It was exactly 1 year ago today that I got on a plane and moved to Honolulu, Hawai'i on the island of O'ahu.
In the past year, I have learned so much. I first learned what it takes to pack up most of your life, while at the same time, making the difficult decision to leave the rest behind. I learned what it takes to say goodbye to people I love and care about. I learned what it takes to live without those same people – to be thousands of miles apart in space, and several hours apart in time. I was thrown into the midst of a completely different lifestyle, with entirely different places, and unfamiliar faces. There were different customs and cultures to learn, different languages and different slang to understand. “Slow down! Dis aint da mainland!” Yeah, island time is a whole notha story, brah. We all know aloha and most of us know mahalo too. But ohana, keiki, kama’aina, makai, mauka, lanai, aina, ono, poke, pau, haole, honu, (and more) are all words that are regularly used here in everyday conversation.
While I’ve lived in other places before, never was I entirely “on my own.” I no longer live under my parents’ roof. I live in an apartment building with other tenants, and I pay rent every month. I no longer have a debit card or credit card attached to my parents’ names or bank account. I have my own accounts, with my own money that I’ve earned by working. My car is mine, and I make payments for it every month. My cell phone is no longer on a “family plan” with my parents. I have my own plan, and I pay for that too. I now know the cost of things like electricity, cable, and internet, because I pay for those as well. Not only do I pay for all those things, I don’t live from paycheck to paycheck. I have enough money in my bank account to survive in case of an emergency. So in the past year, I’ve learned the true meaning of not only “making it on your own,” but making it on your own in one of the most expensive places to live in the country! Because it is one thing to live on your own, it’s entirely different to pay for it all yourself. And may I just say, it’s a damn good feeling.
I’ve also learned the joys and pains of working in an office environment. Unfortunately, you’re not always going to get along with everyone you work with, and not everyone you meet is always going to like you, no matter how hard you try. Whatever the situation, you must always maintain a professional attitude and learn to grit your teeth when you want to say certain things. However, I consider myself pretty lucky that I work with such a great group of people. Any negativity I’ve encountered has been minimal, which is more than I can say for most offices!
And last but certainly not least, I’ve learned to surf. I’m not great - not yet anyway! But I absolutely love love love it. It is the most exhilarating feeling I’ve ever felt to catch a wave, stand up, and ride it for as long as it’ll let you. The adrenaline rush is unparalleled to anything I’ve ever done. It is addicting. My goal is to be able to drop in on steeper waves and learn to actually carve it up. Simply riding straight doesn’t do it for me anymore. I’ve learned to turn, but now I want to learn to cut back and do some fun stuff with the waves. The best thing about surfing is that it’s outdoors in the sun and sea, it’s an amazing work out for the entire body, and above all else: IT’S F*CKING FUN!!! The only thing I regret is not starting years ago!!
So there you have it. My year in Hawaii hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. There were some very difficult times, some very lonely times, and there were even times I wasn’t sure I would make it. But here I am a year later, and I’m still going, still moving, still pressing on, still working hard, and enjoying life in paradise more and more with each day. Over the past year, with Florida forever in my heart, Hawaii has become home to me. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, but I know it will be a time in my life I will never forget – a time that will change me forever.
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