Back in the Frozen Tundra

Traveling to Kaua'i has been one of the best experiences of my life.  I got to meet so many great people on that island that I will never forget.  My favorite part of being on the island of Kaua'i was working with the students from the Kekaha Learning Center.  Most of the students that attend Kekaha are from Niihau, also known as the "forbidden island."  Today, only about 50 people live on the island of Niihau.

Working with the students from the Kekaha Learning Center was a life changing experience.  The children had so much to offer and made us ohana instantly.  We spent three days with them, which was definitely not enough time in my opinion!  I worked with a group of 5th graders, who blew me away with how smart they were!  They kept asking me about what it is like back home and what snow is like.  I told them they are not missing out on much!

After spending time with them I now know my Hawaiian name, the alphabet and numbers in Hawaiian and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!"

Now that I am back in Minnesota I value my time spent in Hawaii even more, not only because the weather was great but because I know that our class will always have an impact on the students of Kekaha's lives and they have left a large impact on our lives as well.

Until next time Kaua'i! 

Aloha & Mahalo!

Next Stop: Kaua'i

Good internet/wireless is darn near impossible to find in Hawai'i.  So this will be short and sweet!

Sunday was our last day in Oahu, looking back at it now those two weeks flew by!  Now we are on the island of Kauai and the atmosphere is SOOO much different!  But in a good way!  It is nice to lay in bed and not hear people screaming outside at 3 in the morning and sirens whaling every 10 minutes because you are on the Waikiki strip!  The Waikiki area was great, but the ability to relax in Kauai is perfect.

As of today I will be back in Minnesota in 10 days!  I can't tell if that feels like a short amount of time or a long time.  Time will tell.

Tomorrow is our first day working with a charter school that serves children from the Niihau, also known as the "forbidden island."  It will be definitely be something that I have never experienced before and I am very excited for that opportunity!

Also, in case you're wondering gas is $4.39 a gallon on the island of Kauai.  That's the highest gas price in the country!

Aloha and Mahalo!

When a Minnesota Girl Goes to Hawai’i!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  2014!

So far Hawaii has been absolute paradise, I mean that is what they call it right?!  It is currently full day 3 and all of us are basically in love with Hawaii.  The temperature today is close to 90 and it is sunny without a cloud in the sky.  I’m happy that this trip is filled with a bunch of great people.  There are 26 of us on the trip from 4 different universities and so far everyone seems to be getting along great, which is awesome!  So far we haven’t done much besides lay out in the sun on Waikiki Beach and walk around the main strip in Honolulu.  I had no idea how many designer stores there were here!  It’s crazy!  The only bad thing about this trip so far is that I have spent $200 on food already.  Food is ridiculously expensive here.  Every time we go out it costs around $20…and that’s with ordering water!  So at least I am staying hydrated while saving money…and calories.  My roommates and I bought a gallon of milk at the local ABC store and it cost $10.69!  Which is insane!  A box of cereal is almost $9 as well. 

So far the biggest difference between Hawaii and the Twin Cities is the insane amount of diversity everywhere you go!  Yesterday while walking the strip, my roommates and I helped a Korean couple with minimal English find a bus station.  They were on their honeymoon so that was cute!  After we did that, we headed over to the International Marketplace.  It was a special day to go to this market because it was the last day they would ever be open….EVER.  After talking to some of the vendors, they said it was pretty bittersweet.  The good news is bargaining was super easy!  I got 50% a bracelet for my mom just because they were trying to get rid of all of their stuff!   

Since last night was New Years Eve, a bunch of us decided to go down to the beach and watch the fireworks to bring in the New Year!  It was fun, but man was the beach crowded!  Getting out of there was a new challenge all on its own.  Our group ended up getting split up, but no worries because we all made it back all right. 

Today we are doing our first big adventure as a class!  We are about to hike to Diamond Head in a couple of hours!  I’m super excited!   

That’s it for the meantime, but the adventures of Hawaii J-Term 2014 have only just begun!  Stay tuned for more to come! 

    

A New Kind Of Adventure....HAWAII!

Next Sunday (a little less than a week from today!), I will be on my way to Hawaii!  I will be in Hawaii for the whole month of January while participating in an Intercultural Communication course with the University of St. Thomas Communication and Journalism program.  I'm super excited and will definitely try to keep this updated along the way!  For the first half of the month I will be staying in Oahu and in Kauai for the second half of the month!  To say I am excited to have this experience is definitely an understatement.  Here's a couple of places I'll be visiting: 

 Diamond Head-Crater that formed from a volcanic explosion that occurred 300,000 years ago!

View from the top of Diamond Head: 

On New Years Eve we'll be watching fireworks from Waikiki Beach: 

Hawaii Supreme Court: 

Pearl Harbor:

Kalalau Trail: 

Nuuanu Pali Lookout: 

Smith Family Garden Luau: 

I need to get to packing, but stay tuned for many Hawaiian adventures!

EXACTLY ONE WEEK UNTIL THIS SEMESTER IS OVER!








but until then...

The Beginning of the End (Of Fall Semester)

The end of the semester is always an interestingly exciting, but extremely stressful adventure.  Luckily, I have an insane amount of awesome people in my life right now!  From coworkers at school, to my best friends near and far (okay Mankato isn't that far haha) and my family, I know that these people will always be there for me.  It was unexpectedly nice to find out my coworkers at my school job are so caring about each other and that they genuinely care when one of us is having a bad day.  It makes sense, we are like a little family on campus!

But also how freaking awesome my two hometown best friends are, Lei and Lys.  They are super duper awesome.  Not much more needs to be said!  It's nice being able to get away from the stressful vibe on campus during this time of year and be able to just chill and hang out with them.


The beginning of December has been much more friendly toward me than the end of November treated me.  I am finally registered for 16 credits next semester, which means I am most definitely on track for being able to graduate in 4 years! Uff da!  I just had an interview for a career related job for next semester and I have an interview lined up for an internship that I would be ecstatic to get in the spring!

The beginning of December has also been fun socially.  Last night I had the honor of accompanying a good friend of many years to the military ball. I had no idea what to expect before we got there, but it was so much fun!  And I got to meet a bunch of great people and make a couple new friends!  Good night, with good people.  Nothing better than that!  And having that much fun was much overdue.

But for now, it's time to get back to cracking down on studying for finals and finishing up end of semester projects!

Happy December (minus the crap snow and cold weather!)

Also, 21 DAYS UNTIL HAWAII!

November...The Month I Never Want Back

To say that the past month has tested my patience is the understatement of the year.  A lot has happened in the month of November that has definitely tested me... 

November was not only the return of the exes, but also the return of all the problems that come with them.  Exes can send you on one hell of a roller coaster ride if you let them.  Unfortunately I let them. One had good intentions, the other had bad intentions.  Lesson learned from this, you'll never find what you are looking for if you continue to look in the same place.  Exes are in the past for a reason.  I know that has been said a million times before and is so cliché, but it is so true.  So next time an ex comes around the bend, AGAIN, remember to keep your guard up.  They probably just want something or want to use you for something/someone.  So it is probably best to ignore them and any baggage that they bring with.     

November was also the month where I learned who I can trust....but mostly who I cannot trust.  I am someone who will tell almost anyone anything.  That is not a good thing!  I trust too easily and in November I ended up getting the short end of the stick for doing so.  Lesson learned from this, there is never a point in life where you can trust everyone that is your "friend," because you never know when they aren't going to be your "friend" anymore.  I honestly feel like a high schooler again for even writing that, but it is the harsh truth.  Good friendships are hard to come by.  When you get an honest to goodness great friend, hold on to them TIGHT!   

November was also the month of registration for spring semester.  Everyones favorite time of year....not!!!  "May the odds of registration ever be in your favor" I had not.  Although I think I have my spring semester classes all figured out now, there was a time (last week to be exact) where I thought I was not going to be able to go to school next semester.  With 2 classes at my home campus and 1 class at our sister school, plus two classes this summer, I should still be able to graduate on time.  Thank goodness for academic counseling and my advisor!  No thanks to the Communication and Journalism department for not offering enough sections of classes.  I hope that this was my one registration session from hell and that next years registration will go smoothly! Lesson learned? Always have a plan A,B,C,D,E,F,G and H for classes you would like to take.  Maybe even a plan I as well...?


Although the month of November was not a fun one, I am still thankful for the challenges that life has handed to me.  The challenges November so politely handed to be has given me the chance to learn from my mistakes.  I believe that the obstacles that I have overcome this past month have also made me a better person (again, cliché I know!).  

Life goes on.  It's not a bad life, it's only a bad day....or in this case a bad month.  

So cheers to the end of November and the start of December.  And cheers to the opportunity to kick off 2014 in Hawaii with a bunch of awesome COJO people!