Jesse had to go to Guam for work, so Fletcher and I decided we should go on vacation :) We had trouble getting a direct flight, so we caught a SpaceA flight to Atsugi on a C-35, which was awesome because we got to visit with some friends for the night (and also eat the best ramen ever). After a night in Atsugu, we caught another SpaceA flight to Andersen AFB on a C-40. It was pouring down rain when we got there, but we were able to rent a car and get to our hotel in time for the rain to let up.
There wasn't much to do the first day since the weather was crummy, but day 2 was amazing. We walked around for a bit, checking out all of the super high end shops, and then we hit the beach. The beach was absolutely gorgeous. We camped out at a resort that had a great beach bar with yummy food and drinks, and also a nice pool with shade. Fletcher never cried or fussed, but I'm not sure the beach is his favorite. I happen to have a severe aversion to sand that ends up in places other than the beach, and I think he might agree with me. I also lathered him up in an obscene amount of sunscreen, which didn't help our 'sand in unwanted places' situation. After a couple of hours of swimming, sand eating, and beach napping, we headed to the pool to rinse off and lounge in the shade. It was a perfect day that only got better because we got to have dinner and spend the night with Jesse. There were also pilots from a lot of different squadrons staying at Jesse's hotel, so we got to see some old friends.
Fletcher and I flew out the next day, but we were able to spend the morning and afternoon with Jesse. We went back to the beach bar for lunch and cocktails, since Jesse hadn't been yet. After lunch, we flew from Guam to Okinawa on a C-130, since that was the only flight being offered. We were hoping to catch a flight the following morning back to Iwakuni, but it was cancelled. Fortunately, that meant Fletcher and I were able to spend the day with the Pughs. It's so cool having friends in so many different places! Fletcher and I were able to get a flight home the next morning. It was another awesome trip!
