On the Move

 When we moved back to the East coast last summer, it felt like coming home; we were finally able to visit with family we'd been separated from for years, and were reunited with dear friends from our last tour in Virginia. Renovations, chicks, vegetable garden -- we wasted no time settling in, knowing that we'd probably be stationed here for several years. 

You can see where this is going, can't you?

We recently learned that it won't be long before we travel to our next duty station: Japan!

I'll admit, my initial reaction to news that we might leave Virginia was less than enthusiastic. An overseas move sounded daunting, but leaving our home and loved ones was even more challenging to contemplate. As the weeks passed, though, my interest grew. I have always wanted to live overseas (though Europe would admittedly be more my style!), and all of our friend who were previously stationed in Japan have loved it. The more we researched, the more excited I became, until I finally feared being disappointed if we ended up staying here! Happily, the wait wasn't long, and we soon had confirmation. 

I have always said that each duty station is exactly what you make of it -- it's not so much the latitude as the attitude, if you will. *wink* But I'm not having to work hard to drum up excitement about this move. I'm also thankful that our children have accepted this sudden shift of plans so gracefully. 

As far as homeschooling goes, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Being a "3rd Culture Kid" has shaped my life in countless ways; I'm forever grateful for the opportunities to travel that my dad's military career provided. Experiencing other cultures firsthand develops perspective in a unique way, and I'm so happy that my kids will have that opportunity. 

While I sometimes wistfully imagine what it would be like to put down roots, I know that I'd miss the adventure of military life. It certainly reminds us that we are mere pilgrims on this earth; any feeling of being "settled" is ultimately an illusion (albeit a comfortable one!). Home is where our family is.

The timeline of our move is still a bit mind-boggling, as we'll have spent less than 18 months in Virginia. But I can't complain; we've spent over 3 years in every previous duty station, so we've moved far less than many military families. I'm already in major purge mode -- not because we can't take everything with us, but because I don't want to! There's nothing like imagining your possessions being shipped across an ocean to make decluttering decisions easier. Granted, I feel like we just did this (because we did...), but we didn't pare down as much as we would have liked when we moved back east. No time like the present! We have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew when it comes to projects and hobbies (at least for our current stage of life), and I think this assignment will teach us to manage our time and resources better.

It's interesting to look back over the past year and notice little hints that God was dropping -- my sudden obsession with Japanese maples this spring, the kids' spurt of origami a few months back, the book on Japanese castles that my oldest son selected at the thrift store. We had no idea what lay in store, but He did. 

It's hard to believe we're "on the move" yet again, but we're ready for adventure!