In this video we document our experience moving from Twentynine Palms California to Okinawa Japan on a military Permanent Change of Station (PCS) during the COVID pandemic. Throughout this video we give tips and learning experiences that we hope provides insight, clarification, and inspiration for other travelers that will be going through an overseas move such as this.
Tips Provided In Video (information accurate as of January 2021)
-Bag Info:
7 Checked Bags (toys, linens, kitchen items, and uniforms)
4 carry on packs (clothes, important documents)
2 checked pet kennels
2 booster seats
-Pack with vacuum seal bags
-Reach out to your neighborhood community page. Someone might run a cheap cleaning service that can help clean out your empty house for your final move out.
-International movers will not pack lotions, aerosols, nail polishes, liquids or batteries to be shipped. Unlike stateside moves that we have done that did pack those items.
-Bag Storage: In Seattle International Airport, due to COVID, only smartecarte #9 is open to store bags. However, they were not open early enough for us to retrieve our bags to make the Japan flight check in time. Hours: 8am – 10pm
-Get a hotel. If your layover time permits, it is well worth the cost of a room.
-Hotels provide shuttles with plenty of room for baggage, cats, etc.
Bring a little bit of litter and a garbage bag if traveling with cats. Along with food bagged up and taped to the top of carrier.
-(Military Specific) Have your paperwork ready. Below are the documents that were checked for us.
Military ID
Passports (family)
Original orders to include web orders (with families names on them)
Port call confirmation (with families names on them and pets)
Medical screening
Area clearance
Antiterrorism training certificate
Pet info: health certificate issued by a vet 10 days prior to travel, proof of rabies vaccination, proof of FVRCP vaccination, proof of microchip
-Bring Pens
-Japan flight does not accept top loading kennels
-2 meals and a snack was provided on our flight
-Bring snacks, food was limited at each stop
Channel Description
HeyBabe channel is a travel vlog dedicated to documenting, informing, and inspiring our viewers to start their own adventure. By telling our story, our goal is that through our experiences we can influence and inform other travelers that might undergo the same adventure. We hope that by committing to this vlog we can meet a community of like minded voyagers dedicated to experiencing the most out of every place life takes you. Most of all this channel was inspired to provide a bridge to our friends and family can remain connected to us no matter where life takes us.
Channel Link:
AloJapan.com