The saga begins...

Let my just start out by saying I am not a fan of long flights.  After my mistake in dragging a 2 year old Kenzie from Honolulu to Atlanta and back again, I tried to studiously avoid anything over 6 hours.  That said, I was beyond amazed at how well our flight of LOTS of families did from SEATAC to Japan.  Ten hours of nothing but water and clouds and everyone managed to stay sane until the last hour -- then I think the adults were actually more whiney than the kids.

After landing in Iwakuni, we were met by D's amazing work group  who were beyond helpful and patient with our mess of bags and dogs (who were also over flying as much as we were!).  D's #2 brought us to our lodge and he and his wife had fully stocked the kitchen making for one of the most amazing sites I had seen all day (you know it's good when it overshadows a striking view of Mt Fuji!).  We all managed to stay awake until 9pm and then promptly passed out.

Here's to our new adventure and whatever new experiences come!

Mt Fuji from our plane

First thoughts of Japan

Way too tired to say much but I had to say that the combination of 24+ hours of travel + minimal sleep + general feeling of overwhelmed really make for an interesting combination when you throw in opposite side of the road driving... seriously, I have never been more confused/scared/curious than the 5 minutes ride from the airport to the hotel!

Sayonara USA!

Today marks the start of a brand new adventure for my family, one that has unlimited potential but has been beyond nerve-wracking in preparation. I think that while our whole group looks forward to this next step, we readily admit the transition process has been stressful.

One thing I have held onto these last 6 weeks is that we are fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit with so many of our amazing friends and family before heading off to the Land of the Rising Sun. While past has proven I am not an efficient blogger, I'm hoping to keep up more consistently to allow easier access to our new life in Japan for our loved ones.

Here's to the next big thing and embracing the unknown!  I hope you enjoy watching this adventure unfold