Leaving Home

March 11 2012 - Many emotions today. At the forefront is the anniversary of the Great Quake and Tsunami of March 11 2011. At 2:46 local time, I took a break from cleaning activities to go stand on the porch and listen to the sirens go off. The integrity of the Japanese will stick with me for the rest of my life. Such an example they have set as far as pulling themselves up. Granted, the whole nuclear power plant could have been handled much better. But given the extreme conditions, I think the authorities did what they could and hopefully had the best of intentions at heart with how they handled thing. Hind sight is always 20/20.

And to add to the heavy heart is the forthcoming week when moving trucks will actually start arriving at our house. The time has come, we must move on. This will be another big move, not just because we are returning to the states, Shane will be leaving the Navy!

It's something we knew would probably happen. In this economy, it wasn't really what we wanted at this time. The universe and powers that be have been kind, and he has a job already lined up and waiting for him. Oddly enough he will probably be back in Misawa, but as a repairman of sorts. We won't be with him on those trips. He'll still be a traveling man, and Andi and I will remain home-based.....kind of like the military life.

Andi's last day of school was this past Friday. Way up there is her class and teacher. They've been together for two years now. Last year she was in a 3/4 split, this year the teacher did a 4/5 split. They have a great bond.

Since it was our almost last weekend, there was one more drive to take. This was a drive with a purpose. For 3 years I have passed a house that I just love. Every time we go by "I've got to remember to get a picture of that house". When we first arrived it was still under construction. But even then, I could tell this is the house I'd like some day....with some Victorian flair thrown in somehow.

As always with a drive about, there are other distraction, like the sign for the restaurant. No money with us so we didn't go try it out.

The way home (as by this point the goal had been accomplished of getting a picture of the dream home) it was "oh, stop, I forgot about that house" "oh, look at the colors of those houses" (of course the gray skies don't really help, some day I shall photoshop the skies to blue and whiten up the snow) Shane couldn't help but wonder how the drive turned from "just one picture of one house" to "what? another house? how many are there?"
There will always be other houses around the corner. I hope they are also good homes.

As we get ready to leave Japan, it was with heavy hearts for all of us. For me, this is home. As a child moving around (Pop was in the National Park Service and we moved every 3-5 years) folks would ask where "home" was. Well, there was the home to go to every day after work, school, play. Where Mom, Pop and my sisters lived as well. That's always one form of home. But the "home" of where are you from....I never could answer that til now. This is someplace where I feel like I could remain for the rest of my life. I may never be back....but it will always hold that one spot.

Now don't get me wrong, I'll make another home in Maryland...that save haven where everyone wants to return to at the end of the day. But it won't be the quiet haven of isolated Northern Japan.

Ah, which brings me to....where are you going? Why to Maryland! Lexington Park to be exact. Well, that's as exact as we can get at the moment. No house/apartment to rent at the moment. Though we do have a place to look at when we arrive. And, Shane has a job. So life is looking good.

I was going to do a bit on Maryland....facts and trivia. Andi has done a bit of research on it. (milk is the state drink, for example) But time has crept up on me. Like I said, the moving trucks are coming!

So, now at this late hour (11pm local time) I need to sign off and get some beauty sleep before the marathon week begins.

As a result, "SAM in Japan" will fall silent for several weeks. Perhaps I'll be able to load some pictures in a couple of weeks of our journey Eastward, be patient. I haven't decided what to do with this blog once we get settled....after all SAM will no longer be in Japan.

I can't say "Sayonara" as that is to final....I hope I am back...instead "Odaijini" (O-day-gee-nee) take care of yourself!