Okinawa Dreaming

A few assignments ago, we were stationed in Okinawa, Japan. When we first got the assignment, I was somewhat apprehensive. Though both my husband and I came from a cosmopolitan upbringing, being stationed in the mid-West for a few years had made us very comfortable in small town America. An assignment to Japan was unexpected and threw me for a loop.

He was excited about the prospect of flying around the Pacific. I was stressed about everything from not knowing how to speak the language and being perceived as an “ugly American” to having to weed through our stuff and pick out the few items we would take along to Japan.*

Even though a visit to the Family Support Center provided us with some basic knowledge of what we could expect with an overseas tour, it felt like we were just scratching the surface. I was craving some inside information and tips. A friend of ours in the squadron had just pcs’ed back from Kadena AB, so she was more than happy to share her knowledge, but after awhile you start to feel needy with all the questions and curiosity. You can imagine my excitement when I found a great resource out there for anyone pcs’ing to or currently stationed on Okinawa.

A couple weeks ago, I was rooting around the internet when I happened upon this gem of a website/blog called Okinawahai. It’s an amalgamation of blogs and probably one of the purest versions of an online community for military families that I’ve seen out there. You can tell from the depth of the site that the contributors have a genuine interest in the subject matter. As a visitor, you’ll really enjoy the good dialogue and great posts. You’ll see everything from examples of: off-base housing (complete with pictures), specialty stores, restaurant reviews, things to do and places to see.

If you’re headed to Okinawa, have ever been curious about an overseas assignment, or are just plain nostalgic, you should definitely check out this site. I’ve already bookmarked the site because it’s fun showing my son the different places we used to go when we were on the island. It’s great to see what things have changed and what has stayed the same.


* They are now relaxing weight limits on household goods for some tours in Japan, but back then, the policy was somewhat limiting.