In a few short weeks we will be leaving this chapter in our life and beginning a new one in Japan. I'm scared, nervous, excited, overwhelmed...pretty much all emotions rolled into one. Hill AFB has been a roller coaster for us, we've only experienced a few emotional plateaus and they sure didn't last long. Regardless, we have learned so much and I know I am taking a good bit of knowledge and self-confidence away from this base. A better me has come out of the friendships, losses and craziness that have come my way while in Utah. It's been tough having my trust in others tested time and time again since arriving here, but I'm definitely a new and improved wife and mother from it all.
Though there have been some negatives, truly the positives far outweigh the not-so-pleasant experiences here.
-Our family gained a beautiful miracle child, Abigail Grace. We would be so lost without our little ball of sass. She has brought so much love and joy to our lives.
-We were able to watch our social butterfly, Rosalynn, thrive. She is so bright, beautiful, confident, independent and outgoing...with those traits her possibilities are truly endless.
-Ian and I were lucky enough to watch a best friend relationship blossom. The sisterly bond that Rosalynn and Abigail have is beyond words. They can fight like sisters, that's for sure, but they are absolutely inseparable.
-We have found where we want to retire. We absolutely love it here in Utah. The surrounding areas are packed with fun things to do and it is absolutely beautiful.
-Our marriage has been strengthened by the struggles we faced while stationed at Hill AFB. At the risk of sounding sappy, I can honestly say that I wake up every morning with a smile knowing that I have Ian in my life. I look forward to him returning home from a long day's work so we can sit, chat and laugh together. Getting married at 18 is HARD work since you really mature together and not at the same rate (A man's maturity growth moves at a snail's pace...it's a fact). At the end of the day though I can say that Ian is not perfect, but he is perfect for me!
-I turned a hobby into a job! A successful one at that! I cannot wait to get settled into our new home and start to build my business again. Those nights where Ian and I would weed vinyl, chat and watch tv were some of my favorites.
-We have met some life-long friends that we will cherish wherever we go in the world.
Hill hasn't been all too horrible to us and we hope to come back sometime in the future, after we are done exploring, of course! After all, we're from Orange County, California...we're used to $1 Million + housing, $200k-300k in Utah for the same thing and more land? Yes, please!
Every base has it's pros and cons and the attitude you enter into your journey with dictates the experience. We're going into Misawa AB, Japan with so much enthusiasm and excitement, it's ridiculous. I cannot wait to share our home, the festivals and the culture with our friends and family. Not to mention, hello...Tokyo Disney and we are going to live where I have access to Hello Kitty toilet paper. Need I say more about the awesomeness we are about to experience?!
