l i k e a g o o d n e i g h b o r

So I turned 28, which feels like the least important of things that have been going on lately. I finally found a job that pays more than minimum wage and I've been keeping busy with that for the past couple of weeks. I work for State Farm in a small agency office with three of the sweetest people I have ever met. I have to go get some sort of license and need to start studying for the exam, but every time I open up my study materials it feels like I'm trying to learn Chinese. I'm not really sure what my job description is yet, so I keep showing up and they keep paying me, and it's going pretty good so far with that routine. I haven't really learned a lot about insurance yet, but the girls I work with have been spending a lot of time and effort educating me on the fine art of eating out like a local for lunch. This information has been extremely valuable and I can now say with great confidence and fortitude that I hate local food.

Okay, maybe hate is a little too strong. It's just that everything here is fried. Or greasy. Or what seems to be everyone's favorite, greasy fried grease with a side of fried. I feel really bad for these people, like they don't even seem to realize that there's food available out there that doesn't make you feel like crap and make you gain 10 pounds in 2 months. Like, McDonald's is not good for you, people. Neither is the so called crowing achievement in fine Hawaiian dining, the Loco Moco. Have you heard of this nonsense? It's a massive serving of white rice topped with a hunk of spam, a runny fried egg and gravy. They love it out here.

And then there's the plate lunch, the other Big Island staple...
Mmm, delish. Check out the menus of some of the most popular eateries out here and pity me. Places like Ken's House of Pancakes and Cafe 100 are always packed. Better yet, check out Big Island Grinds, a blog dedicated to the worship of local food. There are a few notable standouts, don't get me wrong, but the overall restaurant scene is, as they say out here, "junk."

Speaking of food, there was my birthday celebration on the 20th... we went to the amazing "Gathering of the Kings" luau at the Fairmont Orchid, a gorgeous resort about a 2-hour drive from our house. SOOO MUCH FOOOD. And then there was Thanksgiving just 2 days later... 3 different kinds of potato dishes for 3 people turned out to be a little excessive. It was my first time in charge of the turkey, so yeah, I went a little overboard and accidentally made enough food for 25 people. It was kinda tough being so far away from the usual holiday family scene, but my mamma actually came out here to help Jason and I celebrate. As our first official visitor, she was showered with as much hospitality as we know how to give and returned the favor by being a wonderful guest. I still can't get over how much fun we crammed into her trip... I'm hoping Jason can post the pics on his page once we unload his camera.

Right now I'm watching the 4th quarter of the Hawaii Warriors / Washington Huskies game... which I guess is kind of a big deal. Hawaii is ranked #12, currently undefeated, and this game will determine their BCS status and probably entire future as a respected team. Warriors just tied it up at 28, only a minute to go. I'm actually pretty into it. Ok, that's all for now... bai bai!

e a t p r a y l o v e

My girlfriend Danielle gave me this book as a gift right before I left Phoenix. I didn't really start to read it until recently, and at first glance honestly thought it sounded a little too "new-agey" for my taste. But true to her nature as a great gift-giver, Danielle found a gem... a shiny beacon of inspiration and soul searching for a rather, let's say, uncertain moment in my history.

The author narrates her self-reflective journey through Italy, India and Indonesia and explores three very different aspects of her personality and soul against three totally different backdrops. Thinking about this dichotomy of self in my own life, and awakened by a recent conversation with Jason, I just realized that the men I've dated, the friends I've kept... they're all different expressions of myself. The Jesus freak, the pleasure-seeker, the comforter, the artist, the traveler, the listener, the scientist, the rebel, the intellect... it's no secret why I've surrounded myself with certain people. And so cool to recognize the most important of these aspects of character in Jason... reminds me why I love the guy so much.

Anyway, back to the book. I'm kinda trying out Yoga these days, since there's not a whole lot else for me to do since I'm not working and the beach is a 2-hour drive away. Elizabeth, the author, I guess is quite the yoga devotee and spends some time focusing on meditation at an Ashram in India. I love, love, love the way her candid description demystifies this practice of finding silence and devotion to God which, quite frankly, we Americans (and I personally) suck at. My head always gets in the way of my heart. Without fail. At least I'm consistent. Here's a taste of what I'm chewing on this week:

...I'm trying a new approach this morning. I sit down to meditate and I say to my mind, "Listen - I understand you're a little frightened. But I promise, I'm not trying to annihilate you. I'm just trying to give you a place to rest. I love you."

The other day a monk told me, "The resting place of the mind is the heart. The only thing the mind hears all day is clanging bells and noises and argument, and all it wants is quietude. The only place the mind will ever find peace is inside the silence of the heart. That's where you need to go."

I'm trying a different mantra, too. It's one I've had luck with in the past. It's simple, just two syllables:

Ham-sa.

In Sanskrit it means "I am That."

The Yogis say that Ham-sa is the most natural mantra, the one we are all given by God before birth. It is the sound of our own breath. Ham on the inhale, sa on the exhale. As long as we live, every time we breathe in or out, we are repeating this mantra. I am That. I am divine, I am with God, I am an expression of God, I am not seperate, I am not alone, I am not this limited illusion of an individual.

...So I'll sit with it here today.

Ham-sa.

I am That.

Thoughts come, but I don't pay much attention to them, other than to say to them in an almost motherly manner, "Oh I know you jokers... go outside and play now... Mommy's listening to God."

k a u a i

This past weekend, I hopped over to the beautiful garden island of Kauai to visit with my friend Melissa and my new friend Kim... they were shooting a wedding of another photog friend and I was lucky enough to be their hired donkey for the weekend. I got to join them on half of a booze cruise and follow them around and help out with the wedding. It was seriously a total blast... tthe wedding was AMAZING and it was so great to have some girl time for a change. Don't get me wrong, I am completely in love with my guy but it is super important to be with the gals every now and then. Not to mention, bonding with some seriously talented and inspiring chicks.

Anyways, check out their blogs for some amazing pics of the island and the wedding of Andy and Jonna, and if you're in need of a photographer for anything you should look no further than these two.

http://www.melissajill.net/ & http://www.kimberlyjarman.net/

The above pic is one I stole from Kim's blog... she took this right before I had to say good bye at the airport and right after we spent a glorious morning at the beach. Miss you girls already, thanks so much for inviting me over to play!!!

y a y ! w e m a d e i t !

The dust has settled, my head has finally stopped spinning and I finally have some time in my HECTIC schedule of beaching, sleeping and partying like a rockstar to write a bit about it all...

Hilo is a cute, quiet, drowsy little town on the east side of the Big Island. About 40,000 people call Hilo home, and the locals share a fierce loyalty to eachother and a distinct sense of pride for enduring constant rain and the occasional threat of lava, earthquake and tsunami-related destruction. I guess that's why they haven't bothered to build much over here... there's a bowling alley, a mall (sort of), a movie theater and a Wal-Mart. With a few generic fast food exceptions, most local eateries are mom-and-pop plate lunch (take-away) places, and most of those are Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Thai inspired. The rest seems to be more of the fun, organic (expensive) vegetarian hippie variety. Naturally, I've been cooking a lot.

I've met most of the pals Jason's already made out here... he makes fast friends so easily, wherever he goes. They are all young marrieds with fun, carefree attitudes and oh-so-accepting of new faces. I am so grateful that they have been so caring of my guy for the past nine months, and as much as I miss MY friends back home, meeting new people is always fun. Daunting at times, but fun.

We live in a RURAL little part of a town called Kea'au, about 20 minutes outside of town. Our roommates are an eclectic bunch for sure... an older, single, talkative woman named Jennifer who drives the elderly around town and loves the rodeo; a loud, lanky fellow named Peter who's job it is to eradicate the invasive coqui frog population and spends every other waking moment playing the guitar; the super sweet married landlords who randomly show up at 4am every now and then to do laundry; the mystery cousin of somebody who's supposed to be moving in with us any day now... We're looking for something a little closer to town, a little less "youth hostel" and a little less than the standard $1500/month that seems to be the rental norm around here. Jason and I spent most of the day yesterday house shopping without much luck, but had a blast exploring the really diverse Hilo neighborhoods and relishing the constant realization that we are starting our lives together after waiting patiently for so long. He is so considerate of me and my personal space, and my occasional sense of overwhelm, and my growing frustration over the meager job market, and my morning breath. We're having so much fun learning about eachother and finding our routine... now I just need to find something to do with myself and start earning my keep. The beach will keep me busy in the meantime...

d e l a y e d

Sooo... Jason's flight was supposed to get in around midnight tonight and I have basically been counting down the seconds until I could go pick him up. Poor guy called me this afternoon with the bad news that his connection was canceled... I think (hope!) he was able to get on a different flight to get into Phoenix around 10am Friday morning instead. Haven't heard anything from him in a while so I'm hoping that's a really good sign he's already airborne... keep your fingers crossed!! We've got such a whirlwind weekend ahead of us, complete with my very last wedding (for reals this time), supervising the moving all of our worldly possessions, and one going away party after the next. Par-tay! I'm gonna go take a nap now because my head hurts just trying to get it all straight.

Hilo or bust in 6 days!!

t m i n u s 1 6 d a y s & c o u n t i n g

I've got a one-way ticket to Hawaii on September 12th and the days are just flying by now. I've had my many moments of pure elation, preemptive homesickness and sheer anxiety, most of the time, all at once. Today was the first day of my replacement at work - Kirsten - and I really just adore this girl. I wasn't sure how it would feel to turn over the reigns and let go of the past 2+ years I've invested as "The World's Best Wedding Coordinator" as I'm known in most local circles. I'm not good at change, or releasing control, or letting things just be. I woke up today not knowing what to expect at all, but I'm so glad that the feeling I'm left with now that the day is done is relief.

I'm relieved Kirsten is as awesome as she seemed to be during the most frustratingly rushed interview process EVER... I'm relieved that the 30+ weddings on the calendar are now her responsibility... I'M RELIEVED that this waiting game is now finally coming to a close. This is no longer just a theory, or an idea, or a fun story I like to tell. This is really happening, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm relieved that the numbness and newness is finally wearing off, and I'm finally able to FEEL THIS MOMENT.

Jason, I can't wait for you, and all the adventures we have in store for us!

s i g h o f r e l i e f

There's been quite a lot of activity on the Big Island this week... here's the latest report from Reuters:

The island of Hawaii breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday as Hurricane Flossie weakened to tropical storm on its westward path, prompting cancellation of all storm warnings after two days on high alert.

The National Weather Service downgraded the once powerful Flossie to a tropical storm late on Tuesday as it passed South Point on the "Big Island," the largest in the Hawaiian chain and home to 160,000 people.

The storm got no closer than 100 miles of South Point, the southernmost point of the United States.

By 5 a.m. (11 a.m. EDT) (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, the weather service canceled a tropical storm warning, a high surf warning and flash flood watches for the Big Island.

Surf did reach as high as 20 feet on southern shores late on Tuesday, said Troy Kindred, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator.

"We were ready in the event that things got worse," said Kindred. "I think this was a pretty close call."

Flossie approached Hawaiian waters as a Category 4 hurricane, causing the weather service to put the island of Hawaii on hurricane watch and officials to declare a state of emergency on Monday.

The last time a hurricane hit Hawaii was 15 years ago.

On the Big Island, police, firefighters and civil defense officials spent Tuesday night monitoring the storm's impact. Reports from the field came in every hour.

"I'm happy to report we did not have much damage at all," Kindred said. "With what the weather service had been saying, I feel incredibly lucky the way it turned out. That storm was well defined and moving at a brisk pace."

Weather service officials had predicted up to 10 inches (25 cm) of torrential rain that never materialized and there were no reports of flooding, Kindred said.

It was a similar story with the wind. With the exception of 40 mile-per-hour (65 kph) gusts at the normally blustery South Point, the rest of the island experienced winds of 15 mph to 20 mph (24-32 kph).

At daybreak, Flossie was around 270 miles south of Honolulu with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph).

The storm was losing its strength so rapidly that it could become a tropical depression later on Wednesday, Hawaii's Civil Defense said.

The island government said schools would remain closed on Wednesday, but parks would reopen and shelters would be dismantled.

The last time a hurricane hit Hawaii was in 1992, when Iniki pummeled the island of Kauai, killing six people and causing estimated damages of $2.4 billion.

Last time I checked in with Jason, he was pretty disappointed at how boring this Hurricane was... I guess he was looking forward to bracing the storm on top of his roof while holding a lightening rod and daring Flossie to take him down. Next time Jay, I promise. He did get a little earthquake jolt at least on Monday night, and according to the USGS website, it looks like earthquakes are going to be a pretty regular thing for me out there. Guess I'd better go invest in some more sensible foot wear. And an umbrella. And a disaster survival kit. And some life insurance.