It seems so close yet unreachable. I know the time will fly by soon enough and I’ll probably be running around like a chicken without a head during the last week here. I’m so tired of being cooped up on base. It’s not that I can’t go off base, but I hate driving more than I hate being cooped up. I keep telling myself that soon I’ll be able to drive on real streets where it’s safe for drivers. It’s been nearly 4 years and I’m still terrified of driving here. I’m not as bad as another lady I knew. She was here for 11 years and still had other people drive her around because she refused to drive on the streets here.

I think about the many things I’ll miss about Japan, like the quality of everything they sell. I’ll miss the television commercials because they’re never selling what you think they’re selling. We used to play a game of guessing what the product was based on the actions of the actors and most of the time we were dead wrong. I’ll miss Beard Papa’s Cream Puff just outside the base. There are many things I’ll miss but I’m so looking forward to being in my very own home. Counting down the days.