Hurry and Wait

 

I really do not care for the waiting part of a PCS.

Our Unaccompanied Baggage (UB) has arrived and I am wondering what possessed me to pack so much. All my current furniture is temporary so putting anything away is futile since it will be moved again soon. Our HHG shipment is due September but could be earlier. I am hoping for earlier but plan for worst case scenario.

Meanwhile, my closets are full of boxes full of things I believed I would need soon after arrival. How wrong can one be? I have found very little reason to search through boxes for something I desperately need. At the same time, I have resisted buying anything I think I may need, you know, the convenience things that I know I have… somewhere.

Clothing has been bought. Everything we brought with us was too hot. It was all bought for living on an island in the Pacific. In Japan, the prevailing winds came from the ocean, so it remained cool. Here in Rota, the winds come from the continent, so it is warmer. I remain in shorts and skirts. My skin is not accustomed to so much sunlight.

The most common expense here is sunblock. We have a daily UV index of 9, which is very high and since my children now desire to be outside all of the time, I must protect them. We use a lot of sunscreen.  Never would I have ever believed I would have a 64-ounce bottle of SPF100 sunblock on subscription. In Japan, they tended to be light skinned. Here in Rota, they are much darker. I too am darkening. Perhaps Jared will find it difficult to recognize us.

Jared and I have decided our children will attend the base school this year rather than be home schooled.  They are excited about it. Since none of their current friends attend school on base, I wonder how they will mix with the new children. I do not see them abandoning their new friends since they live in the same community. We arrived in time to get them registered with no issues. They begin school on Monday. We will see how it goes.

We are settling in well I think.