It’s April 2004 and my husband just received to Okinawa Japan. His orders are accompanied: meaning we, myself and our three children included, are moving to Japan. We had five short months to get our affairs in order before embarking on our journey. Mentally I was a wreck; shock, fear, and excitement a daily part of the prepping process. I found myself worried for our children: ages four, six, and eight, who were too young to comprehend the events about to take place. Moving to a foreign country on military orders is a mentally and physically exhausting experience; one that requires obtaining the appropriate documents and appointments, saying goodbye to everyone you know, and traveling half way around the world.
Our days became filled with
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Our first stop, Buford, Georgia; where most of the in-laws live. Our big adventure started early one morning, the grass still moist from the morning dew and the morning songs were being sung by the birds as we loaded into the van. We drove two hours north into the mountains and spent the day surrounded by Mother Nature, mining for gems and hoping one of in the group would find a real diamond. Soon we found ourselves back on the road; this time headed for Pensacola, Florida to see one of my best friends and her family. Although we did not go to the beach, the thought still blows my mind; we explored one of the Spanish forts. We spend the day in a dirt mound that smelt like wet mud and had your skin crawling thinking about all those who died defending the fort. Our final stop, the most precious of them all, Houston Texas: home! We found ourselves surrounded by loved ones and childhood friends the entire trip. If we weren’t gathered around a back porch patio with a fire pit going and smoking some pig we were out on the lake soaking up the rays and enjoying the waves. As we pulled out of my mom’s apartment complex, pitch black sky, my heart broke and I could no longer contain my cry. All of the goodbyes finally hit me and I felt lost and alone; thinking three years is way too