Shinyuu: Best Friend

Today, I spent the day with two of my Best Friends. They are always there when I need them, give the best hugs, and never get annoyed if I complain too much. 

Chesty loves riding in the car!

Murphy is just enjoying the scenery!

After staying in all day yesterday trying to recuperate from a head cold, the boys and I were ready to hit the road and get away from the base! We headed up North on some roads we have never traversed. Along the way, we found new beaches, some parks, and tons of sakura, also known as Cherry Blossoms. 

In Okinawa, Sakura season is a very popular time of year. It symbolizes the coming of Spring and new growth. Enjoy some pictures from our journey.

Calm seas and the bridge to another island in the distance.

Two islands in the distance.

A dam where we hiked. It was so reminiscent of Kentucky with rolling hills in the distance and thick greenery surrounding a quiet, calm lake.

Don't feed the injured fish other fish? Maybe the fish in this dam are vegetarians!

View from the top of the dam's hiking trail.

Blue waters- a quick reminder that this isn't Kentucky!

Many of the roads had sakura hanging over them. Pretty!

Heading toward the top of a mountain!

They paint the roads red to indicate sharp turns and steep inclines. Maybe to replace the road signs people would steal. ;)

Grandma and Grandpa Addis would love these blossoms!

Cherry blossoms here are bright pink, but in mainland and DC, they are lighter pinks.

Sakura in full bloom!

We hope you enjoyed our adventure! :)

Funka Shimasu, Hashirimasu!!: Volcano Eruption, Run!

A volcano erupted on an island near mainland Japan on February 1st. 

I noticed the nice weather seemed to have a 'fog' hanging over it yesterday. Come to find out, it is volcanic ash! 

While we have not been alerted to health risks, I read articles saying to try and stay inside until the ash settles because it is not good for your lungs (duh, right? but shouldn't they notify you it is ash and not fog?).Ironically, I came down with a bit of a bug and haven't felt like leaving the house for anything other than work anyway.

This link has a video of the volcano erupting and the after affects for the small island where it occurred.

Here is a map with all the volcanoes in Japan. We are the larger island below the one with the volcano Okinawa-Tori-Shima. The one that erupted was Suwanose-Jima. 

This website reports the most up to date information I can find. I credit them with the info found below, some boring parts edited out. 

  http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/

SUWANOSE-JIMA Ryukyu Islands (Japan)

The Tokyo VAAC reported that on 5 February an ash plume from Suwanose-jima rose to an altitude of 0.7 km (2,000 ft) and drifted South. Explosions occurred during 5-7 February.

The 8-km-long, spindle-shaped island of Suwanose-jima in the northern Ryukyu Islands consists of an andesitic stratovolcano with two historically active summit craters. Only about 50 persons live on the sparsely populated island. The summit of the volcano is truncated by a large breached crater extending to the sea on the east flank that was formed by edifice collapse. Suwanose-jima, one of Japan's most frequently active volcanoes, was in a state of intermittent Strombolian activity from On-take, the NE summit crater, that began in 1949 and lasted nearly a half century. The largest historical eruption took place in 1813-14, when thick scoria deposits blanketed residential areas, after which the island was uninhabited for about 70 years. The SW crater produced lava flows that reached the western coast in 1813, and lava flows reached the eastern coast of the island in 1884.

Don't worry! I am okay, and Troy is really okay since he is in Thailand. I definitley never thought I would live where a volcano could affect my daily life!

Burritos and Bridal Bliss

Oh, February 7th, we meet again. 

It is hard to believe that two years ago today I became the luckiest girl on Earth! Two great families collided, and two hearts joined. I have been so lucky to have a loving, supportive husband who puts up with my crazy. (I know, some of us did not think it was possible!) Along with a terrific soul mate, I also gained an awesome family who has taken me in with open arms. I honestly don't think I could be luckier. While I am missing Troy like crazy, I have tried to remain positive today. 

After work, I had to run some errands and conveniently passed a new Mexican place. A few of you have likely heard me complain about the lack of true Mexican food here. There is an awesome Mexican joint in our college town with yummy margaritas and even better food. Troy and I spent many evenings there, and we both miss it! Seeing this new place made me eager to stop in and try it out. I did not realize until I walked in and saw the owner of Obbligato’s, Mark Esparza, that it was affiliated with a local popular Mexican restaurant chain. I do not personally know him, but some friends and I attended a charity luncheon at his restaurant where he politely introduced himself to everyone. His great attitude and friendly smile made the experience even better.

The restaurant is reminiscent of Chipotle, but more authentic. I opted for the number six. It was a marinated steak burrito with onions, sour cream, diced potatoes, lettuce, and a choice of rice. I chose Mexican rice, but the other basil and garlic rice option looked just as tempting. I also got a little bag of delicious homemade tortilla chips and salsa included in the reasonable price. In my opinion, this was the best Mexican I have had since arriving on island. I will definitely be going back to check out the other menu options and get some more chips and salsa. AMEN! to finding a good Mexican joint!

Enjoy some more wedding photos, I can never get enough. :)

Love the Backstreet Boys look. But these guys are way hotter!

The epitome of Ellie looks.. miss her like crazy!

I will remember this moment forever. :) 

I was thinking "How did I score this thoughtful hottie? Hurry up so we can say "I do" before he changes his mind!"

This picture is so representative of my families personalities. I really love it. <3

Daddy's girl! Late Grandma Robinson loved this picture. Miss them both more than words.

My second favorite Ellie picture!

Look at his nose.. I won. :)

Another unforgettable memory.. we still know the dance!

Sigh.... to relive the wedding day!

I love how everyone is taking pictures.. hehe.

Paparrazi, is that you?

I have been published! 

Okay, not really, anyone can make a submission and get approved for the site. 

But I think it is pretty cool anyway. :)

I figured I may as well put one of my blogs to good use and give others the chance to try out a fun and delicious restaurant. Check out the article here:

Kara's Fifteen Minutes of Okinawan Fame

Kekkon Kinenbi: Wedding Anniversary

It is hard to believe that two years ago we tied the knot. It is even harder to believe that in those two years we have lived in four different homes, moved around the world, and created so many unforgettable memories. I will never forget our icy Kentucky wedding, DC snow storm, Oklahoma Buffalo traffic jams, and Okinawan cultural adventures. 

Reminiscing about these memories makes me miss my husband, but also realize that our wedding day is not what we celebrate each year. Instead, we celebrate the memories we have created with family, friends, and in locales world wide. Even though our anniversary celebration could not happen on that sacred date this year, we did get to celebrate a few days early. 

First, we were off to get massages at a local aromatherapy spa. We have had massages before (none beating the amazing honeymoon massage in St. Lucia) but had never experienced a true aromatherapy massage until this massage. When we entered and removed our shoes, as is customary in most Japanese homes, quickly sitting on a comfy couch. The owner was quick to explain aromatherapy and show us diagrams of the multiple oils with their uses. Some relieve headaches, others are good for sore muscles, and a few even promoted mental health. (Sign me up!)

We chose our oils which turned out to be a mixture of peppermint, eucalyptus, and jasmine. This combination produced a pleasant floral scent that promotes relaxation and stress release. A heavenly massage followed where hot rocks were placed between our toes (my favorite part) and the knots were worked out of our backs.

The entrance to the spa.. such a cute place! :)

The waiting room where we learned about aromatherapy.

Anniversary Smiles!

Feeling relaxed, stress free, and smelling very nice after the massages, we headed off to dinner. We went to Four Season's, a restaurant referenced in one of our early Okinawa blogs! 

It was a terrific night of relaxation and memories on our first anniversary celebration in Japan! 

Enjoy some wedding photos, we sure do! Okay...I may have gone overboard uploading the photos. I just love them so much!!