phone call on her birthday this year, with news of another adventurous assignment.  Looks like our stay on Guam will be cut short as we head to Kadena AB in Japan this summer.  Kadena is on the island of Okinawa, not quite so remote and not as much of a speck in the middle of the Pacific.

It's bittersweet, really.  I'm excited about living in yet another country, learning about a completely foreign culture and being back in the world of the Air Force.  I'm not looking forward to the actual move, packing, etc., for the third summer in a row, and I hate uprooting my kids again.  They seem to be intrigued by Japan, though, which makes me feel a lot better about moving so soon.  I will definitely miss Guam.  I'll miss the friends I've made, my house (I'm pretty sure the one we're moving to won't even compare), and the beautiful surroundings.  We're already planning to meet friends from here in Tokyo in October.  That's the thing about the military....we have friends all over the world!

If I can get my act together after another round of overseas medical clearances, packing out and running races, I will post pictures and trip info for Palau.  If you are headed to Guam or are already on Guam, you HAVE to go to Palau!  I don't dive, but my husband does, and we were both enthralled with the water.  The kids loved it, too!  It really is a fun trip for the family. 

And, just so you know, we will not be answering the phone on Abby's birthday next year.