Japanese

We really like Japanese food. So much that we find any excuse to go eat there. " Ava's 3 months old today! We should go to a habachi grill!" " We've been married 1 year, 4 months, Let's go eat Shogun!" " Ava scooted!" You get the point. We love us some Japanese food.

You know what else is Japanese? Our future home. A few days ago, I was thinking back to our wedding. The theme that Judge Lincoln was set on, was " Expect the unexpected". 4 months later, we found out about Ava. 3 days after that, Iraq. I turned to my wonderful mother who is visiting her favorite grandchild and said " I think that whole wedding theme was just for the first year. Things are going to settle down." I was so sure of it too.

Later that day, C was looking up the status of his recruiting package he had put in a few weeks ago. He was hoping to be a recruiter in Texas, a job that he's been looking forward to since he joined the Marine Corps. He says, " What is this? I have orders?" I perked up. My mind said ' Could it be?! Texas. Oh Texas, I see you in my future. I see your happy people and big trucks. I see your love for all things big. I am coming, don't you worry, I missed you too.' He continued on. " Weird, it says October, that's not a date for the class, what is this code?" He googled the code that was next to October and read it out loud- " Iwakuni, Japan." Um. whut?! He calls IPAC, the orders are right, the next day he was to go and sign for his orders and get directions on what to do next.

There is no way to describe how I felt about that. Don't get me wrong here, I am fully aware that my husband is a U.S. Marine. Change is inevitable, they send him where he's needed. In this case, it was Japan. As a spouse, you really shouldn't get your hopes up. You shouldn't come near expecting things to happen. Homecoming dates, change of station, even when your husband ( or wife ) will be home from work. The government is in charge. Panic mode came really close to setting in, I won't lie here. All I could think about was the lack of anything Japanese I knew. Where exactly is this place anyway? What on earth will I do there?! The more I looked into it, ( and still am) the more I am realizing this is an opportunity. My family and myself get to go live in Japan. I get to experience an entirely different culture. Ava will know Japanese!

I think I am getting a little less anxious and a little more excited every day. It's not like I can stomp my foot and say no! All I can do is go with the flow, move to Japan in October, plan on entirely embracing the culture and thriving for three crazy wonderful years.

And for my brother: Just because I am moving to Japan, does not make me Japanese. Ava isn't going to be Japanese either. That's like calling you an Arkansan for going to school there for how many years has it been now?