Have You Heard the News?!

Holy smokes, guys- it's hot. And moist. So very moist. Everything in our house is damp. I think my lungs might be molding. Today the sun rose before 4am, I'm staring at a Costco-sized battery operated auto-trigger bottle of bug spray (which I have yet to use because that would mean actually going out onto the porch where the dozens of quarter-sized spiders are waiting to attack me), and everywhere- EVERYWHERE- smells like manure. That can only mean one thing: it's summer in Misawa. It won't last long (at least shouldn't, typically historically ohmygodplease), but while it's here, it's kind of like death. Except death is quicker and less melty, generally speaking.

My point in all this complaining is that while I suffer through what will be our very last Misawa summer, I've been channeling images of a cooler, more moderate and refreshing locale. The kind of place where a cool ocean mist kisses your face when you walk out the door, and the temperature rarely gets above 80. The kind of place where we can trade in fans and dehumidifiers (and snow jackets and boots, for that matter) for a light hoody. The kind of place where one can buy local fresh fruit for less than the cost of rent (seriously, there were packs of 4 strawberries for $6 at the store the other day and our monthly apple budget is $120. Not like an iPhone plan. Literally, apples.).

The kind of place where Corey and I are moving next summer.

Monterey, California!!

Corey has gotten a position as a language instructor at DLI at the Presidio (where he learned Chinese... aww, he's all grown up now), so we will be packing up and heading back to CA early summer of next year! We are VERY excited to get this assignment. While we'll inevitably be sad to leave Japan, the time has come and we're definitely ready to get back home. 

But not before a few more adventures on this side of the world! Stay tuned...

What Else Have We Been Up To?

I think that now, as I sit in Haneda airport in Tokyo waiting for our last flight to get back to Misawa (32 hours after leaving san jose, RAWR!), my blogging (and photography) is going to start picking up a bit. It was slumpy while I was in the states because I realized I was with most of the people who read it in the first place and didn't have the same urge to keep up. But now that we're across the world and far, far away once again, I think I'll try to post more.

So, what else of interest did we do during our last month on the west coast (besides eating frozen yogurt and doing jigsaw puzzles)? I present the following:

TrackTown USA!
Corey and I hit the road to Eugene, OR for a day to catch some of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. Ok, reeeaally my motivation was to catch Eve6 who happened to be performing at the trials, but the Olympics part still ended up being quite awesome. We didn't buy tickets to get into the actual stadium, but there was a whole festival set up around it, and we spent the day right outside lounging on a field where we could still hear the gun go off and watch everything on giant screens. We had commentary so we knew what was going on, and could lie down and eat food. And the Olympians were presented on the stage outside the stadium anyway, so... good deal. It was so, so fun (aside from being really sick, having no voice, and driving 18 hours there and back in one day... but totally worth it)!!

Chris Graduated!
A week before their wedding, my sister's husband Chris graduated from Stanford law school. He's worked long and hard over the past 3 years, and it was awesome to celebrate his work and get to know his family better since we were all together.

Kid Time!
We got to spend a lot of time with our perfect baby (and grown up) cousins before their big move to Seattle. We're SO happy their long-term plans are going to keep up there, since we foresee ourselves in the pacific northwest as well someday... but since that's not happening for a while, we had fun while we could.

4th of July!
We spent Independence Day with Katherine and Chris and friends, having a bonfire on Muir beach before watching fireworks over the city from our friends' rooftop in Oakland. FUN!

Anyway, now back to Japan stuff I suppose. To be honest, we're both kinda bummed to be back. We're ready for something new, I think. However, we'll try to make the best of it and have lots of fun until the time comes to move on. Sayoonara! 

My little sis is MARRIED!!

As of 2 weeks ago, I have another brother-in-law (an awesome one at that).

My little Kibbles and Bits finally got married in the most beautiful wedding ever in Santa Cruz. It was PERFECT! The beach ceremony was so special and gorgeous, and the reception at the Cocoanut Grove on the Boardwalk afterwards was so.much.fun!!

It was a full weekend with lots and lots of family, old and new. Plus: Roller coasters. Taffy. Sand and sun. Birds. Champagne. Freckle. Lots of love.

I'm including some pics I and/or Corey took, but hopefully Kib's awesome wedding photographer Jessica Burke will post some of the real deal pretty photos in the coming weeks.

Not that you weren't already, but "officially" welcome to the family now Chris! We love you!

Roadtrip Phase 2: The Best!

I ended my last post in a slightly dazed and lonely state somewhere in Washington waiting for Corey, crossing my fingers he would be arriving in a day or two. As I'm sure most of you know by now, he made it (he got the very last space-a seat on the only flight out that week)! Woohoo!

We had an awesome reunion in Seattle before taking off on our road trip down the west coast. We spent a busy day walking around Pike Place Market, seeing the Space Needle and the King Tut exhibit, and being in newly-reunited lovebird bliss (I know... gag. But it's true :D). 

Our next stop was down the Oregon Coast to Cannon Beach. I love this place. It's so beautiful and mellow. Here we did a lot of nothing: sat on the beach, sat in pubs, sat in restaurants. We did manage to go on one of the best runs I've ever been on early one drizzly morning along the beach. It was magical. 

Then it was time to hit up Portland (my favorite city, by far, anywhere ever). As it should be, we drank a lot of beer in Portland (we even went on a brewery tour of the city). We also ate a lot of food in Portland. That's pretty much what I remember about our 2 days there. Oh yeah, and there were rose gardens and Japanese gardens and book stores and bikes and such in between the beers...

Then there was Bend, OR (where we thought we wanted to move after this whole military stint is over. But noooooo, someone in our party thinks it's too desert-y... now the battle is on between Seattle and Portland). Again, we mostly just drank beer and sat around. I'll spare you the pictures.

We (hmm, maybe just I?) needed a little road-trip break at this point, so on our way down south we stopped at my mom's in SJ for a day. Picked up new clothes, ran off some of our quickly forming beer-guts, squeezed in some family (and cute baby) time, and refreshed. Lovely.

We hit the road again down to L.A. First stop was Disneyland. Yeah, we're kids. It was fun. Sort of... it was mostly just hot, actually.

Then it was time for Corey to join in my wonderful world of Eve6 madness. Guys, I think he's a convert! :) We met up with a couple of friends for a weekend of SO MUCH FUN I can't even stand it. We saw the band twice and just had the best time in the world hanging out with some of the best peeps in the world. 

And that completes my quick little play-by-play of our last week and a half. Aren't you glad you read this?

Now we're back in SJ waiting for my sister's wedding in just 10 short little days!! Bring it!!

Road Trip Phase 1: Not the Best

I had a brilliant idea to spend this past week (what will hopefully be- fingers crossed- the last week waiting for Corey to get here!) on a road trip across a big honkin' chunk of the country I've never seen. This was my route- all 4,000 miles of it in 6 days:

So just by looking at that, you reading this (being of greater mental capacity and possessing more foresight ability than I've demonstrated recently) could have probably told me that it wasn't the best idea. But I likely wouldn't have listened to you anyway, so oh well. I figured: Hey, I like being by myself, and I like driving, and this has got to be more exciting than sitting around with Bernie for 6 days (no offense, Bernie...).

The first day was awesome. I drove 12 hours from SJ to Salt Lake City and had a ball singing along to Speak in Code at the top of my lungs and cruising down the open road. I didn't even mind all that much when I got my first ever speeding ticket in Nevada (whoops). It was a beautiful day all around.

I probably should have just turned around then and gone back to San Jose and left it at that.

The next day I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles for like 6 hours through the state of Nebraska during a severe weather warning, watching a giant storm system get progressively more threateningly tornado-esque right alongside the highway. It never started rotating, but if you know me and my life-long phobia of tornadoes (thank you Twister), you can imagine that I was wishing I was anywhere else in the entire world than in Nebraska that evening.

Highlights from the other 4 days have included:

-Breathtaking sights of Mt. Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota.

-Snow closing a bunch of roads into Yellowstone allowing me to instead spend a lovely night in Billings, Montana eating Outback take-out in a questionable motel room.

-Near constant thunderstorms dampening almost any opportunity for awesome photography views.

-Snow all throughout Montana making my wardrobe of t-shirts and tank tops rather useless.

-My phone's GPS deciding this would be a great time to no longer operate.

-A strangely dazed mental state thanks to an average of 9 hours of driving across plains every day.

The non-sarcastic highlight of the trip was seeing Eve 6 yet again (they just happened to be playing in Minneapolis... funny how that worked out!). This was the only day I had actual conversations with other human beings aside from gas station and hotel attendants. Believe it or not, I have actually gotten lonely on this trip. I wasn't sure it could happen given my introverted, loner tendencies, but I must admit this trip has been a bit too isolating. There's just nothing out here... I didn't even see a Starbucks for like 4 days. Can you imagine?!

Anyway, I'm in Washington now waiting for Corey. I'll enjoy staying in one place for a day or two before Corey gets here and we take off on Roadtrip: Phase 2! I'm sure that half will be much more exciting. I can't wait!!

Eclipse Beach Day in Half Moon Bay

I always have the funnest days with my sister and her very-soon-to-be-husband Chris. I just wanted to state that first thing.

Yesterday we went for a picnic on the beach in Half Moon Bay with some funny friends of theirs to watch the eclipse/sunset. It was so simple, but such a fun afternoon. We had champagne, the most delicious snacky meal I've had in eons (cranberry hazelnut crackers with yummy blue cheese- I couldn't handle the deliciousness!!), and just enjoyed the views in good company.

I think every day should be like this one.

Alderson, West Virginia

On Mother's Day this year, I happened to find myself very near the tiny town where one of my grandmas (my mom's mom) grew up.

While driving the 12 hours from Maryland to Nashville on my Eve6 road trip, I took the opportunity to make a little one-hour detour to see the town I've spent my whole life hearing family stories about. I saw the old train station where my great-grandfather's mail was delivered twice a day, the street my grandma spent most of her childhood growing up on, the Presbyterian church which was the center of most of her life during those years, the bridge where a very young version of me apparently watched some lackluster fireworks on the 4th of July one year at a family reunion, and the one and only restaurant in town. It really is a tiny little place.

It was just a quick drive-through visit, but it was nice to feel connected to my grandma (and my mom) that particular day by being in a place that meant so much to her. It's been 7 years since she passed away now... crazy. I still love and miss her very much. And I love you too, Mom!! Happy belated Mother's Day (again)!