You Know You're Stationed Overseas When....

Being a brand new military spouse is a challenge within itself. There are certain little things that you pick up on pretty quickly through. Things like avoiding the commissary and BX on pay day. Knowing your husbands social security number better than you know your own (and thinking long and hard when someone actually asks for yours). And avoiding being outside or on the road at 5:00 for retreat. But when you throw living overseas into the mix, it just ads to the never ending list of things you have to learn. Being 19, brand new to the military community, AND living in a different country far different from East Tennessee, I was overwhelmed with not only the mass amounts of Air Force rules and regs that I needed to learn and obey, but the Japanese cultural and customs as well. I guess you could say we caught on pretty fast. We really didn't have a choice. You either learn it and live it, or don't learn it and never leave your house. I chose to learn it.

Here are some things that I learned about being a military spouse and being stationed overseas:
-You always have two kinds of currency with you at all times. Cash and the currency of your hosting country. In our case, it was yen.
-You've learned not to shop at the BX for clothes unless you want to have multiple twins.
-If you want to make a doctors appointment for anytime soon, you will get up at 0600 and start calling the clinic.
-You know better than to try and go off base at quitting time (1700ish). Not only is the gate slammed, but off base traffic is unbearable.
-You know everything there is to know about what you can and cannot mail.
-Online shopping is a breeze. All of your favorite sites already have your credit card information saved so with just one click, it's on its way.
-Exciting news that you want to tell your family has to wait until it's a decent hour where they are.
-Going to the post office and seeing that little yellow slip in your mail box is the highlight of your day/week.
-If you want to send a package to someone for their birthday etc. in the states, send it a week or two ahead of time to ensure that it will get there in time.
-Going to the post office anytime after Thanksgiving is like a suicide mission.
-You start online Christmas shopping six months ahead of time.
-Finding out what tomorrows exchange rate is either makes you happy or sad.
- If you want a bag of real potatoes, you will put up with having at pay $14 a bag.
-You get use to having to explain customs forms to your family when they send you packages and hearing them ask every time they call "Did you get my package yet?".
-You have learned just enough of your hosting country's language to barely scape by and get your point across.
- Utilizing space just comes natural after a while.
-Laughing when new comers freak out when they hear a typhoon is coming and stock up on canned food and water.
-Feeling earthquakes so often that it doesn't even phase you.
-Buying holiday food supplies weeks ahead of time and having to re plan your menu when the commissary doesn't have the things you need.
-Getting lost on a beautiful Saturday just so you can see new sites becomes one of your favorite things to do on the weekends.
-Driving on the wrong side of the road freaks you out....once. Then it just comes natural.
-Getting pissed when you find out some guys got drunk and screwed up over the weekend and now we all have to pay for it.
-Protesters outside the gates.
-The sounds of KC-135s and F15s flying over your house at all hours of the night and day and rattling your windows becomes comforting after a while.
-Getting use to having a base wide LORE every few months that ruins your life for a whole week.

Oh, I could go on and on but I believe I'll stop there. I'm sure you lovely ladies can probably think of a ton more but my brain hurts! Let me know if you have any to add! I would love to hear them!

Now it's time to be productive and get some crap done. Have a great day y'all!