Why This Blog Exists

My family is spoiled.  We’re working on our second consecutive overseas tour, this time in Europe.  In the Marine Corps, this is nearly unheard of.  Most Marines are lucky if they manage to score two overseas tours back-to-back in the Pacific, and we managed to move to a completely different continent.

My husband got stationed at RAF Molesworth directly after spending three years at Marine Corps Base Camp Hansen (Okinawa, Japan).  Our time in Japan was outstanding.  I have no doubt that Okinawa will forever be one of our family’s most favorite places on earth.  The quaint, tropical island paradise that is Okinawa is filled with amazing food, sweet people, loads of culture, and exciting adventures at every turn.  We didn’t spend a single weekend bored.

Our adventures in Okinawa can be credited largely to a blog called “Okinawa Hai” – the unofficial military family guide to all that is Okinawa.  You can’t exist in the American community on Okinawa for more than a month without hearing about “Okinawa Hai,” and for good reason.  This blog, created by a military wife looking for her place and for guidance in exploring her new surroundings, is chock full of all the important things that anyone living in Okinawa or heading to Okinawa on PCS orders might want to know.  It’s a community project that makes what could be a daunting, mysterious, and sometimes lonesome journey into a fun and carefree ride that can be enjoyed by even the most culture-shy.

When we got orders to the UK, we were absolutely elated.  In the Marine Corps, getting stationed in Europe isn’t “just another duty station,” it’s a rare and precious opportunity.  But getting orders to the UK unfortunately didn’t come with an instruction manual, and despite my awesome Google skills, I was left with loads of unanswered questions about our next adventure.  Sponsor family programs are in place here, as with most OCONUS duty stations, but there isn’t always a crystal clear line of communication between sponsors and newcomers, not to mention newcomers often don’t want to come off as a nuisance asking too many “stupid” questions of their sponsor – the ONLY person they “know” in a foreign country.

After much stress, we arrived in the UK and settled into our new home.  What a relief!  Only, now we have found ourselves totally overwhelmed at all of the things we want to cram into our three short years here.  Where do we begin?

In the grand scheme of military family life, our struggles are not unique.  The goal of this blog is to create a community, an index of information about all things Britain and beyond.  An “Okinawa Hai” of sorts.  And we hope that you’ll help!