Okinawa

I took myself to Okinawa (the Hawaii of Japan) for the weekend. Friday night was actually really depressing. I arrived in Naha (Okinawa's capital) to a rainy night and a sad, empty hotel room. What is it about being lonely on your birthday that feels so much worse than being lonely on any other day? From now on I vow to never be alone on my birthday EVER AGAIN!

Saturday I took a ferry out to Tokashiki island, even though it wasn't exactly beach weather - cloudy, windy, and drizzling on and off. But thankfully it was a warm rain and it made me feel a lot better to see the ocean and walk on the beach. It's a really beautiful island.

Okinawa is home to the largest number of US armed forces in Japan. So one of my goals for the weekend was, of course, to meet them! It wasn't hard - after dealing with elusive Japanese men for so long, I forgot how easy it is to talk to American men - they're not shy and they actually speak English! I met two on the street in Naha on Saturday night who invited me along to a Marines' bar. I got a few free drinks and a few hours of English conversation with cute soldiers. Good times.