Some Dreams Change

I think this is record breaking... 4 blog posts in one day! Either I am on a role or have finally learned to master the balance between being a geographical single parent, homemaker and ME.

Reflecting

I came across an article tonight as I was reading the news that hit close. Perhaps someone else would read this article and think nothing more of it than another byproduct of sequestration and the evolution of our military, but it was more personal to me. It caused me to reflect on who I was just a few short years ago, and like many stay at home moms do, I thought just how different my life would be if I never married or had children.

Me at an air show in California  (1990 - 5 years old)

 

That Was Once Me

The article was about the ending era of the US Air Force's close air support twin engine jet aircraft... The A-10. So why is this so personal to me? Well this isn't just any air craft. It was once my dream. Not too long ago, I was a slimmer, more athletic, more opportunistic Tara. I was going to be an officer in the US Air Force.

Most people in the community I am apart of know me as Rob's wife. Robby's mom. The girl with the house that always smells great. They know that Rob and I have known eachother since we were 13, and the Rob had his heart set on me from early on. What a lot of people don't know is that I wasn't always with Rob. In fact, I didn't think my perfect life plan included him at all. I was on the fast track to becoming something worth while. Something worth accomplishing. Something I knew I was good at. I was in AFROTC at the University of Central Florida with hopes to obtain that coveted rated pilot slot and to fly an air craft that I saw as a means for me to get as close to the front lines and into the fight as possible. I wanted to fly the A-10.

My time in ROTC was anything but easy. I ran into wall after wall with trying to obtain medical waivers, waivers for me to be on a 2 year program, to get into Field Training without being contracted (due to pending medical waivers). Each obstacle I hit just made me that more determined and made me want it that much more. After my first year, I won my slot to Field Training after being told I wouldn't get one because I was not contracted. I pushed through and left FT as a distinguished graduate and an invitation to return as a CTA (Cadet Training Assistant) the following year. Upon returning to my detachment I was complemented with the position of squadron commander. I would wake up every other day at 4am, drive to my detachment 60 minutes away for PT and LeadLab and for my required classes before driving back home for my full time job. In my free time, I worked hard to increase my PCSM score. I would compete to receive free flight hours in the 172 and would be as involved as much as I could in our wing. Even writing this now, I feel like I am writing about someone else. But this was once me.

Getting some free flight time (2008)

Graduation of Field Training(2009)

Posing with a fellow DG at the completion of FT. We were given "butter bars" to wear inside our cover until commissioning (2009)

Flying in a KC-135(2009)

 

I Let Go of Something Good

I left ROTC at a pinnacle time. I was about to finally be contracted. I was about to commission. I started my masters degree. While all those things were steps to obtaining my dream of flying, and flying the A-10 at that, I let them go.

In 2009 I began my first semester as an undeclared graduate student. I had graduated in the middle of my 2 year program in ROTC and I had to remain a full time student until I commissioned and completed ROTC. I was getting a head start on something valuable as an officer, that was until October 1, 2009. A dear friend from high school was killed in action while serving a 5th tour overseas. Sgt Robert Sanchez was an Army Ranger and a dear friend of mine who I would talk to on a weekly to monthly basis. He was someone who inspired me to, yes, be all I could be. He didn't talk much about himself, but offered great advice to help me along my way, and that advice came from a place of wisdom only a solider with his experience would have. He was the one person who would tell me personal experiences of how the A-10 was mission essential, and perhaps that is why I was attracted to that aircraft. Coping with his death was hard. It wasn't the first time I had lost a friend, sadly, but it was hard because it put a reality on just how dangerous it is serving in the military.

My now husband, Rob, and I had just rekindled our flame and began dating long distance since June. He was a new pilot student in Kingsville, Texas and we were crazy about each other. Rob was very supportive of my career path, but we tried not to talk about our future, as what future would we have if he was to be a Navy pilot and I an Air Force pilot. After Rob Sanchez's death, I forced myself to think about our future. One of the last conversations I had with Rob Sanchez before his deployment was at my parents house. He had only come over to return something I left in his car, but stayed for a while. You see, my parents were home and my sister had brought her then 4 and 1 year olds there. It was family time and it was something that Rob never got enough of. Rob sat on the bar stool and looked around and said he wanted 'this'. He was referring to being home with family. We know that Rob never got to come home to that, but as someone who wasn't contracted yet and had my degree, I wasn't obligated to any certain path like Rob Sanchez was when he deployed. I was in love and knew that I had to let go of something good if I wanted something better.

In 2009, I left ROTC. I lost some close friends who just didn't understand why I would give everything up to move to Kingville with my then boyfriend, but I knew I wanted what Rob Sanchez had wanted. I wanted to be home, I wanted something that I couldn't have if I committed myself to service. I am lucky to say that I am writing this blog from home today. I let go of something good, and I found something so much more than I could have ever dreamed.

The End of an Era

Reading the article of the A-10 brought back some great memories of a time when I was dead set on on a dream. But as the A-10 has finally reached its final days, I had reached beyond what being an Air Force pilot could offer. I ended my time as Cadet Miner and started the biggest adventure of my life. An adventure that no A-10 could offer me. I am happily married to my best friend, yes a Navy pilot, and a mother to an incredible son that we have been blessed with. The article may read an end of an era, but to me it helps bring me to the realization that my adventure is the greatest one of all and it has just begun.

At an AFA Convention along side my then, Detachment Commander, Colonel Palmby (2009)

AFA Convention (2009)

JSTARS Sim at Warner Robbins AFB (2009)

Stopping to take a picture with the A-10 at the Air Museum at Warner Robbins (2009)

Wearing my new C/Capt ranks on my first day as POC (2009)

Posing with my DG plaque at the airport for mom and dad (2009)

Yep, I sure did have a lot going for me but look what I got instead...

VAW-120 Norfolk, Virginia (June 2012)

...winning!

Farewell, A-10. You had a good ride!

Halloween 2013: Munchkin Land

Because of our trip to Singapore, Robby and I got home right as trick or treating was wrapping up on the 31st, so sadly, we missed the festivities. Robby and I agree, we got the best treat this year though by seeing daddy in Singapore.

Even though we missed Halloween this year, it didn't stop us from wearing our costumes all day on November 1st. Robby was a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz and he played the part well.

Here are a few pictures taken by our neighbor and friend, Megan.

Singapore, the Gateway to Asia!

Meeting the Boat in Singapore 

Robby and I have just returned from a great portcall trip to visit Rob in the tropical oasis that is Singapore. This was our second time in Singapore, but this time was extra special as we got to meet daddy while he was on deployment, and this time we got to spend an entire week in this Asian melting pot.

How We Got There

Traveling alone with a baby is tasking and is an art form that is ever changing and takes practice and a large dose of patience. That is just simply describing traveling alone with a baby domestically back in the states, haha. Traveling solo with Robby abroad and on long flights can at times be another form of torture, but it is empowering and rewarding just the same! Robby and I try to travel the most economical way possible so that we can afford to travel more often, which means more daddy time! Traveling more economically doesn't always mean easy, but this time it was.

Robby and I were flying standby on Delta from Tokyo to Singapore and needed to pick a day of travel that offered us the best chance of us getting a seat. With a typhoon and the weekend approaching, Robby and I decided to fly 2 days before Rob was to arrive in Singapore. The flight was easy enough, as it is a 7 hour direct trip from Tokyo. Robby and I booked seats on a military bus that took us straight to the terminal, we checked in and enjoyed some snack and play time in the Delta Sky Lounge. We boarded the flight and Robby and I were able to get an entire row to ourselves. Robby fell asleep as soon as we sat down. I was hoping that since the flight was scheduled to take off at Robby's bedtime (7pm) that he would sleep for the 7 hours before we were to land at 1:30am. Unfortunately, we were waiting in line to take off for 2 hours and that tapped into the small window of Robby's patience. Between a quite vocal captain and a crew that was on the hunt for the person who decided to light up a cig in the lavatory, Robby was tiredly awake and not happy for most of the flight. We landed at 3am and took a cab to our hotel for the night. By the time we got settled for bed, it was 5am. We were tired! The hotel we were at was a cheap hotel, but still pricey as most places are in Singapore. It was a beach hotel on Sentosa island, and between the breathtaking sunrise and my excitement to see Rob, I was away and ready to start our day by 8am. Robby, however, slept in until 10am, when I woke him up for breakfast and to pack for check out.

We made a quick trip to the beach, and after letting Robby run in the sand and towards the ocean, I realized it was his first time ever to visit the beach. This is a shock coming from such a sea salted family. After 30 minutes of play time, we headed to our room to wash up and check out. We were headed to the beautiful Moevenpick Sentosa resort, which was also located on the island. This resort was the only hotel with a separate living space where we could put Robby in his crib which would allow for some privacy and also a better nights sleep. We checked in and was offered fresh fruit and ice cream. We killed time by venturing to the shopping area (like City Walk) and then headed to the hotel for dinner, baths then bed. Robby slept great and so did I. We had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

Daddy's Home!

When we woke up, I gave Robby some fruit and a snack to hold us over until we could head to breakfast. I was constantly checking my email in hopes of getting an update from Rob as to if/when the boat pulled in and when we could expect him. After waiting for an hour and not hearing from him, I decided to take Robby to breakfast. We had pancakes and hashbrowns at McDonalds, which Robby LOVED. We headed back to the room around 11am and I tried to hold Robby off on his nap until Rob got to the hotel.

Rob had directions to the hotel and was going to grab a key from the front desk when he arrived, as we had not way of communicating unless he found wi-fi. So we waited and waited not knowing when he would show up. I placed Robby in a chair and sat him at the desk to watch cartoons on his iPad. The desk was at the foot of the bed and was in view of the front door, while the bed was not. Around 1pm, I heard the door open and saw Robby's head look towards the door. I then saw his bounce up and down and squeal. Then I heard Rob's voice. Daddy was home!

This was the first time Robby had any concept of being reunited with Daddy and it was a sight to see. As much as I wanted to wrap my arms around Rob, I sat back and watched Robby and Rob cuddle and play.

Two Peas in a Pod

Rob and I wanted to make this a family trip, where he could play with Robby so we did the toursity thing and stayed on Sentosa for the most part. Sentosa is an island in Singapore with resorts, theme parks and family fun. I was glad we did this, as Robby could easily be taken to the room for a nap. Rob and Robby were twins running around Sentosa. They are more alike then ever now that Robby is growing up, and it was cute to watch. Robby spent half the trip on Rob's shoulders or being chased by Rob.

Best Food in the World

We spent the first day walking around the resort, grabbing dinner on the island and swimming in the pool. The following day, we traveled mainland to Chinatown where Rob and I are always on the hunt for a bargain and Robby loves getting fresh tropical fruit from street vendors. Robby especially loved the papaya and ate an entire one that afternoon. Rob was detirmined to give me an "island" makeover and bought several dresses for me in the shops there. After an afternoon of walking around Chinatown we decided to go on our culinary hunt for the best food.

Singapore has some of the best food that Rob and I have ever had. On our first trip we were in search of the best bowl of Laksa, a signature Singapore dish of noodles, seafood and spices in a coconut and cilantro broth with hints of lime. We were not disappointed and were anxious to try another Singapore favorite... Chili Crab! We found Chili Crab to quite pricy but found a great hole in the wall in a Hawker. A hawker is an open air food court lined with street food vendors and filled with locals. It looks questionable, but the food is anything but!

Our chili crab was about $50 USD. We were sticker shocked, but not after digging into this messy dish. We were served a large crab that sat in a pool a sweet and spicy chili sauce that also had lumps of delicious crab meat. The crab is a type of crab that was special to the area, I believe they were called Sri Lankan crabs, but the taste was comparable to the sweetness of Maryland blue crabs.  Rob and I found ourselves lost in this dish as we devoured every piece of it. We both agreed, that this was by far the tastiest dish we have ever had. We complimented the meal with the Natural Ice of Asia, a Tiger Beer, and a side of fried rice. The meal was an attraction in itself. Robby even delighted in a few bites despite the spice

Fun in the Sun

On our third day, we decided to go to the water park where we floated in the lazy river, saw some fish, ventured into the wave pool and Rob and I even did some water slides. Robby was so pooped that he napped in his stroller as Rob and I soaked in the sun. We were in paradise. We were all so happy to be reunited, having fun together as a family and lost in the tropical lure of Singapore.

We spent another day visiting the largest aquarium in the word. That's right, move over Atlanta. Singapore boasts the largest now, but even while lacking the whale shark and gigantic manta rays, we enjoyed the trip. Robby was lost in the bright colors of the coral fish and wasn't quite sure what to think of the sharks. It was a great way to spend the late morning and early afternoon.

We then headed to Little India. Singapore is a melting pot of asian cultures and a great way to get introduced to traveling in Asia Singapore is home to Malays, Indos, Indians, Chinese and all those in between. Because of it's diverse inhabitants, places like Little India are not to be missed. Though the day was hot and the humidity was high, we were refreshed by views of fresh fruit stands and Indian flower garland stands. There were so many bright colors and cafes that poured the aromas of curry into the streets. This made Rob quite hungry and while Robby was napping in his stroller, we decided to get some Indian food.

After exploring Little India, we made our way to the Raffles Hotel, an old English hotel which is home to the bar where the Singapore Slinger was invented. After spending a godly amount on our small drink and putting a check in the box, we walked along Clark Quay and took in the sight of beautiful Singapore. The storms were rolling in, so we took shelter in the squadron's admin for a few minutes before making our way back to the room.

Much like our last port call visit, Rob and I wanted to take it easy on our last day and enjoy the things we don't take for granted being a military family... spending time together. We took Robby to the beach and came across a water playground that sat in about 1 foot of water and had water shooting all over it from several fountains, and there was amazing water slides. We spend the entire day here and Robby had never been more in his element. This way likely the highlight of our trip, as it was the three of us having so much fun and loving the time together.

There was so much we didn't get to do in Singapore, but the city is always our gateway to our travels throughout Asia. We know we will be back and ready to devourer another chili crab. 

Venturing Deeper Into Japan: Nikko

Better (Blog) Late Than Never

Life has really been ahead of me lately, and as fast as Rob was home mid deployment for a short week in September, he left and now we are nearing the end of this year's 6 month cruise (only to have him leave for another 2-3 weeks, but that's getting off the subject). During that break, Rob and I managed to escape the institutionalized routine of living on base and free ourselves from the at times overwhelming concrete jungle of Tokyo. We try to make it a point to enjoy our time in Japan and explore much of the country while also spending some quality and precious family time together, and so we decided to take a 3 day trip to Nikko, Japan.

Mystical Japan

Rob and I decided to drive to Nikko, which was only 3 hours. The drive was quick, but for anyone who knows Japan, the tolls were expensive. It was 4600 yen one way which works out to be around $45. It was worth it though as we were able to see Tokyo Tower disappear in our review mirror as we approached beautiful green mountains. The drive was wonderful. The weather was overcast and rainy, but Rob and I agreed that the weather only added to the charm of Nikko. As we approached a village tucked into a mountain, we saw several bakeries and shops lining a main road. As we reached the end of the main street, the road crossed over a fast flowing river and then we saw the iconic red bridge that crossed it. The bridge is only open to foot traffic, and for a small fee, you can take in the views from this bridge, but Rob and I enjoyed our view with the bridge in it. The Shinkyo Bridge is the entrance to the amazing park of shrines that call Nikko home. Unlike may shrines that Rob and I have seen in Japan, the shrines here were in a national park and far from any cities and building. Walking through this area was much like walking back in time.

Traditional Japanese Accommodation

Rob and I are not much for getting sucked into tourist traps and love going off the beaten path so we kept this in mind when trying to find lodging. Trip Adviser has become a great source in finding what we are looking for when traveling, and it served us very well on this trip. We found under "hostels", a Japanese cottage for about $160/night. By Japanese standards, this is cheap, and about $100 less than what your typical hotel room would cost in Nikko. While this cottage was listed under hostels, I will be the first to say that this would be a booming bed and breakfast charging upwards to $400/night in the states. The reviews were ALL 5 stars and there was not a single complaint on Trip Adviser, so we decided to take a shot and we are glad we did. Nikko Cottage Fu-Sha was a great place to base our Nikko adventures from. We were greeted by the owner of the cottage, who happened to live across the street. The cottage was located in the perfect spot. It was away from the hotels, and hidden on some side street along a creek. The area was really secluded and it seemed as if it was where a lot of locals lived.

 

The owner showed us into the cottage, which was a traditional Japanese house. It had an entrance, much like a "mud room" where you take your shoes off, then you stepped up into the house. The house had a small kitchen, a front room, a dining room, a larger bedroom and a bathroom. There were no doors, but only sliding partitions and the rooms had tatami mats. In the bedroom, the owner set up traditional Japanese floor futons. At first glance they seemed uncomfortable, but I assure you, they were like sleeping on a cloud. The dining table was meant to be sat at on the floor. The bathroom had those amazing Japanese toilets, and if you have ever been to Japan, you know what I am talking about. The owner stocked our kitchen with fresh bread and pastries from the local bakery and some fruit, coffee and juice. She sat down with us to show us some maps of the area and give her suggestions. Because of the weather, she even offered umbrellas. The personal touch and Japanese ambiance was incredible.

Exploring

 We were only in Nikko for a short time, but we managed to see the highlights of the area. Within walking distance from our cottage, we hiked along the river to the Abyss, which is a trail going through a gorge. It was beautiful and peaceful. The weather caused the trail to be misty and make the air glow. We were the only ones on the trail which made us feel even more secluded. The trail was lined with hundred of old statues which Robby thought to be amusing.

After hiking the trail, we loaded ourselves into the van and drove up a mountain for about 30 minutes until we made it to the waterfalls. Nikko has several waterfalls, some touristy and some you can find if you venture into the forest. We enjoyed the views and even though it was September, we had to grab our jackets, as it was quite chilly. The forests were filled with monkeys, and while we didn't see any, you could hear them.

After returning to the village, we decided to hike through the shrines before sunset, and it was perfect. No crowds and the dim lights glowing from the shrines gave our walk a perfect vibe. There were a lot of shrines and part of the national park that we didn't see, but we felt content in what we did see.

We made a few stops in the shops along the main street, and per Rob's request, we made a trip to the bakery where our owner got our breakfast at. It was delicious!

 

Nikko

We found Nikko to be a great place to visit throughout the year. The time of year we went made for lush green forests, misty air and a mystical ambiance. We were told that in the Fall, Nikko is cold, clear air and the fall colors are breathtaking. Just as unique, winter gives Nikko a winter wonderland look with its snow capped trees and iced over creeks. If ever we are in need of an escape of the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, we are sure to venture back to Nikko no matter the time of year.