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My Unpopular Opinion – The Pig & The Lady
Years before I even had any inclination that I would ever visit Hawaii let alone live there, I had decided that before I died I needed to try The Pig & The Lady. Known for their amazing Pho, that wasn’t what drew me there. I knew I had to go to The Pig & The Lady because they had a full dessert bar! Now I don’t mean they had a large dessert menu or a dessert buffet bar, they have a full dessert bar set up just like a traditional bar. You have your bar area, with your “bartender”, and stools that you can sit at all along the bar…
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Mermaid Caves
If you google Oahu Mermaid Caves you will be treated to hundreds if not thousands of photos and tourists (and even some locals) talking about these gorgeous and mysterious caves located on the west side of Oahu. Post after post will tell you how difficult these caves are to find and to get down into, but the pictures convince you that it is well worth the effort and the risk. You will find photo after photo of crystal clear waters and gorgeous caves, exactly like what you would imagine mermaids would hang out in. You will be convinced that if you ever got to Oahu, you will need to find…
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The Difference Between California and Hawaii
Disclaimer before you read this blog post, this is fresh anger and me venting immediately after an incident. These are purely my angry, unfiltered, and unsupported opinions. I know these are vague generalizing statements and that there are both good and bad people everywhere. Please don’t take anything in this personal, and if you are easily offended or upset please read a different post. Unless you have been living under a rock the last few weeks you are probably well aware of the Super Bloom taking place here in California. California is no longer in a drought and thanks to the crazy rain they received this winter, California’s hills, valleys,…
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L&L – Hawaii vs California
Right around the time I moved to Hawaii one of my best friends moved to Chicago. After both of us had lived in our respective new cities for a few months, I remember texting him about how it was living in Hawaii, the good, the bad, the different. I don’t remember how we got on the topic of food or what his exact words were, but my friend sent me a text message saying something along the lines of, “I bet the food there is so good, no gross L&Ls around.” Little did he realize, or I for that matter, when I moved to Oahu, L&L is everywhere on the…
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Small but Mighty – Kahekili Ridge Trail
Located in Kaawa the Kahekili Ridge Trail is a short ass kicking trail that should only be attempted by fit, experienced, confident hikers. Kahekili Ridge Trail completley kicked my ass and I was not prepared for it! The husband and I tackled the Kahekili Ridge Trail a few months ago. (This post is a little delayed as we were trying to make a video to go with it and then life, aka Military, got in the way and well here we are now.) It was either a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon and we were looking for a quick short hike to do, just so we wouldn’t feel like we wasted…
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Spring has arrived and I am a mess
I am a mess. I’m fat, frustrated, probably a little depressed, and 100% lost in life. I’ve been back in California for almost two months now and things are not going as I had planned. Worse than that it seems like all the progress and promises I made on myself and to myself have gone out the window. When I left Hawaii, I still had a lot of work to do on myself to get to who I want to be and where I want to be, but I also felt like I had made a lot of progress and somewhat mapped out and set myself on a pretty clear…
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Adventures in Popcorn Ceilings
I’m here to warn you, removing popcorn ceilings from a single bedroom is not a one day DIY project. From start to finish, including removing furniture, priming and painting the freshly scraped ceiling, and moving back in, it will take more than a single day’s work. How do I know this? Because as I write this, it is nearly 11 pm and I do not have a bedroom to sleep in and I will most likely be spending the night in the back of my Outback. My husband and I woke up this morning, planning to finish the project he, on a frustrated whim, started a few weeks ago while…
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My First Month Back in California
Today marks exactly one month back in California for me and I must admit, this has not been the homecoming I had been dreaming of. It barely feels like I have been home that long, yet, at the same time it feels like I haven’t lived in Hawaii for years. I had big dreams coming home. Originally my husband and I had major road trip plans. We wanted to spend weeks on the road, living out of our car and exploring places like Joshua Tree and Zion. After my mom’s stroke, I knew that probably wouldn’t happen, but still, I dreamed of days filled with hikes, friends, and fun. Instead,…
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Mouthwatering Chicken from Maui Mikes
Maui Mikes makes chicken sandwiches that are to die for! I have never been a huge fan of chicken, despite the many times my husband has tried to sell me on the joys of eating good rotisserie chicken, but Maui Mikes is doing something special. And although I didn’t discover them until my last few months on the island, they instantly became one of my go to comfort foods. My go to is the Ranch Bacon Melt Sandwich. It is made of hot fresh juicy shredded chicken, lots of cheddar cheese, bacon, and ranch. It is big. It is messy. And it is so satisfying. My husband normally orders Mike’s…
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Breakfast on Oahu’s Windward Side
I have been lucky enough to live in Kailua, on Oahu’s Windward Coast for the last two and a half years. In those two and a half years my husband and I have been able to seek out and test many of the breakfast options this side of the island has to offer and there are three locations my husband and I keep returning to over and over again. My Favorite – Boots & Kimo’s Boots & Kimo’s is hands down one of my favorite breakfast places, not just on Oahu, but anywhere! They are known for their delicious Mac Nut Pancakes, fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with a creamy rich…
