1 Week Down, 207 To Go

As an Air Force wife where you will live is not really up to you. Back in March Zack called me from his deployed location to let me know we had orders. Those orders happened to be sending us over 5000 miles away to Yokota Air Base, Japan! We will be stationed here until August 2016!
 
Our arrival at Yokota was not the easiest thing by any means, we left Sacramento 22 August to fly to Seattle. From Seattle we were supposed to leave 23 August and fly straight into Yokota. Well we made it to Seattle with no hiccups but Typhoon Bolaven had other plans for our departure out of Seattle! We ended up being stuck in Seattle for 4 extra days. It did allow us to get some site seeing in and gave Zack to time to catch up with an old friend!

Zack and Sawyer in front of the Space Needle

Sawyer and Mommy on the observation deck of the Space Needle

 

Finally on Monday the 27th we were able to make the 10.5 hour flight from Seattle to Yokota AB, of which we landed on Tuesday the 28th because of the time difference (16hrs ahead of Beale). The first hours on the ground were miserable, it was the most humid weather I have ever been in. You were instantly drenched in sweat and we were extremely jet-lagged, but there was no time to mess around we had to get signed up for housing and figure out where things were! Luckily housing was able to offer us a 3 bedroom tower apartment that we could move into 2 days later!

 

Since we couldn't drive anywhere we walked or I met an amazing family who was able to give me rides and a great tour of the base! Zack attended his right start briefings and got his license 2 days after we got here. We live on the fourth floor and have great views off of our patio's! I will do a post with pictures of the inside once our stuff gets here! Since none of our stuff has made the journey over yet our apartment as the minimal furnishings that are borrowed from FMO. And I am so thankful for the AFRC and their Loan Locker!

 

Just one amazing view from our bedroom patio

 

 The car search was hard because we had to find something that not only accommodated Sawyers seat but also another infant carrier as we want to have a second child while we are here. After Zack's dreams of a Skyline or Silvia were crushed we found a nice Subaru Legacy B4 RSK Twin Turbo:

 

Smith Family Car

 



Needless to say our first weekend here the weather was miserable, it was a constant downpour and made being stuck in the apartment even worse! Thankfully our friends took us to check out two of the larger "box" stores around here: Joyful Honda and Seiyu. We also had our first Japanese McDonald's experience which was AMAZING!!!

 

First Seiyu (WalMart) Experience

 

Zack has started work and we are all trying to find our routine. Sawyer has adjusted VERY well. He is already sleeping on his usual schedule and loves having so much space to run around the apartment (I feel bad for who ever lives under us)! Since I don't have my drivers license yet Sawyer and I still walk places, heat permitting, and so far he has given me a few heart attacks! We have had 2 elevator incidents. The first one happened as I was locking to door, he ran and pushed the down button then got on the elevator and shut the door before I could get on!!! I had to run down the stairs, stop at each floor to see if the door would open. Finally he stopped on the first floor and when the door opened he smiled and said Hi all cute. Lesson learned: Make sure he doesn't push the button until I am there with him! Second incident happened on the way back from running errands, his obsession with buttons and opening/closing things has made him very busy. We all got on the elevator this time but he insisted on helping the door open but instead his hand got caught in between where the door closes and the elevator. In a split second I yanked his hand out, he was not hurt just scared (so was I!) and after 30min of screaming I think he learned his lesson!!!

 

With the craziness of the first week winding down, I'm realizing that I need to start getting involved and being proactive in finding things for Sawyer and I to do. The feeling of being home sick started. Its hard being thousands of miles from family and friends, its hard not knowing anyone, its hard to start a new normal, but I'm strong and have no doubt I will enjoy my time here! I plan on attending MOPS next week, possibly joining a babysitting co-op and just getting off base and getting familiar with the local area!

 

This whirlwind of a first week which is what pushed me to start a blog. So many new things are about to be experienced and I wanted a way to share them with Friends and Family as well as be able to look back at the end of our tour and remember what went on! I can't wait to see what the next 207 weeks have in store for the Smith Family!

 

 

Home Sweet Home for 208 Weeks!