okinawa hai!

CONTRIBUTED BY ANNA TIENTER As a half-Japanese person here in Okinawa, I am blessed to have my family nearby at all times. In fact most of them are very close to Foster in the village of Kitanakagusuku. This is where the Nakamura House and the Nakagusuku castle ruins are both located. Kitanakagusuku: don’t be intimidated [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY SUZIE SMITH Looking to expand your higher education while in Okinawa? Well look no further. The University of Maryland University College or UMUC is located right here on Okinawa and is ready to help you reach your goals. Of course you may have questions, but I’ll cover the basics for you. Only on [...]

Read the full story

I always wanted to adopt but was never able to. I was a single 24 year-old female serving in the United States Marine Corps and adoption is expensive. I got by but let’s face it, I was no Angelina Jolie. I didn’t make the movie star paycheck and with the hours I worked, child care [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY STEPHANIE LONGKonichiwa!  My name is Stephanie and I’m 25 years old.  I am not a dependent, a spouse, or contracted by the government — nor have I ever been exposed to life in or around the military.  But I was bored in Dallas, TX, and needed a change.  And boy howdy, did I [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER There’s just something about a rainy day, an oversized cup of hot chocolate, a cozy comforter and a good book that makes life’s troubles seem far away. I know not everyone loves to read, however with all the rainy days we’ve had lately some of you might yet discover that book [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER “Get a life. Get a job.” I still remember how startling this comment, made by my high school health teacher, was. Seriously, who did he think he was to insinuate that I needed a job to have a life? This comment infuriated me. And now, although I still do not believe [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER Honestly, I am not sure how I ended up with a couple of rolls of toilet paper that night. But there I was, 27 years old and crouched behind a bush trying not to giggle or move as the cop car rolled by. An attempt which was completely thwarted when I [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER We are instinctively drawn to people that have similar interests, careers and hobbies as we do. So a nurse, a counselor, a business owner, a college student, a day care provider, a teacher, a veterinarian tech, a military member, a stay-at-home mom and an ecologist make a pretty unlikely group. And yet, [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER “You’ve Got Mail!” For those of us who have been around long enough to have laughed as Meg Ryan slyly checked the windows and doors to make sure all was clear before hurrying to check her email, I’m sure you can hear the melody to this announcement. For more than a [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER The last picture has been hung on the wall, the kids are getting settled into school, you’ve made it to the beach a time or two and you can find your way home without getting too lost, but it still doesn’t quite feel like you “belong” in Okinawa yet. You’re missing [...]

Read the full story