Dear Misawa...

Dear Misawa,

I can not believe our time is up to leave. You have been such a great blessing in my life! :) I have enjoyed every moment of living here. I leave with ZERO regrets as I feel like I have done everything I wanted to do when we found out we were coming here. From camping to climbing Mt. Fuji to traveling to another country... We have really done the things we wanted. I am happy with the fact that I have traveled over most of this area and can find my way around pretty good. I have become successful at driving on the opposite side of the road in a car that has everything on the opposite side.. and I have gotten good at communicating with the amazing Japanese people. I leave here, tomorrow, a much better person because of my experiences here. I leave here a very different person... and I am happy about that.

We have been through a lot here. Two deployments, a terrible tragedy in our family, a new marriage in our family, a new life in my little family, a terrible earthquake and tsumani- among other things. I have so many memories of this place. I would not change anything from our time here.. except make it a little longer. Japan has been so wonderful to me. I will miss off base... shopping and eating. I am taking about 20 extra pounds with me as I leave here that I have to start working to get off. Thank you Ramen, Sushi, and New Miaki's. I am leaving a wonderful job with amazing co-workers and students. But I am so happy to be able to stay home with my monkey and strive to be a better wife because my focus will be on my boys- as it should be.

By far the hardest part about leaving here is leaving my family behind. I have so many friends here.. but there are a few that have made this time as amazing as it is. Kim, Jason, Ryan, among others... are truly my family. I am not sure how I am going to enjoy my everyday life without them. Kim.. who am I going to go to with every last thing I want to talk about? Who will I be able to call up and know that I can depend on them? Who is going to laugh with me until we are crying .. .over nothing? I am going to miss this girl so much. Jason... who am I going to be so mean to? Better yet- who on earth is going to be so mean to me? AND who is going to call my dog bad names? Ry- Will I ever meet someone that can dish it out to me as much as I do him? You are like a brother to me and so much a part of our family! We love you... and you MUST be in Cali next year. These people are seriously... my family!!! It does truly amaze me how people that are not my blood family or who have not been a part of my life forever (only three years) ARE family and will ALWAYS be family!!!

I love Japan! I will miss it. I am happy to be moving on to bigger and better things for our little family. As easy as it would be to just stay in Japan... that isn't part of our life.. We move! We embrace and enjoy the experiences wherever we move to.. always! We make the most out of wherever we are! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we embark on this journey...

We will miss you, Japan!

XOXO,
The Shaw's