Catching up!

Aloha everyone,

Really sorry about the lack of posts in the last month or so. Things have been a little crazy to say the least, and lots has happened since I last wrote. Halloween came and went in the blink of an eye, and now Thanksgiving is upon us! This past Friday I turned in the first draft of the MONSTER report I have been working on since I got hired. I'm currently waiting to get comments back from my boss and continue on in this process. So other than that, work has been the same, but good!

Although it hasn't been the easiest adjustment in the world, on the bright side, Roxy is FINALLY coming over this week and will be here in Honolulu this Friday! I called the quarantine station today to make sure her paperwork was all in order, and indeed it was! So I think our little home will finally be complete with our entire little family. I think she has been the missing link. I can't wait to see her little pug face and give her lots of hugs and kisses.

On another note, I'm also coming home for the holidays. I'll be departing Honolulu on the 20th of December and getting into Fort Lauderdale on the morning of the 21st. Unfortunately, due to Daland's work schedule, he isn't able to come home with me OR go home to Australia for the holidays... But, being the very selfless man that he is in these matters, he assured me that he'd rather me go home for the holidays and be happy than stay in Hawaii wishing I was home. Originally, Daland's Mum and Auntie were supposed to come over the day after Christmas for 2 weeks... so that made me feel somewhat ok with going home; but unfortunately, for unforseen circumstances, Daland's Mum and Aunt can no longer make it over. So that makes me feel pretty bad about going home and leaving Daland behind... but I think it will be better for us in the long-run. And he agrees.

As for what we've been up to lately.... we tried a new restaurant last week-end called Buca di Beppo. If you can't already tell by the name, it's an Italian restaurant that does family-style servings. You have the choice of either a "small" portion or "large" portion. We got a small size of baked rigatoni with yummy meat sauce, sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesean cheeses.... it was HUGE!!! It was big enough to feed 4 people easily! It was really good, although with most places in Hawaii, a little pricey for our liking. But overall, it had a great atmopshere and the food was pretty tasty. I give it a Thumbs Up!

That's really about it. We're still adjusting to life here, with all its ups and downs and challenges. But right now we're just focusing on the positive of getting our little girl this week! Can't wait!!!

Aloha,
Chelsey

Mai Tai Bar

Aloha!

So, I think since we've now settled in and everything seems to be normalizing, I want to start using this blog for what I originally intended it to be- a descriptive account of all that Hawaii (well, Oahu in our case) has to offer. So from now on, I'm going to try describing all the different places we go (i.e. restaurants, bars, happy hours, beaches, etc) and basically give a thumbs up, thumbs down or a SHAKA if the place is REALLY good. Hopefully I'll be able to include some photos for each place as well.

So the first place I'm going to review is the Mai Tai Bar, which we visited yesterday for their happy hour. The Mai Tai bar is located on the 4th level of the Ala Moana Center pretty much in the center. So one thing we noticed right away is that there is absolutely no view of the ocean, even though it's basically 10 feet away. Happy hour goes from 4 to 7 which is nice. A lot of places in this area don't start until 5. We got there probably at a quarter past 4, and the place was already pretty packed. There was no cover and a live band was playing some modern pop songs with a bit of Hawaiian flavor. The atmosphere was all-together pretty relaxing and laid-back.

We ordered our first drinks: a pint of Hawaii's Longboard lager and a Mai Tai-tini for me (3$ and 4$ respectively) which isn't bad at all! We also ordered one of their pupus: the popcorn shrimp. The shrimp was really good and a decent amount considering it was only $5. The drinks were pretty decent as well. So overall, I would've given the Mai Tai bar a thumbs up despite a lack of view. However, when we went to take care of our bill, we noticed there was an extra beer on the tab that didn't belong. We specifically counted Daland's beers to be 6- but the tab said (7). When we mentioned this to the bartender, he insisted that Daland had ordered 7 beers, turned to the other bartender to ask him if he had made one for Daland as well, and then proceeded to tell us that Daland may have even had 8 beers! Well, this was a bad move. Trying to screw people over by implying that the customer is either too stupid or too drunk to count is enough to prevent us from ever visiting this particular establishment again.

So the Mai Tai Bar gets a THUMBS DOWN from the Lahiff's.

Lonely Nights

Aloha,

Well tonight is the 2nd night in a row that I've been alone. Tomorrow night will make it the 3rd. Daland is working nights a lot at his new job and doesn't get home until after 10 usually, which means he gets home pretty much right as I'm getting ready to go to bed. Tonight was particularly lonely though. No one was on facebook to chat with, nothing engrossing to watch on TV... I cooked dinner for myself, ate by myself, did the dishes by myself. Man, I feel like it would really suck to live alone all the time. It's times like these that I wish I lived close to my parents. On nights like these, I could just go over to their house and have dinner with them and just hang out until Daland got home. But here, it's just me. I go through waves of sadness, and I wonder when they will subside. I'm embarassed to say that I cry quite frequently. But I just can't help it. All of this is just so much to take. I wonder when I will really adjust... or if I ever will. I just hope that this makes me an even stronger person. But at the same time I wonder: is it worth it? When I'm at work, I don't really think about it at all. I'm enjoying the job and of course I feel very grateful for it. But when I'm all by myself, especially at night, the solitude really eats at me. Maybe once my puppy gets here it will be a little bit better when I'm alone. At least I'll have her to keep me company and I can take her for walks if I need to get out of the apartment.

I just wish that such a great opportunity didn't come with such a high price. I'd like to just pick up everyone I love back home and move them over here. That would be pretty sweet. Until then, I'll just have to try and cope the best way I can.

Needless to say... I miss everyone so much. And I can't wait to see you all again.

Love,
Chelsey

Hawaii Fishing & Seafood Festival

Aloha everyone,

Today is Columbus Day- and while I don't believe Columbus deserves his own holiday named after him, I am thankful for the day off! Yesterday was the Hawaii Fishing & Seafood Festival... so instead of being able to sleep in (on a Sunday no less) I had to be ready to leave at 7:30 a.m! So I'm happy I had this morning to make up for it. Anyway, the festival was actually a lot of fun. NOAA Fisheries had a few booths set up along the back of the pier/docks right on the water. It was soo windy though! Each of us volunteers was assigned an activity. I got the microscope station, which was probably one of the busiest activities at our booth because of all the kids! I never thought I was particularly good with kids- I always feel sort of awkward around them. But yesterday, I think I did a pretty good job interacting with the public. I tried my best to engage people in conversation to try and educate them about what NOAA Fisheries is all about and what we do in the Pacific region. I was aboslutely shocked at how many people had no clue what NOAA was. Some guy even asked me "Who funds you guys?" and I was like "Well, we're a federal government agency... so we're funded by the government." Just goes to show the lack of information and awareness that's out there. But anyway, one of the coordinators for education and outreach for the entire Pacific region came over to me and said "So you know I'm going to be bugging you from now on everytime we need volunteers, because you're really good!!" I guess my countless experiences speaking and/or performing in public has paid off. Here are some pictures from the festival...

Since Daland had yesterday off from work, he came to the festival after my shift was over and we took a look around at the different booths. Most of the booths were for local Hawaiian fishers. We checked out NOAA's Law Enforcement Booth and Daland of course asked a few questions. For the most part, people were selling products like fishing lures, anti-rusting agents for boats and equipment, fishing poles, etc. etc. So considering we're not big into fishing ourselves, we decided to leave a bit early and go get some lunch out. We ended up at Teddy's Bigger Burgers (which we've been to a couple of times before) and both got big juicy burgers. I swear, they have the best burgers I've EVER had. I don't know what they do to their beef, but it's absolutely delicious.

So for the rest of the day we just stayed at home and relaxed. Daland is working today and I'm just watching some TV for now. Think I'll do a little bit of cleaning and be somewhat productive today. Other than that, I'm going to enjoy the day off!

Lots of love,
Chelsey

Daland got a job!

In all of the craziness lately, I forgot to mention that Daland got a job! He is now working for Macy's at the Ala Moana Center in their security/loss prevention department. And no- he is not a mall cop! He basically gets to walk around incognito keeping an eye on both customers and employees to prevent theft. This particular Macy's is in the top 20 busiest stores in the country (out of a 800+) and they deal with 30-40 incidents of theft every month! The pay isn't too bad and he'll get full benefits. WHEW!!! What a relief that we both FINALLY have jobs! The great thing is, the Ala Moana Center is literally right next to my office building. So we'll be able to go into work together when he works the morning shifts and even have lunch together! Oh, and did I mention the employee discount card?? HELLO SHOPPING!!! haha

Seems like everything is starting to fall into place. Have to admit, I was getting a bit worried there for a little bit. Now we can breathe a sigh of relief that we won't be living paycheck to paycheck. We might actually be able to start having some fun!!!

Missing October

Aloha everyone,

I just simply can't believe it's already October. I feel like it was literally just yesterday that I was going out for Halloween in Miami- me as a cop, Daland as a mullet wearing redneck. And now, that time of year is upon us once again. It always seems to creep up on me. It is really scary how each year is moving faster than the last. Has it really been 6 months since my 24th birthday?! I digress...

Last Sunday all of our stuff from the mainland FINALLY arrived. We were the first delivery of the day (whew!) but we were having some problems with figuring out payment. When we tried to get money out the day before from ATMs, were only able to get about $400 out per card. To make things worse, we were told our daily limit was exceeded for the day. We thought we were in big trouble, but decided to just try again in the morning. Morning came- no luck. Then I thought, oh I'll just pay it with my Macy's VISA. Well, the guy came upstairs and swiped the card: DENIED. At this point I'm just really upset. It took them so long to get our stuff here in the first place and now we're going to have to wait another WHOLE day! So while I was on the phone with the Macy's customer service people, Daland decided he'd try his card one more time. Low and behold, it worked! So we were able to pay the rest of the balance off, and the boxes started coming up the stairs. When they came in with the first box, I was mortified. It looked as if it had been beaten to hell and back. The box was ripped open in certain spots, had to be re-taped and was crumpled in on the corners. Luckily, we only had a few casualties (only 2 of which were significant). We lost 1 dinner plate, 1 drinking glass, a collectible UM figurine, and the worst- my swarovski crystal turtles that Daland gave me for our first Christmas. But alas, besides those few mishaps, all of our stuff arrived in the same condition it left Florida.

The apartment has really come together and finally feels like "home." It's spacious, airy and bright during the day, and warm and cozy at night. It's perfect for us. The only thing is, we have no one to show it to! No one to have a "house warming" party with... so a lot of this is bittersweet. Especially since, as I mentioned before, it's October...the start of my favorite time of year...the holidays. Even though Florida is not known for seasonal changes, there is always a different hue in the sky in October, especially around dusk. There is always a slight different feel in the air. Even if the leaves don't change colors, enough changes in the stores, and the restaurants, and the malls to make it look and feel like Fall. That is something I will miss this year... something that I began missing this morning when I woke up, realizing that it was indeed, October.

I guess that is just something I will have to deal with. I will have to start recognizing the little nuiances that makes it feel like Fall in Hawaii. So far, I haven't seen much Halloween stuff except for a few decoration isles in supermarkets. And of course, the weather never changes here in the slightest. A few degrees at most. But I have to remind myself that this is a part of life. I was at work the other day in a conference room for a talk on a sea turtle conservation program in Brazil when I spotted a really beautiful poster. The quote on the poster has given me comfort- making me realize that in order to really live life, you have to take some risks... the quote read:

"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

And that is exactly what I've done...

1 month!

Aloha everyone!

It's been 1 month since we moved to Hawaii! And well, this week was very long and interesting to say the least. Work was pretty crazy- I was in meetings on 4 out of 5 days from about 8:30 to 5:30... but I always got into work at 7:30 to make sure I had an hour to get some of my own work done. And these meetings were INTENSE. I basically sat there like a sponge listening to 7 brilliant scientists from all different backgrounds debate the meat and potatos of a status review report for 82 coral species. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose any of what was discussed during those meetings, as it's pretty sensitive information (needless to say I feel pretty privelaged that I am privy to this info!) Basically the report that comes out of the biological review team (BRT) and MY report on what humanity is already doing to protect these corals will determine whether or not any of these species warrant a listing as "threatened" or "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Pretty serious stuff with some pretty serious implications! Yesterday after the meeting concluded, I had the privelage of going to happy hour and dinner with the BRT. It was a lot of fun having mai tai's with the guys and gals who are working to save our oceans and marine life! I feel honored to be considered apart of their team as a "management liason" ... HA! Needless to say... I'm really loving my job; especially knowing that what I'm doing is meaningful and important.

On another note, our stuff STILL hasn't arrived from the mainland. Good news though! The container ship was supposedly arriving at the port in Honolulu yesterday (Thursday Sept. 23). So they said once they get everything off and into the storage at the port, they will call us to arrange a delivery. So for SURE we will have our things by next week (and not a second too soon!) On another positive note, Daland had an interview today for a security/loss prevention job at the big Macy's here at the Ala Moana shopping center and is pretty confident that he will get the job. Apparently, this particular Macy's is in the top 20 (out of 800 in the country) busiest stores and has 30-40 incidents of theft every MONTH! The pay isn't too shabby and there are full benefits as well. This will be a great job for Daland to transition into the police force once their recruitment begins. And then we can sigh a big sigh of relief as we will FINALLY have 2 incomes!

Anyway, I think that's about all the news we have for now. So far we have been surviving quite comfortably without all our stuff. The airbed is pretty comfy and the paper and plastic dishes have worked out pretty well. More than anything, I'm missing my personal items that will really make our place feel like home... although I think I'm starting to actually feel like I live here, rather than just a visitor.

Hope everyone is doing well wherever they are in the world. We love you and miss you.

Chelsey

Moving Pains

Aloha everyone!

Sorry for the delay in an update- we've just been so busy this last week, and I've been so tired after work that I haven't had the time or energy to post anything. It's Saturday night and we're sitting at the Starbucks right down the street from our place because we don't have any internet yet! We left my boss's condo today because he gets back into town tomorrow. So we spent the entire day cleaning and moving our stuff out to our apartment. Boy was that a task. But it's all done... now we just have to unpack everything (which we've already started to do) and clean up! And because we don't have any of our dishes or cooking supplies, we got a pizza from Sam's tonight and ate it on our brand new table (which we bought this afternoon)!!! So it's all coming together- slowly but surely. I will be a happy little camper once ALL of our stuff arrives from the mainland. We're hoping sometime late this week or beginnig of next week. Hopefully sooner rather than later. But I'll be posting lots of pictures once the place is all set up and decorated.

Work is going very well. I really like it. Next week will be a bit different since my boss is back and we will be in meetings all week. Should be good. I'm learning a lot, which is always good. And I still have to pinch myself sometimes to think that my first job out of school is with the federal government. Still getting used to the idea! But anyway, aside from missing our puppy terribly, we are really settling in nicely to Hawaii and loving it. We've already decided that once we get a bit of extra money we are buying surf boards. You just can't live in Hawaii and not surf. It will be really nice once we are all settled and we can actually use our week-end for leisure rather than working on the place 24/7.

With that, I am going to turn in. Will try to update as often as possible despite not having internet.

Love,
Chelsey

Surfing and Happy Hour

Aloha!

This week-end was the first that Daland and I have had on our own in Hawaii. We decided that we would try to have a little fun since everything up until this point has been nothing but business and work. So yesterday (Saturday) we got up, had breakfast, watched a little TV and then headed out to one of the many local surf shops to see if we could rent a couple of leashes for the boards my boss has. We were able to rent the leashes, took the boards down to the beach and paddled out for the first time.

Let me just say up front: surfing is NOT EASY and requires a high level of fitness- not only cardio fitness, but upper body strength as well. Let's just say, I'm not quite as fit as I would like to be. Daland was a natural. When he paddled, he glided smoothly over the water making headway with every stroke. Me on the other hand... I felt like a flailing fish out of water fighting with every movement. And that's just paddling out to get where the waves are breaking! Not to mention needing enough power and strength to actually catch the wave in hopes of standing up on the board. Regardless if I was only able to catch one wave that day, it was still a ton of fun and a great work-out. So, I am now determined to make surfing a regular part of my life and get GOOD at it. AND it's a lot cheaper than diving (although I plan to do some of that out here as well once we have a little bit more play $$). Unfortunately, the backs of my legs got completely sunburnt, and while we were planning on going back out today, my skin said otherwise. Really should've thought to put sunscreen on the backs of my legs. Next time.

After getting pretty beat up by the ocean, we decided we would hit up happy hour at the "Rum Fire" bar at the Shearton Waikiki. With $5 Mai Tai's and $3 Blue Moons, we were set! Not to mention the view... can't really beat it....

Today (Sunday) we basically just relaxed and took it easy for the most part, planning out are week and making the necessary decision to begin a new exercise regime together. The plan is to get up early (before work, OMG) and let Daland do whatever he wants with me. Eek!!! Well, we'll see how it goes. But for now, we're just kicking back on the couch watching the MTV music video awards (which is hugely delayed, but oh well!)

Until next time! Aloha!
Chelsey

First day of work!

First, let me just say that since the internet at my boss's condo is not currently working, Daland and I decided to walk 5 minutes down to the Starbucks on the beach to use their free Wi-Fi... I have to say, the fact that just about everything is within walking distance is AWESOME.

Anyway- back to my first day... it went very well! Even before work we had to go back to the DMV this morning at 7:45 to re-take the written exam to get a Hawaiian driver's license (yeah, that's right... we both failed it the first time around). So I re-took the test and passed with flying colors and got my Hawaii state driver's license!!

So after we left the DMV, Daland dropped me off at work at around 9:15 (a little bit of a late start, but work is pretty flexible). Basically the first half of the day was just getting set up with computer/IT stuff and getting my temporary badge (ID) to get in and out of the office. They have to do a background investigation on me before they can give me my official badge. Then I got to go rummage through the supply closet and stock my desk. After all the setting up, waiting for the IT guys to get me logged onto my computer network and internet, and transferring all my pertinent files from my laptop and E-mail to my new computer, I finally started "working!" I met the other ladies that are working in the room with me (in other cubicles) and each of us is working on a completely separate Endangered Species Act petition. They both seem very nice and seemingly in the same age range as me (probably a few years older).

The office building (we're on the 10th floor)

My desk!

See my shout-out to RSMAS? Love you, RSMOIDS!

Overall, my first day went as well as it possibly could have. I feel pretty comfortable and everyone seems very friendly and all "very excited" to have me on board working on this monster petition response. In other news, our Honda Civic (aka Little Black Shadow) arrived at the port this morning! Yay!!!! So at some point this week we will have to go pick her up. So excited to have my little hoon-mobile back. Well, that's pretty much it for today. Is it too early to say I'm glad it's only a 4 day work week? hahahaha!!!

Love,

Chelsey

"Me and you- just us two"

This morning we took Daland's Dad (Craig) to the airport. Despite the beautiful rainbow we saw on the way to the airport (which I've always seen as a sign that everything is going to be ok) after we said our goodbye's, the isolation hit me like a tonne of bricks. It's just us two. It's never been "just us two" before, and for a brief couple of hours, I was having a hard time keeping it together. Thoughts would pop into my head like "I'm not going to be shopping at the Coral Square Mall for Christmas this year," and "I won't be spending Thanksgiving with my family this Novemeber." Not to mention, the amount of money we've had to spend just to get set up in our apartment has been significant. So all of this just kept piling up in my head and wanting to explode through my eyes.

Once we got out and about running errands (Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Sam's) I started feeling better. Once we got all our shopping, we headed over to our apartment and started filling in the empty spaces. We now have a couch, chaise lounge, bookshelf and lamps set up- and it's starting to look quite homey if I do say so myself. We still need to set up the TV stand and get a kitchen table, but once it's all finished I'm pretty sure I will be quite happy and comfortable in our new home. It has been a lot of fun playing around with the furniture and imagining where certain things will go once we get all our stuff over here. I am also definitely looking forward to having my little Civic here as it's the perfect island car- small, compact, has a great turning radius and most importantly... AIR CONDITIONED! It's also perfect for all the parallel parking that's necessary in Waikiki.


Anyway, after a long day of running errands and doing home improvement projects, I'm pretty wiped out. Tomorrow is Labor Day... the weather for the beach is supposed to be gorgeous. Still haven't really played in the ocean yet, so I think I might take a surf board down tomorrow and try to catch a few waves. Then, on Tuesday I have my first day of work!

Aloha nui loa, (with much love)
Chelsey

Ps: If you are reading this blog regularly, please feel free to leave comments. As much as I love writing and keeping you all connected to what's going on in my life, I would love your feedback to feel just as connected to your lives as well. Don't be shy!!

Mountains on the western coast of Oahu

First Impressions (and some overdue pictures)

Aloha everyone!

Well, it's been 1 week and 2 days since arriving in the Aloha state, and so far things have been crazy busy and exhausting. As you know from my last post, we signed the lease to our apartment this past week-end (which officially went into effect on September 1). For the past 3 days we have done nothing but cleaned and painted our place since the previous tenants left the place absolutely filthy. Today was the first day we decided to take a break and just relax.

I thought I would give some of my first impressions of Hawaii as I had read a lot of mixed reviews before moving here (many of which happened to be negative). As most of you know, Daland and I honeymooned here 2 years ago, so while it's not our first time visiting Hawaii, it is our first time actually "living" here. One of the biggest complaints of people living in Hawaii is the cost. There is no escaping this reality: Hawaii is EXPENSIVE. Apartments are smaller and rent is higher; gas is more expensive, and groceries are definitely more expensive. On the bright side though, groceries at Sam's club are not much different than on the mainland (at most a couple dollars more). And to give local residents a break, you can get a maikai card that gives you pretty good discounts at participating stores. The high price of living is often called a "paradise tax" ... meaning, if you want to live in paradise, you have to pay for it!

One of the other big complaints I often read about was traffic. Well, if you've ever been in a big city, then this is nothing new. After commuting to Miami every other day for 2 years in rush hour traffic, Honolulu traffic is a breeze. People here drive slower... because the speed limits are much lower. On one of the main highways for example, the highest speed I've seen is only 55 mph. And throughout the city and Waikiki areas, the average speeds are between 25-35 mph. So, while people here move slower, it's better than the aggressive maniacs I've driven with for so long in south Florida in my opinion!

And finally, the other big issue I read about (and was most concerned about) was the discrimination of whites and/or mainlanders by locals. Locals have a term that they use for mainlanders and/or white people: haole (how-lee). This is apparently a derogatory term, but the first time I heard it (and only time thus far) I was having breakfast in a cafe and I heard the waiter ask a patron: "Are you a haole?" and the patron said "Well, I'm American, so I guess I'm a haole?" In this instance... there was no offense meant, and none taken. I think some people are just overly sensitive to the term. Would people be as upset if someone asked them "So are you from the mainland?" Or "Are you white?" Of course, I'm sure this term has often been used in a derogatory manner; but I'm also sure that there are probably many instances when it is probably deserved. The good thing about Hawaii though is that while white people may be a minority, there is no majority. So far, I haven't had any problems- and I'm as white as they come. As long as you go in with a big smile on your face and an open mind, you will be treated with the same attitude that you project. You just can't come here and think you own the place... you have to have a little bit of respect for the people here and their way of life, and try to fit in with it.

Still, even with all of the negatives that may come with living in a place like Hawaii, you certainly can't beat the weather, scenery, or beauty of this place. The atmosphere pulses with life and nature. It truly is gorgeous here. So anyway, those are my first few impressions so far. I'm sure I will come up with more as time goes by. See below for before and after photos of our new apartment!

Apartment FOUND

Hello all!

Well today was quite exciting for a couple of reasons. First thing this morning I went to my office to meet with my boss and begin the initial administrative processes for becoming a federal employee. This included getting my fingerprints taken, having a photo taken for my ID badge, answering a bunch of questions, etc. I also got to see where I'd be working. As the new guy on the block, I don't have my own office (yet) but I'm in a good size room with only 3 other people and I have a nice sized desk with my own phone, computer, filing cabinet, and book shelf, etc. Then, my team leader took me around the office to show me around and introduce me to some of the other people who work on our floor. It was funny because half of the people there were people I already met at my boss's "Magnum Night." But anyway, everyone seems very friendly and helpful. And I was told more than once that it's a really cool place to work.

The other bit of exciting news is that we FOUND AN APARTMENT!!! Yesterday, I was searching on Craig's list (as usual) and decided for once that I would not filter the listings out that didn't have photos. I came across a listing that had a pretty nice description: Extra large one bedroom, full kitchen and bath, spacious corner unit that's very airy and breezy and bright, plenty of closet space, and PET FRIENDLY. I was skeptical of course, but I decided to call the guy and find out if he could show it to us. We arranged to see the apartment at 1:15 and were quite pleased to find out that the apartment was only 2 streets over from our hotel. Perfect! So when the time came we walked over and when the guy opened the door to the apartment I just couldn't believe how big the living area was. I hadn't seen anything of that size for that price in that location. I just kept asking myself why this guy didn't post pictures of the place on Craig's list (as listings with pictures sell twice as fast).... but I guess he didn't really need to because I wanted it! I asked him what the square footage was and he said 900!!!! Now, to some who are reading this, 900 may not be a lot... but for a 1 bedroom apartment in Waikiki, 900 sq feet is HUGE! All of the other places were boasting of 550-600 sq feet. So we got an application from the guy and sent it off that same day. He told us he'd get back to us the next afternoon (today).

Waiting...............................

So today we basically waited for this guy's phone call and I just got too impatient. At around 2 I called to see if he actually received the faxed application. No answer. I left a message. Then Daland called with his cell phone. No answer. At this point, I'm starting to get very anxious. Daland's phone rings. It's the owner. He then proceeds to ask me a BUNCH of questions about my application, basically giving me the feeling that he wasn't really sure he wanted to rent to me based on the fact that Daland doesn't currently have a job and that my job position (at this point) is only for a year contract. But he said he was driving and would call me back when he got home. So now I'm freaking out and getting really upset. How could this be happening? Time is running out before I have to start work and we're basically at square one in terms of finding a place to live!!! And I really don't want to keep looking and being disappointed...

Ring ring ring....

"Hello?"

"Hi Chelsey, it's _______ I'm going to offer you the apartment... I really like you guys and I think you'll fit in well with the other tenants in the building. I think you'll do really well there."


*WHEW* WE SIGN TOMORROW!!!

Aloha from Honolulu!

Well, we made it to Honolulu! After a delayed flight in Houston, running to catch our flight to Honolulu (and JUST making it) and then having a nearly 6 hour flight with a crying, screaming, kicking baby in the row behind us... we made it. Then, we were shuttled to a car rental place to find out that we couldn't rent a car (for a number of reasons including not having a major credit card that isn't also a debit card and Daland lacking a credit score since he hasn't had any means of establishing credit in this country yet). So we had to take a cab all the way from the airport to our hotel in Waikiki which cost us about $45. So thank you again to all my lovely family and friends who donated to the "Help Chelsey & Daland not go broke in Hawaii fund" at our going away party, as every little bit helps!!


So we got to our hotel around 6 pm, unloaded our stuff and decided to head out for a wander. Waikiki is just as I remember. Busy, busy, busy and full of tourists. We walked around for quite a while trying to figure out where we wanted to have dinner. We ended up at the food court at the Royal Hawaiian Center (I think) and had some typical food court fare- a burger for Daland and a wrap for me. We went back to the hotel and fought to stay up until a whopping 9 p.m.



I woke up at about 6 am this morning and we've been going ever since. We went downstairs and had some coffee and pineapple and then went to a little cafe down the street for some breakfast. After that we decided to go look at an apartment that was within walking distance from our hotel. The leasing office was not quite open, but the lady inside let us in anyway and showed us one of their largest studio apartments (a HUGE 550 square feet) *note the sarcasm*. It was a decent building and pet friendly, but just too small. So after that we decided that we'd just have to wait until Daland's Dad arrives tomorrow with a car rental so we can look further out and cover some ground. We went back to the hotel and watched some TV, checked our E-mail etc. and then the jetlag started to hit again. We were both falling asleep. So we got up and decided to walk to the Ala Moana Shopping Center (which is a good 2 miles from our hotel). On the way, we passed my office building! It's a huge glass building at 1601 Kapiolani Blvld and looks very nice. It's pretty much right down the street from the Ala Moana center.



We finally arrived at the Ala Moana center and went into several different stores to get a feel for things. We checked out Foodland (an equivalent to Publix in Florida) and looked at some of the food prices. With the local discount, some of the prices weren't too bad... but definitely at least a couple bucks more for most items than on the mainland. For example, a gallon of milk was $4.50. One thing that made me VERY happy was that they carry Boar's Head over here! So I don't HAVE to live without my Boar's Head maple glazed honey coat turkey! For most of our shopping though, we're going to have to stick with Wal-Mart and Sam's/Costco. It'll be a lot cheaper.



We also checked out the food court and decided that for lunch we would get some local Hawaiian food. We got the "Local Boy Special" which came with LauLau, chicken long rice, Kalua pig, Lomi Lomi salmon, Poi, and some coconut pudding for dessert. It was definitely different, but my favorite (by far) was the kalua pig. It's basically a smokey flavored shredded pork. The poi on the other hand is something I could do without. It's a greyish colored paste and I couldn't tell you what it taste like if my life depended on it.

After lunch we decided to walk back to the hotel and relax for a little bit. We had been invited to a "Magnum Night" social event at my boss's condo that happens once a month, so we needed to take showers, get ready, etc. We walked to my boss's condo which is just up the street several blocks from our hotel and all I can say is WOW!!! His place is amazing! It's on the 15th floor of basically a 20 story (I think) building and it faces makai (towards the ocean). He offered us drinks and a tour of the condo and asked again if we'd be staying there while he's on vacation. There is a wrap-around lanai that basically overlooks Waikiki Beach and you can see the sunset over the ocean between a couple buildings. Needless to say, we are VERY grateful that he so generously offered us to stay there! After about an hour and a half (and one very strong lemon drop martini) other people from the office started trickling in. Everyone was soooo nice and the "Magnum Night" began. I guess the tradition is- my boss provides the booze and everyone else brings some food to munch on while they watch cheesy, funny Magnum P.I. episodes from the 80's that were filmed on Oahu!

Around 9:00 p.m. me and Daland started feeling the jetlag and we decided that it was time to leave. We said goodbye to everyone and my boss showed us out and proceeded to give me a key to his car to use and even showed us where his surf boards are if we were so inclined to use them. I'm seriously in shock- I can't believe how lucky I am to not only have a great job in a great location.... but to have such awesome people to work with.

I think I might just love it here...

Pictures to come soon... the internet connection at this hotel is just too slow.

10 Days

We're leaving in 10 days!!!

I just realized how long it's been since I've updated this thing, and I apologize to those of you who read regularly. So to be perfectly honest, the last couple weeks have been exceedingly stressful. I don't even know where to begin. Good news first- getting paid is really good; bad news- the more money you make, the more money they take. (THEY being the federal government AND the state of Hawaii... and I'm not even living there yet!) I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks taxes SUCK! And I know you can't run a country without them, but sheesh!

I never in a million years would've guessed how difficult and expensive it would be to move to Hawaii. I feel like I should've been more prepared for that reality, but I still can't believe what they get for rent over there! You can expect to pay $1200 a month in rent for a 400-500 sq ft (if you're lucky) studio apartment! And I thought Miami was bad....

On the bright side, I am really looking forward to our "Bon Voyage" party the Saturday night before we leave (August 21). We will get to say our "see ya later's" to my family and closest friends. It will be a bittersweet night, but I'm excited to have a final hurrah before we leave. We still have sooooo much to do before that time comes- and time is FLYING by. I don't think the madness is going to cease anytime soon either. Packing suitcases and carry-ons is going to be a big pain in the butt with all the restrictions on weight and new fees for checked baggage. MORE MONEY. Oh and did I mention that shipping Roxy has become a complicated mess?

Word to the wise- having a pet SEVERELY limits you when trying to move to Hawaii. But our baby is worth it. I wouldn't leave her behind for anything.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm really tired (as usual these days).

T-minus 10 days til take-off...

We have no bed!

Yesterday we got an unexpected call from the movers saying they were 10 minutes away from the house and they were just confirming the address.

AHHHHHH!!!!

Let's just say, we weren't quite 100% ready for them. We figured they would at least call a day in advance... but no. We had one more box that needed to be filled with miscellaneous items that wouldn't fit in my suitcase (i.e. all my shoes, purses, yoga mat, etc). I got the call from Daland when I was sitting in the waiting room at an eye hospital with my Uncle (I drove him to have a procedure done that would leave him visually compromised for a few hours afterwards). So my Uncle had just gone into the little room with the nurse and I had to leave without being able to tell him! But there was just no way I was going to miss the movers basically packing up my entire life! So I told the lady at the front desk to tell my Uncle that I had an emergency at home, that I needed to leave and that he would have to take a cab. I felt so bad, but I just had to get home.

So I ran out of there as fast as I could, darted for the parking garage and raced home (mind you, the eye hospital was a good half hour from my house). I got there just in time as the movers were wrapping up our mattress and collapsing the bed frame. Little did I know we had to pay extra for the box-spring and protective gear for the bed! I guess that's to be expected... never trust the quote a moving company gives you- it will almost ALWAYS be higher.

So the movers took all our stuff, loaded it onto their truck, and drove off. It will be driven down to the Port of Miami where it will be loaded onto a container ship and shipped over the big blue ocean to Hawaii. For some reason I thought it would be driven to the port in California and then over to Hawaii- but I was wrong. Anyway, now we don't have a bed and our bedroom looks so bare! So for now (while my parents are still on their trip) I'll be sleeping in my parents bed and Daland will sleep out on the couch in the living room... that's until I can get the spare mattress that my bestfriend so graciously offered us to borrow.

Work is good- basically moving at my own pace trying to get in as many hours as I can considering all the chaos that is happening around me. I'm REALLY looking foward to having my own office and computer for a change. I am so sick of working from home... too many distractions!

Well, that's it for now! I've printed out a calendar of August and put it on the fridge to countdown the days. Every night before bed, we cross off the day in red as another day gone, and another day closer to our big move!!! Sooooo excited!

So much packing!

Well it's been a very very busy week. I started working on Monday- and soon after, I realized the enormity of the project I'm working on. It's pretty overwhelming... but at the same time, my boss seems really great. I can't believe how I'm lucking out with supervisors. *Knock on wood* We've also been spending every spare moment researching moving companies and packing up boxes. I can't believe how much stuff we have! I can't even imagine moving an entire house or apartment even. Anyway, today we put down the deposit for the moving company to come pick up our stuff sometime next week. That means we will be without our bed for about 2.5 weeks. Not sure where we're going to sleep at the moment, but I'm not too worried about it.

We've pretty much got most of our things packed up in boxes in a big stack in the living room (See pictures below). What a pain! So much bubble wrap and packing paper and styrofoam peanuts- we're going to have a mess when we unpack it all! Hopefully we'll be able to salvage some of it and keep it for any future moves. That stuff isn't cheap!

The only downside of all this is the exhaustion. I'm so used to sitting around all day not doing anything, that all of this excitement has got me pretty tired all the time. I have no energy or motivation what-so-ever to go to the gym and exercise on a daily basis. I'm hoping that will change once I get into a new routine.

Well as of today (August 1st as I am writing this after midnight) we will be leaving south Florida in 3 weeks and 1 day. I can't believe how fast time is flying. I am reminded of how bittersweet this all is. I am absolutely thrilled to be moving to Hawaii for essentially my dream job (out of grad school anyway- you can't get much better than an entry position with the feds in my opinion!) But I am also sad to be moving so far away from all my family and friends. It's kind of ironic actually. I lived in Australia (Daland's home) for 13 months, and Daland lived here in south Florida (my home) for 2 and a half years... and now it's time we meet in the middle...From Florida to Honolulu it is approximately 4,800 miles- and from Sydney, Australia to Honolulu it is approximately 5,500 miles. So we'll pretty much be half way between the east coast US and Australia... in the middle of the big open Pacific... on the most isolated chain of islands on the face of the planet... WOAH.

Doesn't look like much in the picture- but it took us several days to get all this together!

First week of work!

Yesterday marked my first official day of work. Doesn't feel like working when you roll out of your bed in your PJ's and sit on the computer all day in your own house- but it's work nonetheless. I'm already set up on the payroll and all my paperwork is completed and submitted! Here's to making $$ FINALLY! I also got my wire from work for my relocation expenses (couldn't have come any sooner). Now all we have to do is decide on a moving company (ugghh) and set up the date... aaand start packing. To be honest- I'm dreading the whole process. I just want to get it over with.

Anyway, I don't have much to write today- as I am actually pretty exhausted. While my job doesn't require any physical activity- all my mental brain power has effectively been drained. Can't believe in less than a month we'll be getting on a plane. Can't wait!

Stress sucks!!

Today was somewhat of a stressful day. I'm not sure why this particular day was particularly harsh, but I'm going to blame it on the root of all evil: MONEY! (Or in our case, lack thereof!) It is exceedingly expensive to move to Hawaii, and while my job is paying for partial re-location (partial being the operative word) that's exactly the problem: it's not enough!

After careful thought and consideration, we've decided against selling our car. We weighed the pros and cons, and it turns out- we will more than likely be better off just shipping our car over there, rather than trying to sell it (losing pretty much half the money we invested in it) and buy a cheap used one. Going over car-less was a bit nervewracking to begin with- but the thought of trying to wheel and deal for a potentially really crappy used car (that may or may not break down soon after purchase) is just something I don't want to deal with. I'd rather have my low-mileage, dependable and very comfortable Civic that I know is in tip-top shape. But now we have to pay for it to be shipped over. *Sigh* Needless to say, it's been a very stressful topic of conversation between me and Daland, but ultimately, I think we've made the right decision.

We've also been trying to work out what our monthly expenses will be in comparison to our income. The cost of living in Hawaii is the highest in the United States (another source of added stress) and in the beginning, we will be living on my income only. We are hoping that Daland will be able to secure a job right away with the Hawaiian Blood Bank (since it's basically the same thing he does over here) but surprisingly, they pay more hourly in Hawaii than they do in Florida! Shocking, I know! And even though Daland's not thrilled with the idea of continuing on in the field of phlebotomy, it could potentially serve as an immediate source of income that will be very much needed while he looks for something more permanent.

So after all the number crunching and debating back and forth... we just decided we'd have to just let go, jump in with both feet, and have faith that we'll be just fine. I have to admit- it's been hard dealing with all of this without my parents around to solicit their advice and wisdom. Guess I'll have to get used to it.

In other news, I start working on Monday! No more lazying around watching soap operas in the afternoon. I have to say- I take great pleasure in DELETING the job announcements I receive through my grad-school E-mail. It feels good to finally have a job- and not just a job- but the first stepping stone into my career. Anyway, I'll just be glad to get on the plane and get out there.

Official Start Date (and other developments)

Ok here's the latest!

We spoke to Daland's Dad tonight and worked out our departure date and accomodations in Honolulu before we find a place to live. So even though the flights aren't booked quite yet- our official date of departure is .....

AUGUST 23!!!

I also found out my official start date for work. Since the people in Honolulu want me to start immediately, I will start working from home until I can make the move out there. And that start date will be this coming Monday, July 26! I also just received a very broad outline of basically what I will be doing:

For any of my *MAFers* that might be reading this, the job is essentially collecting information on any and all regulatory and non-regulatory mechanisms that will be affecting the proposed 82 coral species that are being petitioned to be listed under the ESA. 8 of these coral species can be found in the Caribbean, and the rest are found in the Indo-Pacific region. These 82 corals can be found in approximately 80 different countries around the world. So I will be in charge of compiling the information for all 80 countries about their federal, state/province/territory, and local laws and regulations that might be affecting these corals. It seems like a HUGE and DAUNTING task, but my supervisor has advised me that I shouldn't be scared away!

Of course, I don't know all the details yet beyond that broad spectrum of stuff- so I'm sure there is a lot more involved. I will be speaking with my supervisor over the phone tomorrow for the first time to get some more information.

That's about it for now. It's getting REAL! After 7 months of unemployment, I will be starting work on Monday!!!!

Stay tuned...

Feeling good!

Slowly but surely, with each day it feels like we are getting more and more prepared for the big move. I know we still have a little over a month before we'll be leaving, but I also know how fast the time is going to fly. It already is! Today we started to create the big pile of boxes that we will be shipping in order to attempt to get an accurate moving quote. There are still a few items missing from the pile (i.e. dive gear, jewelry case, and any extra clothing that won't fit in suitcases) but the hardest part about all of this is having to leave things behind. We got some awesome gifts for our wedding- some of which aren't exacly practical to move all the way to Hawaii- so we will have to leave some things behind... which is sad. I just want to take EVERYTHING! But, I have learned to compromise and just hope that one day we'll be in a big enough place to accomodate all of my awesome stuff!

One thing we're extremely excited about is learning that Daland's Dad will be meeting us in Honolulu to help us with apartment hunting. That's actually a huge relief. It's comforting to know that we'll have one of our parents helping us out and looking out for our best interest when we're pretty new to all of this! Not to mention it'll just be so nice to see Daland's Dad again. It's also a comforting thought to know we will pretty much be smack dab in the middle of my home and Daland's. And it will make visiting much easier on his family, which is really important to me. I have to say- I feel really lucky that Daland's family is so supportive and they actually feel like family to me. I love them all as I love my own family.

If we leave on the day we are aiming for (August 24) today marks exactly 5 weeks until our departure from the mainland. We are definitely planning on having a bit of a "going away" party and will most likely do it the Saturday night before we leave (August 21). I'm also going to have a bit of a "bucket list" for Florida before I say goodbye... visit my favorite restaurants, go to my favorite beaches, etc. But I am also excited to research new eateries and "favorite spots" in Hawaii as well.

Life's just one big adventure!!!

Being productive!

Well, so far we are being really productive! Today I faxed the official employment paperwork to Ocean Associates (health/life insurance and tax information etc.) and we got Roxy's bloodwork done for the rabies test and sent that off to Kansas State University for testing. We also bought a set of pots and pans from Bed Bath & Beyond because we figured it would be cheaper to buy them here and ship them with the rest of our stuff, rather than buying them in Honolulu. So now we have basically everything we need.

Other than Roxy's quarantine process, the biggest headache in all of this has been trying to find affordable housing online- which is virtually impossible considering we can't view the apartments we're looking at! I guess I just have to accept the fact that we won't be able to find a place before we actually get out there. I mean, as much as I just want to jump the gun and get a place secured- basically everyone I've talked to has advised me to just go out and look for a week. The next step is deciding on a moving company and figuring how much stuff we are going to take over so that we can get an accurate moving quote. Problem is, we don't really know how big our place is going to be- which is going to dictate how much stuff we can actually take.

On another note, I've been feeling very tired the last few days. I think I'll blame it on all the excitement (and to be honest- all the stress) plus all the celebrating (resulting in eating a lot of badness) and lack of exercise. Put it all together and you have one very exhausted Chelsey... especially since I've been used to doing a lot of nothing for the last 7 months!

It still feels very surreal. Because I've been so wrapped up in the "business" of moving, I sometimes forget WHERE and WHY I'm moving. I still can't believe it. Tomorrow we plan on getting the car professionaly detailed so that we can take some pictures and get it listed on the internet to sell. I wish I could take it over with me, but unfortunately I can't afford it. We'll also be continually working on figuring out how much stuff we will be taking so that we can get a moving company set up as soon as possible.

That's it for now!!

So much to do!

It's been two days since I was offered my dream job in Honolulu, Hawaii- and while I'm ecstatic, thrilled, stoked, amazed, bewildered, etc. I am also pretty overwhelmed with everything I have to do! Things that have been racing through my mind since that fateful phone call include: finding a place to live in Honolulu, preparing my dog for the quarantine process, selling my car, finding a moving company, packing my whole life up, filling out paperwork, etc. etc. etc.

Yesterday we found out that my pug Roxy will not be able to come with us right away. Apparently there is absolutely no presence of Rabies on the Hawaiian islands, which makes their quarantine process very stringent. So we took Roxy to the vet yesterday to begin the process (which includes getting her a microchip and bloodwork for Rabies to be sent to Kansas State University for testing). Once Kansas State receives her bloodwork, there is a waiting period of 120 DAYS!!! So that's 4 months before our baby can join us!!

On a brighter note, we are getting a timeline figured out. The people at the Pacific Islands Regional Office want me to be working in their office no later than September 7th (and earlier if I so choose) which is the day after Labor Day. We want to be moved into our apartment by September 1st to get situated and adjusted in our new city. We will also need to be there a week prior to our move-in date to be able to search for/view apartments. So our tentative departure date is August 24, which is only approximately 5 weeks away!!!

And even better still, yesterday we got to do something that was amazing: we went through all of our unopened wedding gifts for the first time since they were packed away 2 years ago. I can't believe that after all the waiting and ups and downs of the last 2 years, we are finally making the big move! Not only physically across the country and Pacific ocean... but the big move in our marriage. We are finally going to be able to REALLY start our married life together. I absolutely can't wait!