A Day in Our Island Life

Although my life isn't that different from that of any other working single mom in the US, it is a little unique so I thought I'd share what a regular day looks like for Earth and I.  My day usually starts at 5:30 and although some mornings I can manage a little coffee before Earth gets up, our room is pretty small and quite often he gets up when I do.

  We do all the usual getting-ready things and Earth has a little breakfast...

  And leave our apartment (complete with coat and socks just because!) by 6:30

 to catch the ferry.  Over 900 people from Ebeye take the ferry every day to get to work on Kwajalein!  The boats are hot and noisy, and this one is usually pretty full, but Earth and I can usually find seats.

  The trip takes about 25 minutes and most mornings I read or listen to an audio book while Earth enjoys a little computer time.

  I drop Earth off at the preschool on base

 and then head to the chow hall for breakfast.

Working hard!

  I'm the administrative assistant for the Recreation division Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR for those of you who like your Army acronyms) department.  Most of my day is spent at the phone and computer, helping the supervisors with their work and assisting with event planning and rentals.  It's a pretty perfect job for me- I get to talk to people all day!

When I finish at work, I pick up Earth and we'll either take the ferry back to Ebeye, meet up with friends on Kwajalein, or have a picnic dinner by ourselves.  This evening it was a picnic dinner at the beach since the power was out on Ebeye and I knew I wasn't going to be able to cook at the apartment.  While we were eating, some of Earth's friends from preschool showed up and he spent the evening playing with them while I got to know their parents a little bit.

Mama, watch me!

  Eventually it was time to head back to Ebeye and to our apartment.  Another ferry ride, then pajamas and a bedtime snack

before cuddling up with some library books.

  All in all, an ordinary day.  We're slowly reconnecting with old friends and meeting some new ones, making the connections that make it feel like home.  We miss everyone back in the States but I want Earth to feel grounded and happy here, for however long we're going to be here.

  What do you do to make someplace new feel like home?  Do you have any family rituals that you have to do whether you're home or away to make your day complete?