As I mentioned before, this blog is behind, so I'm going to try and catch you up on the last two weeks...
On March 15th in the wee hours we very awkwardly got all our luggage downstairs to wait for the airport shuttle. Poor airport shuttle driver who had to lift our maletas (for my non Spanish speakers that means suitcase) that were more than 60lbs each. Then we awkwardly got our maletas to the check in counter. I was slightly nervous because I was taking my handgun and I was worried that I was going to have a hard time...but, my preplanning (and my dad's help!) made it go smoothly. Security went quickly, and then we were in the sterile area! Because of my extensive knowledge of airports and airlines, I always like to get there extra early to account for any issues getting to the gate. But it all went smoothly and we had a while to wait. When we were finally in the air I couldn't sleep of course, left over habit from my previous job, so I read some of the Hawaiian Air magazine, read my Steven Tyler book, and played games on my iPhone to pass the time. And then suddenly we were landing. Just off the plane we were greeted by our lei's I set up beforehand, and a woman from Robert's Hawaii (a big company here!) that led us to baggage claim to meet the other woman that would help us with our bag and take us to our van driver. As surreal as it was to actually be here, the "holy shit we're here moment" didn't exactly hit me. I was thrilled, however, that we were going to have a home for 11 whole days!!! For the past 2 weeks we had no idea where we'd be sleeping on any given night, so 11 nights of a stable bed was heaven!
Our extended stay was in a pretty great location in Waikiki, close enough to everything but far enough to get away from the throngs of tourists, who of course annoy us now that we're "locals"! ha! It's hard to describe each day one by one, but I can say that we hit the ground running. Within the first 3 days of being on the island we had already been to the bank to set up accounts, applied to a ton of jobs, viewed 3 different apartments, and ridden the bus who knows how many times! This is paradise, and while we did enjoy the beauty of it, this is our lives, and we weren't willing to just sit back and pretend that it was a vacation. We needed to set ourselves up! But, we did have some good times along the way...
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| 1st night out |
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| St Patrick's Day |
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| 1st pool day |
And we also had some great food! Including probably the best best brunch I ever had at the cutest little place called the Cream Pot!
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| almost too pretty to eat! |
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| 1st drink |
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| not like what you get back home |
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| Cream Pot! |
We moved into our apartment on the 26th. The one thing about this place that is the opposite of what we originally wanted was that it's on the ground floor. But, we both fell in love with it the moment we walked in...mostly due to the hardwood floors! And the last 5 days have been incredibly long, as we had to do sooooo much! Cleaning, food shopping, etc. And we were still waiting for the packages my parents had mailed us to come in (which have to date all arrived except for one which I have no doubt will arrive soon). So while we had a home, we had to make a makeshift bed for a couple days, and we couldn't cook real food yet. But we weren't complaining...we have a home! For me this is all completely new. I came from living at home with my folks. Yup, I'm 27 and was still at home. For a few reasons...1. because my job called for me to be away more days than I was home, 2. because it was financially smarter, I could work on paying my student loans, and help my parents financially at the same time which was a huge blessing, and 3. simply put, because I probably could've lived with my parents for the rest of my life. I am blessed with amazing parents, that fortunately never made me feel like I couldn't wait to move out. But, while this is all new to me, one of my worries was right on. Not having a job made it difficult for us to get the apartment we really wanted. However, as always, my parents came through when I told them we would probably get approved with a guarantor. I hated the idea, but knew my parents wouldn't hesitate. My parents are the most giving people I know. Growing up our house was always the house our friends wanted to go to because our parents would basically adopt our best friends. They're the kind of parents that don't just think about their own kids...whether it's food, drinks, blankets, etc. if our best friends were with us, or we were out with them, what they got for us they also got for them. I love the generosity of my parents, although sometimes I wish they wouldn't do so much, because more often than not, in my experience, people just don't realize and appreciate how much they did and do. But, they came through again. I have full intentions of changing the name on the lease asap though, which is part of the reason we only signed for 6 months. I would never take advantage of my parents, which kind've surprised our realtor which made me think, are people my age usually that screwed up!?! But anyhoot, None of what I have done could I have done without my parents, and there's no way for me to ever express my gratitude adequately. I talk to them in some way, whether through text, the phone, or Facetime, everyday. And I'm not ashamed to admit that it's what keeps me sane. As much as I hate talking on the phone, and video chatting, when it's with my parents, I look forward to it.
But enough emotional stuff!! I should mention also, that I exhausted my annual leave from my previous position, and was technically still an employee until the 24th. A few days before that, my boss called me (right on cue since I was getting ready to call him) to make sure that I hadn't changed my mind, and I wasn't on my way back. It was a sobering feeling...knowing that the time for me to officially not be an employee there had come. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed the guys I worked with, and how I'll always look back on my almost 4 years there fondly. But, I am not the type to throw in the towel so quickly, so I knew when I put in for the leave that I wouldn't be back, and so the time would come for me to no longer have access to anything that went with the job...and so it did.
My "holy shit we really did it" moment came when I was in a cab (literally called "The Cab", just like the bus here is literally called "The Bus") the day we moved in on my way to pick up my car. Looking out the window, just me and the cab driver in the van, I couldn't believe that I was actually here. When you go through the planning of such a life changing event it can start to seem like it's never actually going to happen...and then it does. I've probably experienced every emotion you can feel in the last month. And while everything has been coming together nicely, I'm sure the road ahead will be equipped with some speed bumps and pot holes, but that's ok, because I never thought it would be easy, I just knew it would be worth it. Along with my blood family, I also should mention how very thankful I am for my other family, my friends who have supported me and rooted for me always. Oh, and my car is safe and sound...yay! I missed my baby.
And the adventure continues...are you with me???
Stay tuned!
We moved into our apartment on the 26th. The one thing about this place that is the opposite of what we originally wanted was that it's on the ground floor. But, we both fell in love with it the moment we walked in...mostly due to the hardwood floors! And the last 5 days have been incredibly long, as we had to do sooooo much! Cleaning, food shopping, etc. And we were still waiting for the packages my parents had mailed us to come in (which have to date all arrived except for one which I have no doubt will arrive soon). So while we had a home, we had to make a makeshift bed for a couple days, and we couldn't cook real food yet. But we weren't complaining...we have a home! For me this is all completely new. I came from living at home with my folks. Yup, I'm 27 and was still at home. For a few reasons...1. because my job called for me to be away more days than I was home, 2. because it was financially smarter, I could work on paying my student loans, and help my parents financially at the same time which was a huge blessing, and 3. simply put, because I probably could've lived with my parents for the rest of my life. I am blessed with amazing parents, that fortunately never made me feel like I couldn't wait to move out. But, while this is all new to me, one of my worries was right on. Not having a job made it difficult for us to get the apartment we really wanted. However, as always, my parents came through when I told them we would probably get approved with a guarantor. I hated the idea, but knew my parents wouldn't hesitate. My parents are the most giving people I know. Growing up our house was always the house our friends wanted to go to because our parents would basically adopt our best friends. They're the kind of parents that don't just think about their own kids...whether it's food, drinks, blankets, etc. if our best friends were with us, or we were out with them, what they got for us they also got for them. I love the generosity of my parents, although sometimes I wish they wouldn't do so much, because more often than not, in my experience, people just don't realize and appreciate how much they did and do. But, they came through again. I have full intentions of changing the name on the lease asap though, which is part of the reason we only signed for 6 months. I would never take advantage of my parents, which kind've surprised our realtor which made me think, are people my age usually that screwed up!?! But anyhoot, None of what I have done could I have done without my parents, and there's no way for me to ever express my gratitude adequately. I talk to them in some way, whether through text, the phone, or Facetime, everyday. And I'm not ashamed to admit that it's what keeps me sane. As much as I hate talking on the phone, and video chatting, when it's with my parents, I look forward to it. 
My "holy shit we really did it" moment came when I was in a cab (literally called "The Cab", just like the bus here is literally called "The Bus") the day we moved in on my way to pick up my car. Looking out the window, just me and the cab driver in the van, I couldn't believe that I was actually here. When you go through the planning of such a life changing event it can start to seem like it's never actually going to happen...and then it does. I've probably experienced every emotion you can feel in the last month. And while everything has been coming together nicely, I'm sure the road ahead will be equipped with some speed bumps and pot holes, but that's ok, because I never thought it would be easy, I just knew it would be worth it. Along with my blood family, I also should mention how very thankful I am for my other family, my friends who have supported me and rooted for me always. Oh, and my car is safe and sound...yay! I missed my baby.
And the adventure continues...are you with me???
Wow cuz, how awesome!! Looking to hear more :)
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