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Looking back at 2018
This year has been a crazy roller coaster ride, filled with unexpected ups and downs and, just like a roller coaster, it’s leaving me at pretty much the exact same spot I got on, just a little shaken, beaten and bruised. I don’t regret this roller coaster of a year, it taught me a lot, allowed me to experience so many new things, and, for the most part, changed me for the better. I don’t regret this roller coaster year, but it’s not one I would like to ride ever again. This time last year I had just been laid off from my job of nearly two years. The lay…
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It’s Almost Time to say Goodbye to Hawaii
I officially have less then a month left in Hawaii. After nearly 4 years here on Oahu my husband and I will be saying aloha to island life and heading back to SoCal sometime in January. Although our time is quickly winding down and we have so much we need to do as we prepare for this move there is still so much we still want to do and see here on Oahu. There are also so many places we need to say goodbye to and indulge in once more before we leave. Since we are only here thanks to the military, this move isn’t really shock or a surprise,…
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Strength – A Decision Not a Trait
For what seems like forever, people have been telling me how strong I am. From family members to friends, strangers, counselors, co-workers, and even therapists. It seems like anyone who gets a look into the chaos that is my life, at one point or another, will tell me, “you are so strong!” “I wish I had your strength.” or something else along those lines. Despite how many times I have heard that I am here to confess, I am not strong. I have simply decided to be strong in the face of all the things life has thrown at me. Time and time again I have decided to swallow my fear,…
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Fall in Oahu and AGU Ramen
One of the things I miss the most about living in Hawaii is the fall and winter weather. Having spent my entire life in California, it’s not like I know what a real winter is, but I do miss chilly days, boots, tights, and sweaters. Here in Oahu, it rarely ever drops below 75. This past weekend was filled with those rare Oahu Fall like days. It was chilly, windy, and rainy, and put me in the perfect mood for some nice hot ramen. I only began eating ramen after I moved to Oahu, and my road to ramen was paved with many protests towards my husband’s request. Ramen did…
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Seven Brothers – The Best Burger on Oahu
I LOVE burgers! When I lived in California, I was always on the hunt for the perfect burger. One of my favorite things to do on the weekends was to seek out new hole in the wall, greasy spoon, burger joints. After moving to Hawaii, accepting my new burger situation was one of the biggest and most difficult adjustments for me. (That sounds sad, but it is totally true.) It’s not that there are bad burgers here in Hawaii. I have found several places around the island with good burgers, just not the type of burgers I was used to or I was craving. All that changed when I found…
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My Love Hate Relationship with Koko Head
I am and have been in a serious love-hate relationship with Koko Head since I moved to Hawaii. Every time I do this hike I ask myself “why?” before I have even hit the halfway point. By the time I reach the halfway point, I contemplate giving up and turning around. And then, I reach the top and I forget all of the pain and sweat I just put into this hike. Koko Head. Koko Head Stairs. Koko Crater. No matter what you call it, this trail is over 1,000 steps up an old railway to a WWII pillbox. It is a killer workout with killer views. It will kick…
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My Weight and 30 Day Challenges
I am currently the heaviest I have ever been and even though I know I haven’t been doing everything I can to fix it, I haven’t been taking it well. This isn’t a completely new development either. Although I’m not overweight and never have been, I have struggled with and at times even obsessed over my weight; never happy with how I looked for most of my life. My current weight “issue” is one I’ve had since I arrived here in Hawaii. Between the time I left California and arrived in Hawaii, I put on nearly 20 lbs and I haven’t been able to shake it. I’d get serious and…
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Moving to Oahu
September 25, 2015 I got on a plane in LAX headed for Honolulu. The previous months had consisted of a lot of couch surfing, living with different friends and family, and a two month stay in Utah. I had less than $3,000, an Airbnb studio apartment covered for a month, no job, and pretty much no plan. I had spent my entire life living in California. Despite having graduated from college in May of 2014, I still had not worked a “real” job and with the exception of my adventures in couch surfing, I had never lived on my own. I had never been on a plane and the farthest…
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The Other Pink Box
As a SoCal girl, I know that the best doughnuts come in a pink box. Krispy Kreme can be nice, and I enjoy Winchell’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, but the absolute best doughnut will always be found in a local shop with a pink box. It’s fact. Ask anyone in California. So for me, pink boxes have always meant an amazing sweet treat was headed my way for breakfast (or lunch or dinner or late night snack…doughnuts are good anytime) and thanks to Leonard’s Bakery here on Oahu that is still what a pink box means, with a slight twist. Now Leonard’s Bakery is not a doughnut shop, or at least…
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The Hawaii Bucket List – Kaena Point Hike
Over Labor Day weekend my husband and I had originally made plans to travel to Molokai. When those plans fell through we decided to spend the weekend exploring new parts of our own island. We have spent very little time on the west side of the island and decided no better time than now! In doing so we got to check off yet another item on our Hawaii Bucket List, the Kaena Point hike via the Waianae side. Kaena Point is the westernmost point of Oahu and can be accessed via a North Shore hike or a Waianae side hike. The point is a bird sanctuary and if you go…
