Iām Satu and I originally hail from upstate New York from a large family (Iām the youngest of 11 kidsā¦although Iām not young anymore LOL). Iām former military so Iāve lived in many places (Texas, California, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Tennessee, Belgium, Japan).
But most recently I was living abroad with my husband in New Zealand (heās an indigenous New Zealand Maori). He came back to the U.S. with me when my visa was up and we now live just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. I work within the U.S. government so my work is in Washington D.C.
Itās so interesting to see where everyone else is from.
Hiya Everyone Around the World! Greetings from the Wet Coast of Vancouver, BC. I am living, loving and learning on the unceded territories of the xŹ·mÉĪøkŹ·ÉyĢÉm (Musqueam), SįøµwxĢ±wĆŗ7mesh (Squamish) , and SelĢĆlĢwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
I have enjoyed spending time living in Edinburgh, Scotland and wandering around Europe in the 80ās . When I have an opportunity to travel, I bee-line to the coral reefs off the shores of Maui.
Amazing, Satu- you are quite the adventurer! And ohhhh how lovely to spend time in New Zealand, thatās a place thatās been on my bucket list for over a decade. Still havenāt made it down there! Hopefully someday
May I ask where you lived in Japan? I lived in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and the countryside near Biwa-ko, so I can attest that itās a really fantastic country to explore!
That is so cool, Janis- I canāt say I know much about the area, but from the way you say it it sounds like a really special place to be
And oh, Scotland! Edinburgh is a dream come true- a wonderful city for creative souls and romantics . We were hoping to do a visit there this month actually, but (due to the pandemic and some health concerns) decided to cancel our apartment and delay the flights . A week in London on the way back to Poland will have to suffice for now!
Maui sounds like heaven- what a great place for a vacation!
Well I was stationed in Yokosuka for 5 years from 1990 to 1995. I traveled throughout Japan during that time for my job (military), but that was my home base. I did not however, live on the Naval base. I chose instead to live in the Japanese community and was fortunate to live in an authentic Japanese home complete w/ shoji paper doors and tatami mats for flooring and an outdoor Banzai garden. I loved my exceedingly kind and polite Japanese neighbors and learned to speak fluent Japanese from them. I absolutely love Japan!
Iāve been trying to get to Japan for over a decade. I finally had my plane tickets and hotel booked and a friend to accompany meā¦ then covid hit and to this day travel is closed to Japan from the US. If that was not enough, Iāve used up my travel money making up for income shortfalls from the lockdowns.
-sigh- itās still on my bucket list though.
Iāve always joked that once I made it into the country Iād disappear and live there till immigration caught me and kicked me out. Love the food and culture. Iād love to marry a girl there.
There is little authentic Greek or Puerto Rican food in Japan. Iād make a comfortable living opening a restaurant and cooking up my mom and dadās recipes. Iād call it āThe PuertoGreekanā
@Satu_TheGreenWitch You are amazing, Satu! And I bet you speak Japanese much better than I could- despite taking classes at university and picking up conversational bits on the street, there really is no better way to learn than complete immersion. And what a beautiful place to be immersed in, it sounds like your home was gorgeous! May I ask if you like to go back from time to time to visit? It sounds like youāve been enchanted by Japan the same way I am
@Franklin Oh noooo Franklin, I am so sorry to hear that covid interrupted your Japan trip! Were the tickets postponed? I hope the airlines will at least honor the tickets so you can get over there someday in the future Also, āThe PuertoGreekanā is a perfect name for a restaurant, Iām sure it would be a hit!
Youāre not wrong to love it there @Franklin ā¦the country, people, and food are all equally wonderful. Iāve got a few Japanese friends thereā¦we can smuggle you to the country to hide out
Thank you for your kind words.
They had a 12 month limit, so I ended up getting a refund. I got a killer 50% off deal that will likely never come again since Iām no longer in the industry that allowed me to travel frequently and earn miles on the airline. A future trip will cost me at least twice as much.
The restaurant is a pipe dream for Japan. Immigration is very limited in Japan. Iād literally have to marry someone foreal. Anything is possible, I guess, but Iām not the type of person to marry for ambition. It would have to be real true love.
But first, I have to get there. Iāll keep my eyes open while touring onsens and ramen restaurants.
Maybe Iāll try my idea with a food truck here in the states after I retire if Japan doesnāt happen.
@Franklin Sorry about the lost deal but Iām glad you were at least able to get a refund- and who knows! Sometimes crazy flight deals pop up out of nowhere- I took a roundtrip New York to Tokyo for about $500 a few years back that I found by chance, it can happen!
Dreams are indeed wonderful things- keep on pursuing yours, Franklin, and I am sure you will see them come true someday. Until then, Iām cheering for you! Many blessings!
@Franklin I know how that feels. Last summer we had a trip planned & my mother passed away so we had to cancel. One airline gave me my money back & the other gave me ticket credits that are good through July 2023. The problem is they are non-transferrable & we donāt fly anywhere. It was a choice we made because we hadnāt seen the family since before the pandemic & it was a long weekend before my son started his new job & my daughter started Junior High.
If I ever flew again, Wednesday is the best day to fly & for prices.
And ohhhh how lovely to spend time in New Zealand, thatās a place thatās been on my bucket list for over a decade. Still havenāt made it down there! Hopefully someday 
I lived in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and the countryside near Biwa-ko, so I can attest that itās a really fantastic country to explore! 
. We were hoping to do a visit there this month actually, but (due to the pandemic and some health concerns) decided to cancel our apartment and delay the flights 
. A week in London on the way back to Poland will have to suffice for now!
And I bet you speak Japanese much better than I could- despite taking classes at university and picking up conversational bits on the street, there really is no better way to learn than complete immersion. And what a beautiful place to be immersed in, it sounds like your home was gorgeous! 
Were the tickets postponed? I hope the airlines will at least honor the tickets so you can get over there someday in the future 
Also, āThe PuertoGreekanā is a perfect name for a restaurant, Iām sure it would be a hit! 
