We're here!

We've made it to Japan!


Our journey started out a bit rocky when our 11:00 am flight to Chicago was cancelled resulting in an extra 7 hours waiting around Standiford Field. We got a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth at around 6ish and had to stay over night there before our flight to Japan. They put us up in a hotel with the meal vouchers and the whole deal. I considered this to be a blessing 'cause after all of those extra hours we had to wait in Louisville, I was not ready to tackle the long haul that was ahead of us. The girls were pretty great considering the set back.


So, the next day we made it back to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. We made it back through security again with all of our carry ons, which was quite a process, but went pretty smoothly both days. No lines and helpful people. Our wait there was incredibly short compared to the previous day, but, man, we sure could've used the amenities available at that airport the day before. Standiford is severely lacking. Oh, we met a very nice guy coming from Louisville also and going through the same process we were on his way to Japan. He is a magician living in Tokyo for the last 10 years. A very interesting and kind guy and fun to talk to. Shout out to Steve!! http://www.stevemania.com/


The flight left out at 10:10 Dallas time and turned out to be a pretty good one. We had a whole row of 5 seats to ourselves, each seat of which contained an individual screen with many movies, tv shows, games, music, etc. available. I brought with me a whole heavy bag of reading materials and never got to one, well I did manage to read the People magazine I bought at the airport; darned Brangelina drew me in. Anyway, it was a 12 hour 55 min flight. It was, of course more difficult with kids. Even when you're trapped on a 747 there's still no rest to be had. The flight was relatively empty, but I was still on eggshells the whole time, just waiting for one of the girls to lose it and starting screaming. But, thankfully, they never really did. Lacey did sleep several times, but neither Trips nor I ever managed to fall asleep for an effective amount of time. Stella got a bit of cabin fever, but for the most part and considering how extensive and tiresome the journey had already been, she was great. For those of you considering a visit, we flew American airlines and had, besides the cancellation, a good experience. I don't know how the prices compare, but worth checking into. I am, in no way, dreading a return flight home.


We landed in Japan @ Narita airport. We were able to navigate past the lines in passport check and into our own line 'cause of our family status. We made our way down to the baggage claim where all of our luggage waited for us, already being pulled off of the carousel. Oh, I didn't mention before that we had 9 suitcases, a pack n play, 6 carry on bags, a stroller, a booster car seat, and a baby carrier base! Back in Louisville we had many people to help us get it all inside, but we were concerned about what to do when we got to Japan and it was just the 2 of us. Miraculously, we loaded everything onto 2 carts and a stroller and made it to customs, which we zoomed right through. On the other side, Trips' contact from his new school was waiting for us. He was able to help us with our luggage, get us out of the airport, drive us the several hours to the base, and supply us with an enormous amount of information. We were so fortunate to have his help. Shout out to Al!!


So, it's now Sunday night to us. We've been in Japan since Thursday, but it really doesn't even seem like it. We've been trying to get over this jet lag and spending our days getting aquainted with the base. We don't exactly feel very 'wordly' yet though. It's difficult when you've been eating at the Chili's across the parking lot every night, Taco Bell and Micky D's for lunch, and watching cartoons and the Golden Girls on tv. But it's been really cool just learning about these surroundings and seeing the sights and learning about the amenities available to us on base, which are numerous. On that note, here's our mailing address, which should be U.S. postage...

Foster Jones
PSC 473 Box 95
FPO, AP, 96349

We finally made it off base today when we went out with a local housing agent and looked at our first couple of houses. We spend the next week at different orientation briefings. We also take our driver's test on Friday, which I'm a bit anxious about. I've acclimated to seeing the driver on the opposite side of the car and the car on the opposite side of the road, but I'm not sure how I'll do when I am the driver!


Things have gone amazingly smooth so far. The girls are adjusting. We're surprisingly having the most jet lag problems out of Lacey. She's been a super crank since we arrived. When we deboarded the plane, Stella said she wanted to "go back home to Ooaville, Entucky", many times, it was heartbreaking, but she's now really excited again. We've had some discipline problems, but hey, she's 3 and everything she knows in her life (except the presence of her mom, dad, and sister) has changed. We're staying in very close quarters at the Navy Lodge, so hopefully our spirits will stay high so that we can endure. T starts work the week after next.


There's still so much to do, see, learn, experience - we'll keep you informed. Thanks for checking in on us! Until next time...

Naval ships in the Bay