I am lover of list making and I thought it would be fun to create a series where I break down some of the good and not-so-good things about Okinawa, from my perspective as an Expat, with anyone soon-to-be moving to Okinawa.
It’s been almost two years since i wrote the last post of my Pros and Cons of Living in Okinawa series and i’ve been wanting for the longest time to write a new post, because these are some of my most popular posts, but it’s been hard to come up with both pros and cons! I enlisted the help of my Bloggers of Okinawa group and i’m happy to be sharing Part 6 of my Pros and Cons with you!
If you follow me on social media you’ve probably seen the countless cafe pictures i post! Can you blame me? There are so many adorable little cafes on Okinawa. The food ranges from breakfast (pancakes), to vegan dishes, traditional okinawan food, coffee (of course!) and a little bit of everything. Most of the cafes are built in what used to be military houses back in the day, which gives them a unique home-y feel. Check out some of the cafes i’ve visited!
I hadn’t really noticed this until i started taking Japanese class on Monday mornings. My friends and I liked trying new restaurants/cafes after our class was over and we realized that a lot of places are closed one day a week, usually Mondays-Wednesdays. Another difficult thing we struggle with is reading the hours of a place online, because we don’t know the language, so we usually just venture out and most of the time after getting lost and finally finding the place, we see that it is closed. Major bummer.
One of the many fun things of living overseas is unique Starbucks drinks duh! Every month or so they get a new flavor and it’s either super delicious or just okay. The one pictured above was a Chocolate Pretzel frappuccino and it was the perfect amount of salt and sweet! One of the most popular drinks is the White Chocolate Sakura coffee (which i kind of don’t like, lol) that come out during Cherry Blossom season!
Oh the dreaded rainy season.. Spring is absolutely perfection and then Summer rolls in and we know it’s here because of the rain and humidity that follow. Some years it’ll rain the whole month of May, others won’t be that bad. But keep calm, the beautiful weather will come. On the plus side, rainy season means gorgeous hydrangeas! Read more about the Private Hydrangea Garden in Izumi Village.
If you talk to anyone that has lived in or visited Okinawa they will tell you to get a pedicure at Cocoks Nail Salon, because they are simple THE BEST PEDICURES YOU WILL EVER GET… EVER! There are two Cocoks Nail Salons: (1) on the Sunabe Seawall – with an amazing view, but small and parking is terrible. This one is great for bringing out of town guests. (2) on the Rt. 23 – this one is huge, has a good size parking lot and they use these awesome lamps that dry your pedicure super quickly! Think super comfy recliners, a relaxing massage with your choice of oil scent and a million pedicure designs to chose from! The ladies that work there are really artists! Curious as to how they look? Check out #LITcocokspedi on Instagram!
My friend Hannah helped me out with this one! I hadn’t thought of how sucky and pricy it is to travel from Okinawa, because i’ve never lived in a place that was ideal for traveling! You basically have to fly to a major city in order to get anywhere, whether it’s mainland Japan, Taipei, Shanghai, Korea or Hong Kong. It kind of sucks but it is what it is. You get used to it.
*Please keep in mind that all of these pros & cons are formed simply from my experiences and perspective as an American living abroad*
Do you currently live in Okinawa? Did you live in Okinawa at some point in your life? If so, are there any Pros and Cons you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments below! Interested in more Pros and Cons of Living in Okinawa? Read the rest of the series!