Aloha

Wow. I can't believe it's been a month since I've moved to Hawaii. In some ways time has flown by really fast and in others, it feels like I've been here longer than a month.

I still find it hard to decipher if I am "homesick" or just people sick. I definitely miss my parents and my friends but am finding the balance with family and friends here. I noticed right away that having one of my best friends, Olivia, here makes Hawaii feel more like home because we both bring a familiarity in this new season of our lives.

Let's see if I can break this down somehow.

I've been living with my cousin, Ilima. I'm so thankful that she's opened up her home to me and is letting me live with her and her family. She has two sons, one in the Air Force stationed in Washington and the other a junior in high school. She's a full-time college student getting her certificate in Hawaiian Studies with all three emphasis'; Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian History/Culture, and Hawaiian Sciences. When she's not busy with her morning and night classes, she's volunteering at the elementary school down the street teaching kids about gardening. When she's not busy volunteering she's managing her non-profit organization, God's Country Waimanalo, and raising community awareness about aquaponics and sustainability.

I've been hanging out with my cousin Val and her boyfriend Kaika for most of my time down here. They have been so awesome with showing me around the island, feeding me, and making sure I have what I need (like taking me to Wal-Mart late at night & letting me watch her cable). Valerie is two weeks older than me but her mom, Lehua, is actually my oldest cousin. I'm so thankful that I have a cousin my age that lives near by and who I get along with.

When I'm not hanging out with Val and Kaika, you can find me in Waikiki hanging out with my bestie Olive and her boo, Jason. She's been in Hawaii for about 6 months already and has been showing me the ropes of Hawaii life. The week after I moved here, another good friend, Chasity flew down for her birthday. Since Chas grew up on the windward side she happily showed me different areas of Kailua and Kaneohe from her childhood when she was here. I also was able to meet her foster family that she often told me about. It was so cool to finally see a part of her life that she always talks about.

The tsunami warning was SCARY. I will never forget being woken up at 3:3am and being told to pack my things because there was going to be a tsunami warning and we were heading towards the mountain. It was so early that the only pictures going through my head were of Indonesia and a man hanging on to dear life on a palm tree. I packed what I felt was important and had to come to grips that my other stuff might be in water if the tsunami hit and our house got flooded. It showed me that stuff is just stuff and that my treasures are stored up in heaven. We drove up to the Pali and set up camp at a scenic point where we could see Kailua. I didn't know what to expect and it felt like we were just waiting, waiting, waiting. We brought my grandmother with us and my cousins (Val, Kaika, & Lehua) met us up there as well. All our waiting turned out to be nothing, which is good and a sign that prayer DOES work. So many people prayed and the tsunami never came. I don't think we were over-reacting.

More later.....