Monday Memories: Coming back

Well my last memory was about going to Korea. I thought this one would be about coming home.

Our tour in Korea had been very tough on our family. Soon after we arrived we learned that my FIL had cancer and DH was supposed to get a promotion, but that didn't happen.

So after DH didn't get the promotion he had two choices...stay in at his current rank until retirement (which would mean that if Congress ever decided to cut back again he'd be first on the chopping block) or get out and get a huge severance package. Hummm...really tough decision.

Once he informed them of our decision things went very quickly. Too quickly to get all worried about anything (my normal way). I think he filled out the paperwork a day or two after he found out he wasn't promoted and the following week drove our car to the port for it to get shipped back to the states. I contacted our internet service provider and they shut off my service that very day! YIKES! I had wanted them to turn it off when the packers came. The packers came about a week later to pack up all of our stuff and took it with them. (Darly was really mad that they took all her things!) We got more loaner furniture & dishes to use, but were only there for about 2 weeks more.

We then started planning our vacation to Hawaii. One of the perks of going to Korea is that on your way home you can stop in Hawaii and only have to pay the difference in the ticket costs...somehow this was free for us.

So finally it's two days until we leave. I pack up our clothes and remaining items and borrowed my neighbor's van to drive it all to the base. I mailed some of our things to MIL's house, returned the borrowed dishes and checked us into the temporary quarters. My neighbor kept Darly while I was doing all of that, which was a wonderful blessing because she would have freaked out otherwise.

Darly & I took the bus back to the base and went to our room, which she enjoyed exploring. DH's final days were in filing paperwork so he was always back to the room (or temporary home) on time. YAY!

The following morning (very early in the moring...5am i think) we packed all of our things into a taxi and drove to the bus station. The bus took us the brand new airport in Inchon. Leaving was sooooo easy, more of the signs were in english! Check in was nice & easy and we found our way to the gate with no problems...so unlike all of our previous trips. YAY! We had lots of time to wait for our flight so Darly got to play in the brand new kids area with a ball pit & play structure. And then we boarded our plane to Hawaii. I was still not believing that we were going to Hawaii.

We landed in Hawaii and were all very jet lagged. Had to go through customs, find our rental car and drive to the Hale Koa where we slept most of our first day. Unfortunately there was construction going on at Diamond Head that week so we didn't get to go there. But we had a lot of fun and since DH used to live there he helped us avoid all the fun tourist places. Luckily one of our friends was stationed at Hickam and took us to a really nice restraunt...I got to try some Hawaiian dishes. But alas, our 4 days in Hawaii went too quickly and it was time to board the plane for "the states" (I was quickly corrected by the airline employee "the mainland"). Of course that took another trip threw customs.

Our flight to LAX was short and sweet and then we got to go threw immigration. But the best thing about the whole trip was when the guy who stamped our passports said "WELCOME HOME." It still brings tears to my eyes (even as I type this) because those were the sweetest words ever at that point.

We still had another flight to get from LAX to DIA and I don't even remember how we got from DIA to MIL's house...I guess that she came to get us! But we were home.

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Lazy Daisy
Froglegs

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