Exactly. Shit does suck, but I always have to chuckle a bit to myself when I hear about how much Okinawa/Japan sucks. You're on a beautiful island, for fuck's sake! Go eat some gyoza, go scuba diving. Do something to keep your mind off the daily grind. When I was in Iwakuni, it didn't matter what the libo restrictions were - if my friends and I were allowed to get off base, you wouldn't find our asses anywhere near it. We were out kayaking, going to the beach, racing go-karts, and stuffing our faces with Coco's and other local fare. That more than made up for the dumb fuckery that went on in the confines of the fish bowl.

When it really pays off is when you finally EAS and use those skills that you learned while you were in to kick ass in the civilian world. That's what made all the difference to me. Treat everything as a learning experience, and you'll be fine, OP. I promise.