SHIPWRECK BEACH, JAPAN

Sunday, September 27th

One of our first weekends together in Japan, Nick and I decided to go on an adventure to Shipwreck beach on the Western side of the Mutsu peninsula. American's around here call it that because there's a partial shipwreck still left on the beach.

After driving about an hour and half we reached the beach. What we didn't expect to see was the mountain of seashells before we reached the beach.

Nick thought it would be fun to climb, until the shells started cutting his feet. And he noticed there were literally hundreds of spiders covering the mountain of shells. Eew.

We walked down the beach in hopes that we would find the shipwreck and some glass floats!

We found the remains of the old boat, but never did find any floats.

We did collect a bit of sea glass. It's all over Japanese beaches! 

We loved our first visit to the beach. We couldn't wait to make more trips to the local beaches!

BACK TO 'MERICA

October 3rd -25th

After moving across the world from Italy to Japan in mid-September, Nick and I packed our bags again two weeks later and headed to Iowa for his twin sister's wedding. 

I hadn't been back to the States in over 2 years! I was so ready for a little slice of 'Merica. 

After a train ride and two long flights, we made it to Saint Louis, Missouri. We spent a few days there visiting our college, college friends, and old stomping grounds. 

It felt so good to be back at our college. Nick and I have so many great memories from there. 

Since we're expecting our first baby (yay!) we decided to have a gender reveal sonogram done in STL before driving up to Iowa. I was 99.9% sure I was having a boy...and I was 100% wrong.

When we arrived to Mt. Pleasant, I ordered some cupcakes with the appropriate color frosting inside. We presented the cupcakes to Nick's family after lunch one day. We made them all guess what we were having before they bit into the cupcakes. Everyone said it was a boy except Susan! She was right! It's a girl!! Hearing their shrieks of joy when they saw the bright pink inside the cupcakes was so fun! 

Frederic helped us capture the moment outside on the farm.

The family spent the week preparing for the wedding. (Well, most of the family did. I spent a bit of time sleeping.) :)

I didn't hardly keep my camera on me either! I wish I had taken more photos, but I find that I don't tend to take photos of places I've been before. It's a bad habit.

The wedding went off without a hitch thanks to Emilie's thorough planning. I got to walk down the aisle with Nick and Ebony, Emilie's dog. She was very well-behaved other than letting one "rip" in the middle of the ceremony. We couldn't contain our laughter. :)

After the ceremony, we rode down the street to a barn for the reception. 

Can you spot the French man in the corn field? :)

These were the people-movers for the day. The tractors pulled guests to and from the the reception.

Cousin Benjamin and Aunt Blandine

This cute little girl was the flower girl. She's holding onto Ebony, aka "tootie."

We couldn't take any photos during the ceremony, so I snapped a few during the rehearsal. Emilie was wearing her mom's wedding dress that she had altered to be more modern for the rehearsal. It looked amazing on her!

The rehearsal crowd.

Ebony wanted to be right at Emilie's feet. She was so confused with all the action going on!

It was a perfect wedding! Loved getting to see family and share in all the joy!

Nick flew back to Japan, and I stayed with family in California for two weeks. It went by way too fast! That was my last trip back to the States before the baby will be born. That's exciting to think!

MISAWA WELCOME TOUR

Friday, September 25th

Misawa offers a free tour of the local area when you first arrive. It's actually mandatory for everyone to do, which meant a date-day for Nick and I! (and a bus full of people)

We started with a cultural briefing in Misawa, then headed south to a shrine in Hachinohe. 

We learned a few lessons about the cultural process to enter a temple. Tori gates, like the one pictured, mark the entrance to temples.

We learned the process for prayer by ringing bells, throwing coins, and clapping. Not everyone on the tour got it right, but it was funny to watch.

We couldn't take too many photos because it was considered rude to take photos of the temple.

Last, we stopped at the Hachinohe fish market. 

Nick was the only one brave enough to try some of the foods that were offered.  

These were like little dried sardines. Nick didn't mind these. 

One of the tour guides kept describing a sea pineapple. Nick thought it would be fun to try. There was a crowd of about a dozen Japanese gathered to watch the funny American guy try the sea pineapple. Without flinching he ate it. Afterward, he said it tasted like an ocean-flavored bugger. 

The Japanese laughed and laughed! It wasn't nearly as good as it sounded. 

We ended our tour with a green tea and bean frosty. It was so good! 

The best part of the tour was Hachinohe; I would have skipped the part through Misawa. It did make me more excited to see and explore the rest of Japan.

FINI FLIGHT AVIANO

Friday, September 11th

Nick had his first fini-flight ever! It was his last flight in the squadron in Italy. Unfortunately, we didn't find out about it until last-minute, so I didn't think anyone would show up.

We celebrated by meeting him out on the flight line and spraying him down with sticky prosecco.

He didn't mind at first, until it started burning his eyes.

I couldn't believe how many people came out on such short notice! We'll definitely miss this squadron and Europe!

POSTOJNA CAVES & PREDJAMA CASTLE, SLOVENIA

Monday, July 6th

Nick had 4 days off for the 4th of July weekend. We spent the first day with family visiting from France. Saturday and Sunday we spent near any body of water because it was so hot. Monday I convinced Nick to do a day trip to Slovenia to see the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle. It was definitely do-able in a day trip.

After an hour and a half drive, we made it to the caves. It was already sticky and warm outside. I was excited to be in the cooler caves. The English tours run once an hour. We made it just in time for the 11am tour.

Our guide informed us that it was only 45 degrees year round in the cave, so we'd need some extra layers. The other tourists started putting on their jackets. Nick and I looked at each other. We were wearing shorts, flip flops and light weight, long-sleeved shirts. We were going to freeze. Nick toughed it out, which he later really regretted. I rented an overcoat for 3 Euro. Totally worth it! (Even though Nick through a hissy fit that I needed one.) :) 

We rode a train for 1.5 km into the cave to the highest point, the big mountain.

It was hard to get a good shot with the train moving so fast, and the rooms so dimly lit. 

The ride alone was SO cold with the wind whipping by us. 

I was grateful I'm not taller because there were some low hanging stalactites on the ride. 

The big mountain

Can you see Nick?

The Spaghetti Hall.

This is the purest form of Limestone in the caves. It's completely white. We also saw a red room. The color came from the iron in the soil.

We were led into a cathedral hall with a fish tank in the middle. The tank had salamanders in it that live in the river that was below us. They could go up to 5 years without food!

The caves were definitely worth seeing. It was the number one tourist attraction in Slovenia, and I could see why. I would have done it again just for the train ride in and out. (with warm clothes on)

After the caves, we were both starving. There were plenty of options around us. We went for some delicious grill food.

After lunch, we drove up the road 3 miles to the Predjama Castle. I had seen a friend from college post a picture from here a few months back. We tried to recreate their photo they had taken here. 

I think we got pretty close:) Haha!

It was BLAZING hot at this point. Neither one of us wanted to stay and had read that it wasn't worth seeing inside.  We got what we came for, so we were happy heading home.

On our walk back to the car, we spotted some horses under a tree. 

It was an easy day trip. I love car rides; especially in Europe. You can visit castles, caves and horses within an hour from home. I'm really going to miss Europe.