Coming to an end

So this is probably my last entry for the Travel blog of Maddie. I made it back last Wednesday. It was a really long flight since I wasn't able to sleep due to a horrible headache. It was really turbulent coming into Salt Lake, and the girl ahead of me was throwing up and I had to pee so bad but the lady next to me had two full cups and a ton of stuff on her tray that I couldn't figure out how I would get out. Especially since the first time I got out to use the restroom she made me crawl over her. Anyways, they fed us a lot and I got to watch a bunch of movies that i wanted to see. I had a long layover in SLC so I tried to nap a bit, it was really windy so on the way home I knew I was bound to get sick especially riding in a dinky plane. I was actually able to sleep which was nice; however, it didn't help that the guy behind me was throwing up as well. But all in all I made it here lack of sleep and sick. The next day Jack and I had to go up to Great Falls to pick up my car and get some of the paperwork done, which actually went very smoothly and I was in shock because I wasn't use to having things go well with that sort of things. I haven't had a problem driving, except when I turn I get confused on what side to turn to and I drive really slow. We didn't get back to Helena until 11pm so then I slept in for a good 13 hours. I am having trouble adjusting to the time and my sleep schedule. I have been applying to some positions at the hospital but none have come through yet. Jack has some connections with the ambulance crew so we'll see what comes of that. This weekend I will be heading to Bozeman for my birthday and a wedding and then when I get back it will be off to the jobs. Wish me luck.

Last Weekend

So this was my last weekend here in Okinawa. We did a few more things while the weather was nice for a day. I finished up working on the 9th so I had been getting ready to head back. On Saturday we finally had a nice day, and took advantage of it. We went to a beach for the morning, the swimming area was really shallow and the tide was going out so we didn't really get in. But we were waiting for the tide to come back in so we could go snorkeling later. We went to our usual spot for snorkeling. The tides were so low that we think stirred up the water because it wasn't very clear and was hard to see sometimes. We still saw lots of fish and neat looking coral. I tried to take pictures but I'm still not very good at it.  The water was different too, there was spots where it was really hot like a bathtub, and then it got really cold, but it kept fogging up our masks.

 The next day was also nice, but we had made plans to go to the soccer game because we had free tickets again. It was a much better game then the last one. It still had bizarre entertainment shows. The picture is the Japanese version of power rangers I think. They were entertaining even though I didn't understand what was going on.

So I am headed home today, I'm excited, nervous, sad, and anxious. I am going to miss it here but I'm glad that I did come over here. I've learned a lot and accomplished a lot while I've been here. At first I had doubts about being here, but now I'm glad I ignored those and kept with it. It is an experience I won't forget and I've made a lot of friends too that I plan to keep in contact with. Now on to finding a job and waiting to hear from the schools.

Memorial Day Weekend

Yes we do celebrate Memorial Day over here, so we had a day off on Monday. The weekend was crammed pack with fun. On Friday I didn’t go to work and some of my coworkers wanted to go to a place called Forest Adventure Park. It is a park that is where you get to go on zip lines and then go through an obstacle ropes course. It was really fun, I thought I would be afraid of the heights on the zip lines but it was really fun. The only part I had trouble with was the tarzan swing. It is really high, and you clip on to a cable and just jump off of a platform and it will catch you but then you swing into a cargo net. We ended up going through the course twice, which by the end my arms were so tired. The next day was even worse, I was having trouble moving my arms and legs, but it was worth it.

            The next day my parents and a lady that works with my mom came with us to the Orion beer factory. Orion is like the main event here. It is very popular. The tour was basically a pamphlet we read as we walked through, but it was pretty interesting. The get their grains and hops from Germany and the Czech Repulic. The only thing they use here is the water which is from a spring that is to be very pure. (alright whatever they say). Then at the end of the tour you get to have 2 free beers it was awesome. Then we went to Pizza in the Sky, which by that time it was raining extremely hard, it was kind of scary because the roads weren’t draining and it was gushing down the mountains and washing logs and other debris out. So we made it to the restaurant hoping that there wouldn’t be that many crazy people that have drove up to the place. Well, we were wrong it was very busy, so we just waited and had excellent pizza.

            Sunday, we went to a FC Ryukyu soccer game. It was interesting. We had received free tickets at the hospital. It was sprinkling again, but that isn’t anything new here because it is the rainy season. The game was different they had a bunch of cheerleaders of all ages which was cute but different. The game was a close one but the teams aren’t really that great, I think my high school team could beat them, but it was still fun.

            Memorial day, we spent cleaning and getting some stuff sorted out for me because I will be returning soon. I have about a week left at work, which I am going to be sad to leave, but I’m so glad that I did come over here. I do remember when I first got here I was thinking ‘what am I doing, why don’t  I go home.’ I am glad I stuck it out, it has been a great learning experience here at the hospital and I hope to get a job when I get back. This day we went to a shopping center I’ve been wanting to go to but haven’t had time or a rainy day. It is a giant mall but the stores are actually separated by walls unlike Jusco. It was fun to look around.