Life in Paradise

Aloha!

And Happy February! I can't believe it's already 2011, and February to boot! Come the 23rd, it will have been 6 months since we moved to Hawaii. I just can't believe how fast the time is flying by. Apologies for not keeping up with this blog as I originally planned. Since the last time I posted in November, quite a bit has happened. The holidays came and went, I went home to Florida for 2 weeks (which was very much needed), Daland took the written entry exam for the Honolulu Police Department, and I am still loving my job. Everything seems to be a lot more settled now than before I went home. It's not surprising that its taken us 6 months to really start feeling comfortable and "at home" here. They say you either love Hawaii or you hate it (in terms of living here) and I definitely love it. It's still uncertain as to what the future holds with this job. Right now, the federal government is under a continuing resolution, which means we don't have a budget, and we're almost half way through the fiscal year! But anyway, I'm sure it will all work out.

This year is a big year for me... I'm turning 25 in a couple of months! I honestly don't know what has happened to 22, 23, and 24... everything since 21 seems like a blur! I'm hoping that my parents will be able to make a trip over for a couple of weeks for my birthday. That's really all I want. On another note, Daland is turning 28 this month on the 11th! Can't believe I met him when he was 23! Life just has a way of slipping away from us doesn't it? Anyway, for Christmas I got some money from my Uncle to buy a surfboard, but I have yet to make a purchase. I've been doing a lot of research but I need to actually get out to some shops to talk to some people who know what board would suit me best. Daland wants to get one too, so that we can share a new hobby together.

So back to the realities of living in Hawaii. It certainly is paradise, with the palm trees, gentle breezes, mountains and blue ocean (the beautiful scenery never gets old). But there are some very difficult aspects about living here. The cost is the obvious hurdle: everything is more expensive. But, if you know how to budget what you've got (that is, if you have a job to begin with) you can certainly live pretty comfortably. Daland and I certainly aren't struggling, but of course, more money would be nice! The next difficult thing is finding a decent place to live, and THEN, a place to park your car! The standard of living here is lower, and the cost is twice as high. Therefore, it becomes very hard to find a suitable place within a suitable price range. You could be paying $1200 a month for a crappy stuido apartment! AND, you might not be guaranteed parking at the building, as was the case for me and Daland. Up until this month, we have been parking at another building down the street for an extra $85 a month! We FINALLY got a parking space at our apartment building (for the same cost). Groceries are also more expensive. I've come to the conclusion that everything we buy at Sam's Club is on average $2 more than back in Florida- which may not seem like a lot, but trust me, it adds up! So far, we've had no problems with locals or discrimination. I'm sure it's out there, but we definitely haven't experienced it.

Anyway, that's really all I can think of at the moment. There are other little issues, like smelling pot everywhere, prostitutes in Waikiki, the crazy amount of homeless people, etc. But honestly, as my Dad says, it's all part of the experience. Hawaii is a colorful place, both literally and metaphorically speaking. And so far, I'm proud to call it home.

Aloha!
Chelsey