A 4,400-mile Island Hop - Moving to Okinawa, Japan
Cindy Verdespina Cindy Verdespina

A 4,400-mile Island Hop - Moving to Okinawa, Japan

Leaving Hawai’i sits at one of the top four most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life. But the pursuit of adventure courses through my blood, and it was definitely time to move on. Afterall, “When the opportunity presents itself to take an adventure, and be able to do so safely, you must take the chance.” – Joan. This adventure was similar to my last, resulting in moving yet another 4,400-something miles away, this time Northwest instead of Southwest.

                The days leading up to my departure are a bit foggy, consisting mostly of running around getting last-minute preparations finished and drinking with friends. I took my time saying goodbye to O’ahu, looking forward to what the future would bring leaving the States and moving to a foreign country. I’d always dreamed of traveling abroad for extended periods of time, writing about the experiences, teaching English to meet locals and be allowed stay through working visas, and recording the memories on video. Of course, it takes time to earn a degree (something I should have done sooner but no harm, no foul) or at the very least a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) certification. That’s where moving in with someone I love and trust and may be the only person in the world that cares about me enough to help me achieve my goals made the initial movement possible; Chris is my favorite part of the new adventure.

                Before boarding the plane that would ultimately be the very end of my life on O’ahu and the beginning of life as an almost-nomad, I had never been to Japan. I’m starting to notice a pattern of dropping everything to move to a place I’ve never been to before. Of course, Okinawa is much different than mainland Japan, but it’s still an island in a foreign country nonetheless. The day came to leave, and I sat in the bedroom of my now very empty apartment, in complete silence for a while, reminiscing about the past year and all the wonderful and awful experiences I had in this particular room. I double-checked my two luggage bags and backpack, all the paperwork I had previously worked out and filed to bring my cat Zedwyn, and I listened to the zebra doves outside that I would not hear again for a long time. That thought brought sadness, their cooing is my favorite sound. Coincidentally, a red light shone through the frosty window above my front door, and I opened it to see the most magical sunrise I’ve ever seen in my life, almost like the island was bidding its farewell. Almost like the Universe was showing me the beauty this new beginning would bring. The entire sky was painted in pink and blue hues, golden clouds covering the rising sun, stretching outwards over my roof. It was like I opened my door to a fantasy world. I was scared to start a new adventure, but not as scared as I was when I first left for Hawai’i, and seeing the sky like this calmed my nerves and made me feel like everything was going to be okay, like it always is eventually.

                My old boss April picked me up from my apartment to take me to the airport, stopping along the way so an old friend, Lei, could give me a last goodbye hug and a couple gifts. I choked back tears on arrival, as Boss Lady gave me a baby’s blanket to help tie Zed’s crate to my luggage handle. The island kept a special piece of me on its own, but it’s all the friends I made along the way that I’d miss the most. My best friend Trini being the main one, sometimes people really do show up in your life when you need them the most.

                I walked into the doors of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, a completely different person than the one that walked out of them this time last year. Checking in my pet cat took forever, and then going through TSA took longer, I’ve had visits at the DMV that were faster. By the time I got through everything I only had about a half hour left until boarding. I spent it people watching and shoving a sandwich in my face, washing it down with a beer, and trying not to think too hard about things. Though my mind was calm, I was sweating like I had just run a marathon, and my clothes were uncomfortably clingy. At take-off, I watched O’ahu island sink below and eventually out of sight, eyes welling at the roots I had planted and just as quickly ripped from the ground. The eight-hour flight was long but pleasant, flying with ANA was the most delightful airfare I had ever experienced. Nobody does hospitality like Japan. On landing, I was too distracted by my anxiety to find my cat and make sure she was okay and alive (as she had to fly in cargo) to notice any other jitters or goosepimples.

                Navigating Haneda Airport in Tokyo was fairly hectic. I mainly just followed the crowd and the signs that read “International and Domestic Flights.” I went through Immigration, then to baggage to retrieve my luggage and Zed, immediately went to the Animal Quarantine Station to the right, waited for our turn (which took about an hour), then proceeded to go through Customs, and finally to the check-in counter for our next flight. I was so worried I’d miss my flight because the entire process was taking so long, but luckily the flight was delayed anyway so we got to our gate with plenty of time leftover! It was a funny occurrence to me, aside from the obvious Japanese script everywhere and Japanese locals being the points of contact for all the procedures I had just gone through, it didn’t actually hit me that I was in Japan until I went into the bathroom. I have never been more enthused to use a public restroom in my life. The cleanliness was top tier, the toilet was high tech (aside from bidet settings and whatnot, the sound machine for privacy was absolutely shocking in the best way), and let’s not forget there are no gaps in the stalls, so you’re actually granted real privacy. That was great for me, as I desperately needed to change my sweat-soaked clothes.

                About another forty-five minutes passed, getting water to drink, exploring a smoking room—yes they have smoking rooms in the airport, another entertaining discovery—and of course, more people watching and I was once again boarding another plane to my final destination. This flight only took about two and a half hours.

                Naha International Airport was much easier to navigate, given that all I needed to do was find baggage claim and then exit the doors. I hadn’t seen Chris in person in a few years before the moment he picked me up. He wore the best smile I’ve ever seen on a person, and I could feel my face mirroring it. He took me to our new home, an apartment we picked out together with a wrap-around balcony encompassing views of the town of Sunabe and the East China Sea; literally everything I’ve ever wanted. I barely got settled in before I fell into some of the best sleep I had gotten in a long time; the type of sleep you can only experience when you know you’re safe.

                Experiencing the island in the first two months was mild. It’s a calm, quiet place for the most part, from what I’ve seen so far. It’s so different yet so similar to O’ahu, which I suppose is where Okinawa gets its reputation from being “the Hawai’i of Japan.” Militarized, beachy, not as mountainous, and I believe aloha style could even somewhat translate here. Except it’s much, much cleaner.

                 In fact, Japanese culture regulates recycling through law. Everyone must follow specific rules for waste disposal in their own homes, which was surprising to learn in one of those situations where you don’t realize how delightfully taken aback you are by witnessing environmental precaution and protection enveloped into a statutory normality. Everything is thrown into separate bins: combustibles, plastic bottles, glass, aluminum cans, cardboard, and all caps and labels get peeled off and thrown in with the combustibles. It truly leaves a person wondering what a considerable difference it would make in the seemingly irrevocable damage we’ve caused our planet over the decades subsequent to the Industrial Revolution if every country adopted these standards; how it would affect the rubbish to ocean life ratio in our seas, and by default, the epidemic of microplastics.

                One thing I absolutely was not expecting were the bats. The island hosts so many of them, every stroll at night grants a chance to see some. We explored a few different places, spent most dinners eating ramen before settling in and cooking at home, and exploring new beers I’ve never tried before. Everything in Japan just seems better than what I experienced in the U.S. The food, hospitality, electronics, varying services, diets, cars, transit, hygienic expectations, passing conversation. The Seven-Eleven is even unmatched, right next to Family Mart and Lawsons. The McDonald’s and Starbucks here are still even better. Not to mention, the yen to USD rate is incredible, everything is so much cheaper here, especially coming from one of the most expensive states in the U.S.

                An aspect that struck me as astounding is the level of safety I felt immediately. Not just living with Chris, who I’ve known for a long time. The freeing feeling of being able to walk alone at night without the worry of having to bear a weapon, which in retrospect of my times elsewhere is very sad.

                The multi-level malls here are architecturally brilliant, and as with most places I’ve noticed, very efficient while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing air. American Village is a fun place to explore restaurants and shops, a presentation of Japanese adaptation of the idealisms of American consumerism. The beaches seem empty of the small bits I’ve seen, the waves strong, angry-almost. I often watch surfers and divers off the seawall I live nearby. It’s an interesting thought to observe the Pacific Ocean, spilling into the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea, knowing it’s technically the same water, yet so different in its ever-changing shades of blue and slate. Every time you see the ocean, it’s different water. Speaking of oceans, the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is a spectacular place to spend a calm day.

                Something I’ve really found myself enjoying lately is street photography. There are so many interesting photos that can be taken to show the wide range of our world and how it presents itself in different places. It’s a hobby I feel will take up a lot of my time as I write these travel diaries, Japan is an immaculate place to capture street photography.

                Moving to a foreign country where I do not speak the native language has been a bit chaotic in the reality of it all. From attempting to get work settled, learning how to drive on the left-side of the road (something that’s surprisingly not difficult and actually makes a lot of sense), learning Japanese, meeting so many new people in such a short time, becoming familiar with cultural customs and do-not’s, and now finally trying to grasp the public transportation services and how they work is difficult. But I’d rather life be difficult in an exciting way like this and have the experiences and stories to tell while I’m young compared to life being difficult due to typical reasons like bills and boredom.

The truth is, I have no idea what life will look like one year from now, and while I’m thrilled to have the ability to have this movement and flexibility that most people do not have, it’s still scary. I have no foresight except my visions for what personal goals I want to accomplish in that time and what places I want to explore in Asia. One thing is certainly clear however, I feel that I’m on the path I was always meant to walk, and I am exactly where I’m supposed to be in this period of my timeline. As always, thank you for joining me on this journey, for reading my experiences through my eyes, and I hope to see you somewhere soon as I positively wander my way around the globe.

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