The Hawaiian word for anything you aren't quite sure about
or can't remember, a "watchamacallit", is called "Da Kine."
That's the best that I can describe my life right now- I can't really describe
it! These last two months have seriously been insane, and full of many emotions
including joy, love, friendship, disappointment, stress, relaxation, and hope. So, I can't
pinpoint one specific feeling of the last couple months of my life here in
Hawaii. One thing I do know is that it has been a great learning experience as
always. But I have been extremely busy, which explains why it's been so long
since I posted!
I have definitely had a lot of fun this semester and have
made some great friends. We've gone on little hikes, gone to Turtle Bay for
beach days and volleyball, made many little trips to Haleiwa, girl's nights
into Honolulu (with way too much shopping), dance parties, taking my friends
surfing, kayaking, and had a great Halloween weekend. For Halloween we had our
friend DJ for us and we had a rockin' dance party at our house! It was a ton of
fun. We also spent the other nights that weekend at other dance parties and
went into Honolulu which was completely packed with thousands of people dressed
up in the sweetest costumes. I spent the weekend switching back and forth
between being Audrey Hepburn and a lion :)
I've done so much and been involved in so many things I
can't even believe that it's already November...
And it doesn't help that we don't really have seasons here, so it doesn't even
feel like Fall! But let me tell you- it has definitely gotten
"colder" here, whatever that means haha. The other day I was
absolutely freezing at the FoodFest, so I looked at my phone to see what the
temperature was and it only said 71 degrees! I mean it was rainy and windy but
I never thought I'd see the day when I thought that 71 degrees is cold haha.
I'm definitely nervous for when I come home for Christmas now... I mean I hope
it snows but that will definitely be a rough transition.
My classes are all actually pretty interesting this
semester. I'm taking classes that go towards my major of International Cultural
Studies so I'm loving my Anthropology and Communications classes- which is a
good sign. I will say though that I will never take 18 credits again,and as
much as that keeps me busy, I love it so or try to avoid taking that many as much
as possible. Some good news is that I just received a full academic scholarship
for next winter and summer semesters, which is such a blessing and such a
relief. Woo! I'm also in the Relief Society presidency in our ward now, much.
Each week we visit different sisters in the ward and get to know them better
and let me just say that there are so many awesome girls in our ward! They have
such strong spirits and most are such hard workers and have such strong
testimonies.
One girl really impressed me with her story: She grew up in
Hong Kong and when she was 16 she was really struggling. She always walked past
the LDS church building a couple blocks from her house and one day she decided
she would go to church the next sunday. So she just went, and then the
missionaries greeted her, she was baptized a month later, then came to
BYU-Hawaii two months later and won't return home for three years until she
graduates. Wow. I love that, and there are so many interesting stories of
international girls here, I love it. I also love being involved with the
sisters in need, because it makes me forget about my problems and my life, and
to focus on doing whatever I can to make other's lives better. And really,
that's what a lot of people are about here in Hawaii, to follow and have the
"Spirit of Aloha." Love it.
This last week became a little interesting for me as well.
Last Tuesday, I was with my friend Cassie and we had just dropped her boyfriend
John off at his house, so I stayed in the backseat because Cassie was taking me
home and dropping me off. We were stopped to turn into my house waiting for
cars to clear up going the opposite direction, when a van behind us rear-ended
us at 40 mph. WHOA. It was a bit freaky to say the least. The car was totaled,
Cassie hit her head on the steering wheel, and I had all of that force slammed
into my back because I was in the back seat. So now we're recovering and
figuring out insurance and doctors appointments, but because I had a priesthood
blessing right after the accident, I know my back injury is much less serious
than it could have been. This is just another experience that made me be so
grateful for the life I have and to remember to live each day to it's fullest
and to be as righteous as I can. It also made me realize how much I am loved,
and therefore how much I love others. Along with this though came the wrath of
Marci, my landlord. We've had many, many issues with her this semester and this
time she freaked out about two crashed cars on her property. So without any yucky
details, she was extremely rude and didn't even care about us or our safety
after the accident and so now I really don't feel comfortable living in her
house, so we'll see if I can find something new in a month and a half- eeek! As
much as it stinks that all of that had to happen, I'm grateful for it and the
many things I'm learning from it all :)
Me, Beth, Destiny, and Natalia.
Laie temple at night.
Looking away from the temple.
My friends surfing!
Colby, me, and Devin Norton- who is my friend Kyle's little brother from back home in Reno!
View from Pupukea Trails
The sunrise on my side of the island is breathtaking every morning.
Hello, my name is Audrey Hepburn.
Hello, my name is CaroLion! And that's my ballerina friend Destiny.
Me and my friend James kayaking at Waimea bay, before we rode in a HUGE wave into shore!
