Hello Hong Kong!

We are safe and sound in Hong Kong! On the train to Osaka we were scrambling trying to get flights out. It was funny (not in a haha way of course) to hear Andrew call travel agencies saying "We just need your earliest available flight somewhere, we do not care where." Andrew's company was working on it back home but had been unable to find anything. Andrew's brother was able to get us on a flight the next day to Manilla, Philippines that we could then connect to Singapore. At one point Andrew's company had us tentatively booked on a flight that night to Bangkok. And then miraculously, at the 11th hour, we had a flight leaving almost immediately for Hong Kong. In business class no less, holy cow! We were so unbelievably lucky. The train and even Osaka airports were very calm (the Japanese are extremely orderly by nature) and it was mostly foreigners trying to leave. Most of my expat friends left as well, more are leaving today. Everyone just wants to play it safe.

My packing was funny. When we left we weren't sure how many days we'd be stuck in Osaka before we could get out and the state that things would be in during that time. We only took a few bags with us, anticipating packed trains. My bags were mostly filled with food, medical supplies and diapers and stuff for the kids. So here we are in Hong Kong now and I don't even have a hair brush. Andrew has just gone downstairs to try and find me one. He told me I look like I could seriously use a shower ;) I wasn't alone in my packing strategy. Some of the other expats we were talking to on the train had things like radiation masks, water filters (in case the water supply became contaminated), food, and medical supplies. So I wasn't totally nuts!

We don't know what our next move will be. I think we'll try and hang here for several days, keep on top of the news, and figure out where we'll go next. We received the following message from Connor's school:

Dear Parents,

I just found an information that was written by Kishocho(Japan Meterological Agency) last night, on 13th.

According to them, there is a higher chance that we will have an another strong shake(seismic Intensity scale 6 ) soon.

The last one we experienced was Scale 5. Their website said:

Estimating from the occurrence of aftershock so far, the possibility of aftershocks with magnitude of 7 or higher is 70% until 10 a.m., 16 March, followed by 50% until 10 a.m., 19 March.

Please stay safe. I will call the government tomorrow and find our more information.

The Japanese scale is different from ours so basically they are concerned that there will be an aftershock even bigger than what has already hit. So hell no are we going back there anytime soon! The friends that we are traveling with will be returning to the US this week, they do not intend ever to return to Tokyo. It's very sad.

Another time when I have my sense of humor back I might smile back on how I accidentally packed a knife (to make Connor's peanut butter and jelly!) in my carry on bag and had to be pulled aside to be questioned by the Japanese authorities. For a few minutes there I was so afraid I wouldn't be allowed to join my family on our flight out of Japan!

While very relieved, we were also immensely sad leaving Japan. We felt like we were abandoning them. While NO ONE is deserving of such a horrific tragedy, the Japanese are far and away the kindest, most respectful, most welcoming, hardest working working people I've ever met. It's just so hard to see something like that happen there. I don't think I will ever be able to understand. I heart Japan so much. We will be back. Just not right now.

Once we get cleaned up we're off to explore Hong Kong (and get Mama some new clothes and other things I forgot to pack). I've always wanted to visit here (under different circumstances of course) and we actually have several friends living here right now. I'm shocked at how hazy it is here. And its much warmer than we were used to- its in the low 70's right now.

Thank you SO MUCH again for thinking and praying for us. This has been the most insane couple days of our life for sure! We are 100% fine (better than fine!) and after a couple years of therapy I should be right back to my old self again for sure- because if you hadn't noticed, I lost my mind somewhere over the weekend... ;)

On a much, much, much lighter note, Happy 6 month birthday to my precious baby girl. What a way to ring it in! She just took her first real "up on all fours" crawling steps on the floor or our hotel room floor. Way to go baby girl!