Home... for now

So I am back in California! Jet lag has hit me hard and fast.  I'm going to work on some posts while I have nothing else to do.  I also wanted to let everyone know who reads this that I'm going back to Japan in 3 weeks!! I was offered to go right back to Zama to work at the Child Development Center or CDC.  I'll be working with children 6 weeks to 5 years old.  Hopefully I'll see everyone while I'm here.

I know I haven't been posting

Sorry I haven't been posting... I've just been too lazy.  Sometimes busy but mostly lazy.  I'll try and post this weekend but I make no promises. It's my last weekend here and then I'm flying back to California. I am so excited to be home!!!

Food pt 1

So I was going to wait til the end but I'll have way too much for one post... So here's some of the food I've eaten so far:

First meal different chicken's on a stick and noodles

My favorite thing I ate at first go around sushi place... pineapple 

 Ramen and gyoza 

 No idea but it was good

 Cheeseburger sushi

 Roast Beef Sushi

 My favorite ice cream

 Beef something

 Black egg from Honoke if you eat one it adds 7 years to your life

 Tasted like a normal egg but I've got an extra 7 years

Weekend 6

My birthday weekend!  Well anybody that knows me also knows I really don't love my birthday although, I do love getting presents. I told everyone not to worry about doing anything for my birthday but they didn't listen.  Friday I went out to dinner with Trevor to our favorite spot in Ebina. When I got home there was a banner on my wall that said Happy July 19th! which I thought was such a cute way to get around it being my birthday.

Saturday I woke up took a shower and went to get some food and ruined the surprise - the girls had made me a cake but couldn't find the lighter before I came it.  They did a great job and it was my favorite kind without them even knowing! Yellow in case you were wondering.  We planned on going to early dinner at an Alice in Wonderland themed cafe.  I wanted to go there sometime so it was just a good time to go.  There are 6 different ones mostly in Tokyo area and they are all based off of a different chapter of the book.  We went to the labyrinth one in Ginza.  It was not as great as I hoped for but it was cute. 

This is the entrance

The menu holder

The pop up drink menu

Giant tea cup table (next to our table)

appetizer of bread with jam and some pesto something

My dinner eggplant and beet spaghetti in the Cheshire cat face

Trevor's dinner shrimp something with a tomato rose

My dessert- I ordered the creme brulee but the waiter didn't understand me and gave me this instead- not so good but the syringe had chocolate and strawberry sauce that I had to put over the top

After dinner we went to a Brazilian festival that was going on but by the time we got there it was mostly over so a few of us went over to the Tokyo Tower instead.  It's like the Eiffel Tower but in Tokyo instead.  It was really pretty with all the lights. We decided to not go up since we'd already been to the SkyTree and it was about $9.  We took some pictures and headed back to base.

Weekend 5

Weekend 5 we all decided to go zip lining.  We were told to go to one near Mt. Fuji but this was also the week of the typhoon that hit Japan.  We made reservations to go to the Fuji one but the day before changed it to the closer one in Odawara.  Saturday morning I got woken up by a staff member saying she wasn't feeling well so she thought it best to stay home.  We were all sad she didn't come but decided after that it was probably best she didn't come since she was sick and it was very physical.  So while planning the zip lining experience I thought we'd just climb up a little and zip to the bottom with it being easy and fun.  I was in for a surprise because it was an adventure course (which I knew but didn't really realize how difficult it would be) and it was hard... for me at least. There were 6 courses and a zip line at the end of each one. I quickly found out that I am horrible at rope ladders and almost got stuck a few times but Dani was my saving grace and pulled be back to safety.  We missed one of the courses somehow but I was so tired by the end I don't even know if I could have done another.  We also did not realize how dirty we'd get. Some of the zip lines were really long and it was hard for me (and most of the others) to stay going straight most of the times I turned sideways or backwards so landing was never very graceful. When you landed it was in muddy bark... not very soft and very dirty.  It was a lot of fun! I am glad I went but I did hurt myself on one of the landings.  We were told if you go backwards while landing put your feet down to slow yourself before you hit the ground.  I was the first one to go down this particular line and ended up backwards but there was a ledge at the end so when I was putting my feet down to slow myself both of my ankles hit the log on the ledge.  I thought for sure I had broke both ankles as soon as I landed and had to stay there for a minute but once the shock wore off I got up and was able to walk alright.  Here's some pictures from the weekend.

after

The first video is me and the second one is Josh on the line that I hurt my ankles.  Saturday night we went to a BBQ at our POC's house that and he had some delicious food! Then we went out to karaoke for Emily's 21st birthday.  Sunday we were all super sore and tired so we just stayed home and rested.  I was so sore until about Tuesday.  Monday night I noticed my right ankle was super swollen so I've been keeping it wrapped up when I'm home and today (the next Sunday) the swelling has finally started to go down.  I'm really happy because I thought I was going to need to go to the clinic and I really didn't want to pay for a doctor visit. 

Weekend 4

Weekend 4 did not start off great.  It was 4th of July weekend and I had the day off on Friday.  The plan was for me to meet Trevor on his base to watch the fireworks then spend the night with him and go on a sightseeing tour Saturday with the base.  I got to his base fine, got on, and was just in time for the fireworks.

Then we decided to go to dinner off base.  When we came back to go to bed I tried to get back on his base and they wouldn't let me.  After a huge ordeal the military police still would not let me back on base even though I had not had any problems letting me on before (multiple times), I finally just took a taxi home to my base.  I spent Saturday alone since all my staff went to Izu Beach a few hours away for their 3 day weekend and Trevor went on the sightseeing tour.  Sunday Trevor and I decided to go to Tokyo to see the SkyTree which he had really wanted to see.  We found it and went to lunch.  After lunch we tried to go to the top but there was a hour wait time which we did not know.  We waited the hour then went to the top 350 meters high.  It was gorgeous!  I'm so glad we went.  You can see all of Tokyo and there's even a map to tell you what you're looking at.  When you walk down a little there is a glass platform you can stand on and see down to the ground.  Here's some of the pics from the day.

Weekend 3

Weekend 3 Most Camp Adventure sites in Japan all went to Kamakura which is a Camp Adventure tradition.  Each year those on mainland Japan meet up to take a picture in front of the Big Buddha.  This is also a great time to see other Camp A's that your friends with.  I got so see some of my former staff members which was nice. This year we were all supposed to wear neon.  I had nothing but luckily the store on base had some.  This is the official picture:

 

We also all took tons of pictures with each other and selfies.

After that we went to  a beach nearby to play some games together.  I couldn't play because my foot has been bothering me here but I can take pictures.