bring joy

4 months on the island + what living in a foreign country is really like

The photos in this post were taken on a recent trip to the north part of the island, about an hour & half drive from where we live. The southern part of the island is densely populated, but the northern part of the island is rural, with lots of beautiful, uninhabited beaches.

In many ways it just feels like home. After a while, anywhere can feel like home I suppose.

A few surprising things about living in a foreign country, specifically Okinawa.

Everything is small.

The cars, the people, the roads (most of the roads have speed limits of 40-60 kmh, which isn’t very fast btw), the apartments/houses. Naturally, when you are limited on space you find ways to conserve. And the Japanese, particularly the Okinawans, are especially good conservationists. They put us to shame.

I know...

the day my rowdy kids taught me compassion {GUEST POST by Jenny Ramsey}

guest post, motherhood

Problem is, there really is no formula, at least not an exact, precise, & fool proof one. So naturally, we make mistakes. Our kids make mistakes. We get tired & grumpy. And because of these imperfections, we are prone to judge others & others are prone to judge us.

I had run to the grocery store to stock up on some much needed items. I had my two oldest boys (8 & 9 at the time) & Tyndale with me. Tyndale was buckled in his car seat, which was secured in the front part of the cart.

After getting all my items, we got in the long, snake-like, roped off line (it was one of those that everyone gets in the same line then waits until a cashier is open). After being in line for a few minutes, I realized I had forgotten one of the main reasons I had come to the store in the first...

should you save while paying off debt + our budget revealed: debt snowball update (part 2)

debt-free, frugal life

This is part 2 of my debt snowball update. Go here, to read part 1.

All of my dreams are coming true &
we are now making a six-figure income.

(Really.)

The first is a result of living in paradise (ie. Okinawa). We live right by the seawall. We love our 4 level house. We love our neighborhood where the kids play out in the street or the neighborhood park until it gets dark & all you have to do is yell out the door for them to come inside. I love the people here—both the other American military families whom we meet & the locals. I love the mix of cultures, particularly the blend of Okinawan & Japanese. Island life is slower, it’s more laid back, & we love it. Forgive me for using love more than a half dozen times in one paragraph.

The second realization is sort of, well a...