March was a huge month. I finally moved to Okinawa and began my new job. This change is as symbolic of new beginnings as it is drastically different from my life in North Carolina.
Although I love my Ricoh GRIIIx, it was a relief to receive my primary camera equipment and film cameras back in the mail, along with other essentials like scuba gear and golf clubs.
This is my second tour in Okinawa. One of my biggest regrets from last time was not picking up photography sooner; it was only towards the end that I developed an interest in it. Even in my early teenage years with Instagram, I enjoyed photography and occasionally took an objectively good picture, but I never bothered to learn why or how to use a camera. It wasn't until mid-2023 that I started taking photography seriously. However, capturing images in Japan feels like photography on easy mode. The sheer abundance of things to do is uncanny. I will write a blog post about this later.
Some of the biggest highlights of the month include:
- Seeing my grandparents before leaving and checking out the self-driving feature on Grandpa’s car.
- Visiting an indoor driving range and seeing deer on the golf course at the Army Navy Country Club.
- Walking 15 miles twice in one week (before I got my car) to explore the local area.
- Discovering new places within walking distance I've never been to, such as Gushikawa Athletic Park, where I took a picture of a very friendly blue-eyed cat.
- Purchasing my wife's 2006 Daihatsu Gino and my 2003 Subaru Dias wagon.
- Staying at a hotel for one night in Naha to take photos (I plan to write a blog post about this as well).
- Meeting new people and enjoying the VIP experience with the local Okinawan population at a secret izakaya and karaoke bar.
- Making many trips to Lawson's (#1 convenience store).
- Discovering Cape Hedo and experiencing live Okinawan music.
- Spearfishing with my polespear, then taking the fish home, filleting, and cooking it.
- Buying a Yeti cooler to support my adventures.
- Finishing a roll of film and starting two others (one of which is black and white!).
- Discovering a new trail and a shrine along a river.
- Scuba diving once with a friend and twice in the dark before work with new people.
- Encountering an eel, stonefish, sea snakes, and a sea turtle on my dives.
- Playing two rounds of golf in one weekend at Chibana.
- Discovering an entire pottery studio and woodworking shop at the library on base.
- Buying a fishing pole and trying it out.
- Befriending the cats at the on-base gym.
