San Diego is so last week!

So after a short 11 hours on a plane, we're now in the land of sushi, crazy vending machines, Mt. Fuji and bicycles. Konichiwa, Japan!! Mark has gone on to meet the USS COWPENS in Guam and I'm staying at the Navy Lodge on base t0 go through some housing briefs to get situated. Jet lag has been a pain, but I have to admit, I give into it like that mom with the annoying kid at the grocery store that throws something off the shelf into the kids mouth to shut him or her up. A five hour nap yesterday could be the reason why I've been wide awake since 2am. Nonetheless, I am enjoying every minute of new discoveries. Its almost like having the innocence of a child again. Everything is new and exciting. I got my first Konichiwa from the Japanese bus driver as I boarded the Clockwise bus going to Purdy Fitness Center. I smiled pretty big, you know that one where my cheeks get like a chipmunk. Even though I increased my bus ride by 30 minutes (the counterclockwise route would have been faster to the gym) I got to see the whole base. It's got a very tight community feel to it. More pics to come on that. I grabbed some groceries after the gym and threw them in my bookbag for the walk back to the Lodge. It's so cool to see all the bikes lined up at the different buildings and there are scooters galore- score, we made a good call on that one! The base is pretty hilly and very green. The water is pretty clear but cold. I saw some fish jump on my 6am discovery walk yesterday. The MWR (morale, welfare, and recreation) office offers tons of tours and activities to do while we're here. Mark would be disappointed to know we just missed a international fishing tournament- but i'm sure there'll be more. I'm hoping to get into some aerobics classes, language classes, and some kind of marital arts- if only for the social aspect of it. There are so many cool sights and sounds, it's hard to fit them all on one post, so more to come in the days and months ahead. Stay tuned. Miss you all and keep in touch!!