APO and Birchbox

Most of you interested in my blog already know that I've made my biggest leap to move back to Japan. I was born and raised on American soil in Yokosuka, Japan as a Navy brat "well- taken care of" daughter and have always felt like this place was/ is my second heritage. Although I had made the choice to move away from home in pursuit of self- establishment, commitment to return, and to challenge myself, there is no doubt that I have moments of feeling homesick. To cure these moments, not only do I look towards the family I've created around me for comfort, but I also have one of the greatest companies/ services to look forward to on a monthly basis. This is a shoutout to an incredible company called B I R C H B O X. (If you're not familiar with this company already, please click on the link). I have been subscribed to Birchbox for almost 1.5 years, and although I am a late Birchbox bloomer, I've really come to appreciate their service. Being away from the states, Birchbox keeps me well connected to the up- and- coming in the beauty world and it has truly felt like I've brought a little bit of home/ San Diego with me. Oh wait, did I mention that it is a service that arrives in my mailbox monthly? As interconnected as we are, more-so noawadays, with the advancement in technology and social mediums, there are still some disconnect. I have come to realize how many online companies are unable to ship to APO/ FPO addresses and this is absolutely unfortunate, borderline, unacceptable. Because like myself- one whose become accustomed to the American culture luxuries, there are 'things' one can not get. I understand that their are some shipping/ border control regulations, blah blah blah. But this is our military personnel we're talking about- if it is of any credit, FPO/APO should be the green light to be able to receive packages from American companies. I'd rather not rant too much about this but ultimately, I wanted to show some appreciation to the company that upholds their value not only in product but also in service. Earlier this year (yes, I said earlier) during my transition from country- to- country, I had placed an order for full- size products from Birchbox- I have fallen in love with this LIP product and vowed to myself, you would never see me without this product, EVER!!! (It is quite an investment for such a small dosage, but as much of a bargain hunter as I am, there are just some things/ product one can not deny that 'one get what they pay for).' Nonetheless, it is closer to the end of the year and I haven't received the package. I thought to myself, maybe because of the transition or the delayed processing of APO/FPO shipments, etc, but I am nearly close to the bottom of the barrel of my theBalm Staniac and am having anxiety of the nearly clear bottle that is glaring at me. So, I finally gave them a call and boy was I happy I didn't have some kind of automated system I had to dial five to ten numbers before I was able to actually speak to someONE. Then, I spoke with a member of the Birchbox Ops team (not sure if that stands for 'operations' team or some kind of elite team in Birchbox- because she sure did help me in an elite manner but), Hannah was super prompt and helpful. She provided me the service that I needed to get what I needed (I won't bother with details because I don't want someone scamming the system because they deserve top- notch customers for their top- notch ideas, ideals, culture, service, etc.). To top it all off, she put in a special surprise for me that I look forward to when (hopefully) my order comes in! In the end I asked her to pass on my experience with her team- I told her that: "Although I am NOT an active duty personnel I am still overseas as a DOD employee with an APO address and truly appreciate that their team provides their products to APO/ FPO shipping addresses. So many American companies can not provide such service to those that serve OUR (American) country all over the world. Furthermore, as our military personnel is sprinkled all over the world many can not have the luxury of some of the products/ services that we become accustomed to because of such oversight. Hence, I wanted to extend my gratitude to her and her team for this consideration and their continued passion and hard work." Lastly, Hannah was understanding, empathetic, and a passionate employee Birchbox Ops team member (you can just tell if someone loves their job, they even exude such passion over the phone, heck, in this case, across the seas!!!!!!) and I wanted to thank HER for being THAT kind of person and...To the founders and team of Birchbox, you truly have something great, embrace it and please continue sharing your passion and findings with your followers!