Day 257: Finals are DONEZO.

ohhh my goodness this week is officially over.
my family is on a plane right now and will be getting in around 3.
we are going to kauai tomorrow, and will be spending a whole week there before returning for another week on oahu.
which means, this is probably my last blog post for a few weeks.

soooo this week was finals week. and surprisingly, I wasn't too stressed.
I took my finals and was done on WEDNESDAY. everyone else finished on Thursday, so I was stress free while everyone else was still studying. it was nice.

everyone has been leaving these last few days for the mainland to spend christmas with their families, and I've been here watching my friends leave one by one. it kind of sucks being left. I'm normally the first one out, so it's weird being left, rather than being the one leaving. does that make sense?

anyway, i've been keeping busy. and not ALL of my friends are gone. Just a few. So I've been going to the beach and to the PCC. And right now I'm packing for Kauai.

well that's about it for this week. have a sunny christmas or a white one for me, since i won't see snow at all the year 2010. which I'm actually okay with.

ps- december 27 is my year anniversary of arriving in hawaii. and what a year it has been:)

listening to: we shot the moon-sway your head.


making a fish out of leaves in the Samoan Village.

Day 250: Pearl Harbor on Pearl Harbor.

This week has been full of pearl harbor, crazy weather, and working in the taro fields.

Tuesday was December 7 which is Pearl Harbor day. My friend and I thought it would be absolutely AWESOME if we actually went to town and be at Pearl Harbor on Pearl Harbor day. So I skipped my history class and let me tell you, it was incredible. Pearl Harbor was full of cute veterans and their families. We listened to one guy's story, and just being there gave me such a respect for what happened that day. We also went around the museums and took a boat ride to the USS Arizona. When we arrived, there was a list of names and flowers that we could throw into the water in tribute for that veteran. It was an amazing experience. We also took pictures with guys in the navy which was so rad.





Thursday I had a field trip for History to go out to the Taro fields and weed. I must say, I was dreading this field trip. Especially since I woke up to rain. When we got there, it was super muddy and they wanted us to go stomp around in a muddy river. I was hesitant to go in, but when I did, it was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had on a school field trip in college. I was with a ton of my friends and everyone was having a good time. It really taught me about how much work goes into farming and when I came home, I was COVERED in mud. I was in the shower for 20 minutes just scrubbing at my skin. The mud wouldn't come off! The weather just continued to get worse as the day went on. It was literally POURING. Seriously. It was a downpour. There was a declared flood warning and the thunder and lightning was ridiculous. The lightening filled up the whole sky and the thunder was ear shattering. The streets were collecting water and the little circle in front of our school was like a lake. It has continued to rain off and on this whole week. It's actually raining right now. But nothing compared to Thursday night. That was just madness.

Saturday I went to the beach to get my tan back from scrubbing it off with the mud. It's so weird because I have never been able to lay out in a swimsuit this time of year before. I can definitely get used to it tho.

Also, if anyone has seen the movie North Shore, I saw John Philbin aka Turtle at Pipeline and I smiled at him and he smiled back. It was sweeeeeet.

This week is going to be full of finals and beeeeeeach. I get done on Wednesday:) My family gets here on Sunday. can't wait for a break. seriously. but it's been a great semester.

also, if you don't know a lot about pearl harbor, look it up. it's pretty rad stuff.

listening to: john mayer-why georgia.

Day 243: It feels NOTHING like December here.

Happy December!!

I love this time of year. December is by far one of my favorite months. Everything about it that puts me in a better mood.

It's the strangest thing living in Hawaii during December. It feels NOTHING like December here. Today is a pretty hot day. And it's weird to think that Christmas is coming soon. AND I have yet to see snow in the year 2010. Just thought I'd throw that in there :D

This week the weather has been crazy cold. The other night it got down to 64 degrees. That is soooo cold for Hawaii. But yesterday was a perfect beach day, as is today.

Campus is officially decorated for Christmas. There are a lot of lights and Christmas trees everywhere. My friend and I decided to take pictures.


Also, I have been craving a Peppermint Chocolate Chip Shake from G's Dairy this entire week. I have yet to find a place here that will sell me one and fulfill my craving. boo.

It's only 2 more weeks until my family comes out here for Christmas. We are spending Christmas on the island of Kauai, and then flying back to Oahu for New Years. Then it's back for another semester of school.

ohhh school. I'm going to be excited for this semester to be over with. My classes are pretty lame and with finals coming up, I'm mentally drained. Next semester my classes should be better so I'm excited about that.

my mom sent me a Christmas care package this week. hooray! inside were some cadbury eggs and most of them are already gone. they are my downfall in life.

other than that, not too much is going on here. The weather was crazy this week so I didn't get a lot of beach time. if a peppermint chocolate chip shake is near you, drink one up for me. hopefully I will be able to find one this Christmas Season....

listening to: neon trees-wish list.

Day 236: Thankful && Grateful.

welcome to the thankful/grateful post in honor of thanksgiving week:

-i am thankful that there are three more weeks left of the semester.
-but grateful that i am able to get an education, especially in hawaii.

-i am thankful for all my family and friends who are in my life now.
-but grateful for everyone i have met on my path here, friend or not.

-i am thankful for the beeeeeeeeeach.
-but grateful for snow so i could appreciate the beach more fully in my life.

-i am thankful for those people in my life who approach me first.
-but grateful for the opportunities to go out of my comfort zone to approach others first to grow as a person.

-i am thankful for the awkward moments in my life that embarrass me beyond belief.
-but grateful i have friends to laugh about it with later.

-i am thankful for music.
-but grateful for the lyrics that speak to my soul.

thanksgiving break is officially over. but christmas break will be coming soon enough:) december here we come!

listening to: Far East Movement-Like a G6.

Day 229: Laie Temple Dedication.

the weather is 79 degrees. and the prophet is here. i can't complain:)

friday i saw harry potter. let me express my love for harry. i absolutely love him. i basically grew up with those books. i started reading them when i was 11, and now being 21, i still get excited for the next movie to come out just like i was excited for the next book to come out. if you didn't already know i was a nerd, this is proof right here that i totally am.

the movie was well done. truth be told, i don't remember the 7th book that well. i read it soooo fast because i didn't want it to be ruined for me. and i haven't re read it since. soooo basically i went into this movie not really knowing what to expect. as the movie went on, i slowly remembered certain parts that were part of the book. but most of it was a surprise to me. there were some awkward parts, but i laughed a whole lot. it's harry potter after all.

that night i went to the polynesian cultural center to watch ha: breath of life night show. the prophet was going to it, so i figured i should too, even tho i have seen this show at least 3 times already. but it's super good and i don't mind seeing it more than once. at the end of the show, the performers sang teach me to walk in the light to him. as he was walking out, he walked right past me. he was so close i could have touched him if i wanted to. it was awesome. i have already met president monson before, so i felt that i should give others an opportunity to do so as well instead of going up to him. i just wanted to see him. president eyring was there as well. the reason why they are here is to rededicate the laie hawaii temple.

saturday i spent all day at the beach. it was so HOT. the weather seriously has been so perfect ever since the prophet arrived here thursday night. coincidence? i think not.

today was the dedication. it's amazing the spirit you can feel when a temple is being dedicated. this is the third dedication i have been to in my life. the entire time i've been in hawaii, the temple has been closed. now that it is rededicated, i can go inside it starting tomorrow. this temple is so gorgeous and i seriously love it with all my heart.



listening to: taylor swift-back to december.

Day 222: Cast Party for Haunted Lagoon.

the weather this week was beeeeeeeautiful.
i went to the beach and soaked in the sun for as long as i could.
friday night there was a cast party for the volunteers of haunted lagoon. and of course, being the star, i was there. it was a luau and sooooo good.

today is one of those "i love living in hawaii days."

but this week i was hit with some pretty heartbreaking news. my FAVORITE place to eat at is now closed. that's right. the place where i could get the most delicious acai bowls ever made is now CLOSED. i am still in denial. had i known that my last acai bowl was going to be my last, i would have bought 3 more with it and figured out the recipe from them. ugh. i truly am so devastated. this place was the first place i'd eat at when i got on the island, and the last place i ate at when i was about to leave. i ate there for my birthday lunch. i crave these bowls so much. whyyyy did this have to happen?!

the first time i ever had an acai bowl. i look so happy.

close up of the deliciousness.


hope your favorite place is still in business.

listening to: jason derulo-in my head.

Day 215: Night Games on the Beach.

last night, I played night games at the beach.

let's just say I am bruised and I am still wiping sand from my eyes. when I got home, I was absolutely COVERED in sand. and you better believe me when I say sand was EVERYWHERE. it was pretty uncomfortable haha. but I had the time of my life doing so.

I welcome the month of november with open arms.

listening to: the ting tings-that's not my name.

Day 208: Hit Me Baby One More Time.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

This week, the weather has been TERRIBLE. I did not go to the beach.... at all. It sucked!

Good news, Taylor Swift-Speak Now album came out on Monday! You better believe I have listened it nonstop since I got it. love taylor. is she dramatic? yes. but I love it. I wish I knew her in real life. I have been looking forward to this album for a while, and now that I have it, there is much joy in my soul.

Friday night was the Halloween dance at school. I dressed up as Britney Spears: baby one more time style. It was pretty sweet. It was really fun and I love dressing up, especially for dances.



If you don't remember the music video, here it is. my inspiration.

britney spears-baby one more time.

Hope you guys had a great Halloween:)

listening to: taylor swift-speak now.

Day 201: Temple Open House.

this week was a pretty awesome week.

it was the temple open house and I was able to go through on Wednesday. I got to go on a VIP tour with the rest of the media in Honolulu for Media day. It was so gorgeous and it made me consider getting married here in Hawaii.

I went to the beach a lot and I'm getting pretty dark. Friday night I went to the beach, had an acai bowl, and went to Waikiki. I had a lot of fun going to cheesecake factory and just walking around with some good friends. it was such a rad night.

today my roommate and I took temple pictures and then we were hit on in the temple's visitor center. it was so outrageous. his name was travis and was probably the most awkward/weirdo to talk to for 5 minutes.

other than that, life is good. school is school and work is work. i'm simply happy with life right now.

listening to: the killers-all these things i've done.

Day 194: Star of the Haunted Lagoon.

soooo this week I only made it to the beach twice. disappointing.
i worked a lot. and had quite a bit of homework.
but this week was super cool because me and my friend volunteered at haunted lagoon and were the STARS. that's right. stars of the haunted lagoon.

wednesday night we volunteered thinking that we were just going to be zombie extras or something. when we got there, the guy in charge asked us how we felt about acting. we said fine, so he went on to tell us what to do. i got so scared when I found out that we were legit stars. i'm not a very good actress haha. basically we were tied up to a tree, and had to scream at the canoe to come closer to save us from the zombies lying on the ground. the canoe came up to us and we had to jump inside it. when we got in, the zombies came to life and pulled us back out. i did A LOT of screaming that night and my voice hurt A LOT the next day. it was so fun tho! so glad I volunteered. it was so funny to see the reaction of the people in the canoe. they so were not expecting us to jump in with them which made it so funny. i just love halloween:)

friday i went back to waimea and matsumotos. saturday i worked out and went to the beach, where my top came down AGAIN. I totally flashed my friend. Never wearing that top again. later that night was foodfest, which is where all the clubs make food and you buy plates from them. I was so indecisive. Everything looked so good. i ended up going to hong kong club and i also bought an acai bowl. soooo good.

i also got my halloween package from my mama this week! it was super sweet. i got a lot of good stuff, like chocolate and candy and also hand sanitizer from bath and body works called bat bite apple AND it even glows in the dark. love it.

I also learned this week to pay it forward. There have been so many random acts of kindness towards me this week and I feel like I need to be more kind. It is my personal goal of the week.

listening to: matchbox twenty-how far we've come.

Day 187: Jumped off Waimea.

this week was probably my favorite week in Hawaii this semester. it was AWESOME.

alright. so first my week started out with my roommate and I going to the beach and then seeing the temple lit up at night. since they are rededicating the Laie temple, the temple hasn't been lit up and I kind of hated it. I love seeing the temple lit up at night. it freaks me out when the temple is not lit up. anyway, we just walked around the grounds and it was really peaceful. I haven't been around the temple for a while and it was nice just walking around. especially on a night in Hawaii.

next was HAUNTED LAGOON!!!! ah. I've been DYING to go all semester. pretty much the pcc changes into the Haunted Lagoon as they tell the story of the Laie woman and her son. We went around in a canoe and people like come out of the water and touch you while you're going around. It was a lot of fun. We did wait in line for a couple hours, but I still enjoyed it. I love Halloween so much.



omg friday was just so much fun. next was waimea. so waimea has a rock that everyone jumps off of. I haven't jumped off of it yet, so I figured that day was a good day to jump. the waves were HUGE tho. there were signs up saying "if in doubt, don't go out." let's just say I should have gone in a little sooner than I did. So as soon as we got there, we jumped off the rock. I was SOOOO SCARED!!!!! ah. I HATE heights to begin with. The worst part of being on top of the rock is right before you jump. 2 of my friends had already jumped and were calling me to come in. I finally just jumped. So worth it. I'm so glad I did it!



We all decided to jump again. So I went again. Big mistake. Pretty much the waves were really really big. I was staring down and I got really scared again. Some strangers on top of the rock said they would count me down. I remember hearing "1! 2!" and I jumped on 3. I got down and I was totally fine, but when I came up for air, a huge wave came and totally crashed down on me. All I remember was seeing water and hoping I was able to come back up for air. The wave washed me to shore, and when I came up I realized my top was down to my bellybutton. I pretty much flashed everyone at waimea that day. I realized and pulled it up when ANOTHER wave came and crashed me AGAIN. I was thrown into the sand and I started getting swept towards the rock. I honestly thought I was going to get hurt. I didn't care if my boobs were still showing, I HAD to get out of the water before I died. I came out and I had this perv old man smiling at me. He totally saw my boobs. gross. Anyway, I had sand EVERYWHERE and I was in a lot of pain. I went over to my friends and they all were like

"what happened to you?!"
"I got punched in da face!"



pretty much I was pounded that day and I have a fatty bruised arm because of it. anyway, I went into the water and just pulled out all the sand from my top and bottom. I then laid on the beach for the rest of the time we were there. after waimea, we went to Haliewa and got some shave ice from good ole matsumotos. it was DIVINE. and the best part was that there was NO LINE. You always have to wait, but we just hit it at a good time and took a lot of pictures.



after that we went to sunset beach and took beach pictures. it was pretty amazing. waimea and sunset are probably my 2 favorite beaches. it was a perfect beach day.


later that night I had to film the concert rebel souljahz. they are this reggae band and I interviewed them at the end. pretty cool.

SATURDAY me and my friend emily went into town to get manapua. let's just say we were lost most of the day. it took us forever to find this place. but it was a pretty amazing adventure. I got the pork and curry chicken one. it was really good! but getting there was certainly a pain. an excellent story tho:)



today. i'm really happy. GOD DOES ANSWER PRAYERS:)

happy 10/10/10!! even tho I missed 10:10 so I didn't get a powerful wish today... ohhh well. today was a good day with or without the wish.

listening to: we shot the moon-the bright side.

Day 180: Paid to watch General Conference.

so this week has been a pretty chill week.
i've been SUPER busy with school and work.
but i've been able to make it to the beach EVERYDAY this week.
except for Friday because it was literally pouring all day long.

My friend and I went back to Surfin Tacos. Oh how I love Mexican food!! Seriously. I'm craving it right now.

I also went to Kahuku Grill with my roommate and her friend. I got the Coconut Shrimp and it was divine.

This weekend was GC and it was super good. I love Conference and I had to do a story on it for work, so guess what. I got paid to watch GC. Awesome right?

I've been really busy this week, but I feel like it's been very uneventful. Basically I'm just enjoying life and going to the beach and eating along the way.

hope you guys had a chill week too:)

listening to: Sugar Ray-When It's Over.

Day 173: I got a job.

Aloha!!

Alright, so this week has been a SUPER busy week for me. First of all, I got a job. I know, RIGHT. It's kind of crazy for me to think about too. I was like, "I can't, I have work." to someone the other day. Never thought I'd say those words while in school.

Not that I need to work during school, I just decided to go through with it this semester because:

-My major is not here (even tho I will still be graduating in Communications-Broadcast Journalism. Ask me if you really want to hear the story) and this job is relevant to my major.

-It will help me greatly with my Senior Project this semester.

-It seems like it will be a lot of fun.

So, what is this job? Before I came out here, I always took these Broadcast classes where I had to go take out a camera, interview people, edit it, and get graded on how well I did my stories. This is just the same, but instead of getting credit, I'm getting PAID. So that's pretty sweet. But I guess I am getting credit for it also, because I'm using it as my Senior Project as well.... it worked out pretty well if I do say so myself:) Anyway, my videos are going to be posted on the school website so the whole school will know how awesome I truly am.

So. This week. I've been going to Orientation, learning the ropes of the job, everything. Also, work threw on this Kite Festival yesterday so I helped with that. I interviewed people about their kites and there were some pretty sick ones. There were a TON of little kids, but a lot of them were so happy it was cute to see. It as a really hot day tho and I got a lot of sun. My face is no longer white... I am slowly turning brown which is GREAT NEWS.

I went to the beach a few times this week as well. A wave totally took me out while body surfing tho and I crashed my knee pretty hard, but it was still a good day. I also got burned a little bit, but it's turning into a tan which I'm pretty excited about.

Me and my friend went to this place called Surfin Tacos and it is one of my new favorite places to eat. There is not a lot of Mexican here on the Island, so this will for sure get my fill. It reminds me of Cafe Rio/Costa Vida. It's really good. We also saw 2 movies this week: The Switch and Wallstreet. I didn't really care for either one of them. But we had the best time and laughed at all the stupid parts. It was just fun hanging out.

I took a Yoga class on the beach the other night too!! It was my first time doing Yoga, but it was totally fun!

Also, my teacher made fun of me the second day of class. I am used to being the target, because I react to what people say, but not from a teacher, on the 2nd day of class. He always picks on people tho, so I guess it was my time. I came in, wearing a plaid shirt and a headband that kind of made me look like a hippie. When I sat down, he was like "What is this outfit? Are you coming back from woodstock? You look like a hippie." I was kind of speechless and didn't know what to say. He said, "I grew up in the 60s-70s so I like it." Whatever. It's chill. I will continue to wear that outfit because I like it. It was just really funny that it was in front of the whole class.

My English teacher cries over Shakespeare. She just feels so passionately about it. This will be an interesting semester. I don't do well with overly sensitive people.

To top off the craziness of the week, I have been SICK this week. I caught this really gnarly cold. I have been coughing and blowing my nose all bloody week. I hate being in class and being that one chick who keeps coughing. I have sucked on more cough drops this week than I think I ever have. I always catch a cold every semester. I don't know why, I just always do. I guess it was time for the Fall semester cold to come in.

So this semester is going to be INSANELY busy. I'm taking 14 credits and working. It will be good for me tho.

listening to: tai bachman- she's so high.

Day 166: First Week of the Semester.

so I have been SUPER busy with moving in, starting up a new semester, getting adjusted to the time difference, going to the beach, etc. to update my life. or take pictures. I know, I'm SUPER LAME when it comes to pictures. BUT I'm hoping to get better at taking them this semester.

so i flew in on sept 11 (dun dun dun) and stayed the night in Honolulu with my dad who came with me. we hung out and ate a lot of good food and moved me into my house. i knew all of my roommates but one and i think it's going to be a really fun semester. i love my roommates and i'm so lucky to be back in my house because there is a shortage of houses here right now. it's kind of outrageous.

my schedule is full of GE classes that i didn't take before I came out here. except History. American Heritage does not transfer (asdfjlk;) so I took that class for nothing. i hate that it didn't transfer. ohhh well there's nothing i can do about it now.

i am in the same ward that I was in when I left. It's an awesome ward and there are a lot of new people that I'm excited to get to know. i just hate that it starts at 8:00 am. God is testing me. For real. I've had this time for over a year now. Not okay.

i made it to the beach almost everyday i've been here. that's good news. i love and have deeply missed the beach.

it's been pouring off and on over the past 2 days and it's kind of been annoying because i wanna go to the beeeeach. but that's island weather for ya.

as far as clubs go, I joined the Tahitian Club, Samoan Club, and New Zealand Club. i'm really excited to see what we will be doing this semester.

my sleep schedule is still way off, but i know i'll get back on it within a week or two. for now, i'll just have to deal with being a morning person.

along with my sleeping schedule being off, so has my eating. i'm just not hungry. which i hope will kick in soon enough too.

other than that, it's been GREAT being back. I love hawaii and I love being back. how i have missed it and everyone in it. also, my roommate and i have been learning to rap Love The Way Lie by Eminem and Rihanna and I must say, we are getting really good at it.

listening to: Eminem feat Rihanna- Love The Way You Lie.