HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROSKI!

Happy 18th birthday to my dear brother Tyler. He's the best.

I love you!!

So that's all I wanted to say. Stay tuned for updates when I feel more "blogging inclined."

Oh and, check this out.

Tan lines = MY LOVE. I think JT wrote that song about tan lines... dang that makes so much more sense now.

Honoruru

What's up happy people!

A week ago I arrived here, time is flying. Let me give you an idea of what's going on here:

Been to the beach everyday but one

Sunburned-not once, not never

Bus pass used to the full extent
2 bubble tea escapades

best pho I've ever tasted (aside from the homemade pho at Lan's house)

Sara says I look sedated in this photo. No arguments here-I was extremely happy for this occasion. Who would blame me!

We've been on quite a number of field trips so far. First we visited the mission houses, where the first Christian missionaries to Hawaii lived and set up camp. Friday we hiked Diamond Head which was great! Such a beautiful view. I think I could stare for hours! The next day we took the bus over to Ala Moana shopping center and tried some ethnic foods. We bought mochi and spring rolls and shared them, then I had to go try the pho. In the photo above you can see an unidentifiable soda can. This, my friends, was grass jelly drink- honey flavor. It was delicious! Sort of like bubble tea, in the aspect that there a squishy things hanging out inside waiting to be enjoyed. From now on I'm asking the cashier to recommend me a delicious treat, it was a great success!

Pearl Harbor was our destination the next day, but the boat taking people out to the Arizona Memorial was not in service. We checked out the museum instead, and a submarine! Yesterday we went to Fort DeRussy, and learned about everything military related within the Hawaiian islands. I was a little freaked out at times, little Tyty is going to be heading off in that direction of life soon. We love you!

I'm sure I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with that. Enjoy whatever weather conditions you are falling victim too. I wish you were all here to experience these great times with me. Friends and family: I LOVE YOU and can't wait to see you soon.

Also! My application to Spain was turned in this week!! please if you will pray, think good thoughts, cross your fingers or throw some salt over your right shoulder for me I'd be forever grateful :)

Aloha amigos.

Yep, IN HAWAII!!!! Or Hawai'i, depending on how culturally correct we want to be.

I've already had some great adventuring, today we hiked Diamond Head as a class, it was pretty incredible. Some guy tried to point out which house was the one from Real World Hawaii, that was neat?

Sara, Sarah and I overall have been enjoying the sunshineeee. Sunshine all day long. We wake up for lecture right when the sun starts to rise, so we get some pretty spectacular view each day. :) Also, we had a barbeque last night that was rather tasty, yum.

Besides that, we've been voyaging around streets with really neat shops, and I found bubble tea today!!! Momentous occasion, let me tell you!

Tons of cool stuff to see, I'll keep you guys updated. .

Sara with no H

Sarah with an H

the preceding night

"Adventure awaits you! Have fun in Hawaii!"
Signed by my cousin Riley. He's in second grade and THAT awesome.

well, just hung out with the fam and then Kaitlin and Kayla before shipping off to far away lands! Lands containing bubble tea that will knock my socks off, I'm hoping. Lands that are 78 degrees at 8 pm. I'll soon be there! (I'm making this sound much cooler than it is, but oh well because I'm having fun.)

I'm an eentsy bit tired, and no matter what angle I look at it waking up at 4:15 tomorrow morning makes me cringe.

Anyway, I've got a charged iPod with all the Jemina Pearl I could ever need. Travel adventures part one: Let's do this!

Merry Christmas

Isn't this just the greatest?

I love my family. All the ones I get to spend time with during the holidays, and those I haven't seen in a while. I love 'em all, each and every one of them. Tyler, I love you so much. I'm not sure what crazy location you'll be at next year during Christmas, but you'll most certainly be in my heart.

love love love love all over the dang place. And boy am I diggin it.

amongst finals

Yes, the time has come. Less than 48 hours and I will be done with this semester. Then I can go home, lay on the floor with my cat (the only place where life makes sense) and enjoy the company of those I love the most.

For now I'll just sit here in my (somewhat) content state, studying the origins of autonomous regions in Spain and enjoying this lovely combination of Matt and Kim tunes and mini candy canes.

Motivation, your presence is missed.

You do too!

Alright, what’s new. I always want to write these dang things, but never find any words to share over this beautiful world wide web. Oh well.

I’m starting my application to travel abroad next year. Goodness, I honestly hyperventilate when I think about it. It’s surreal! This time next year I would be in Murcia… enjoying the sun, the Spanish culture, and planning my next trip to some place amazing in Europe. My heart smiles and my stomach does a flip whenever I think about it… seriously!

I register tomorrow for spring classes, which is basically a reminder of how much longer I’ll be here and not Spain. Oh well. Patience, obviously something I’m learning right now! Got a couple classes I’m excited about. To get my science credit out of the way I’m going to take oceanography! My buddy Wes convinced me, and by that I mean mentioned that he was taking it and I immediately said yes, haha. It’s going to be great! Also, I want to be a live lab leader next semester, which is basically a Spanish T.A. but you have your own class/group of kids that you help out and plan sweet activities with. I am mega-hyped to have fun with kiddos in 202 learning about sweet stuff that I already know! I’ll have a full-on field day, I tell ya.

January is comin up! Hawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii :) mmm, yes please. I cannot wait for that as well! Sara and I getting way stoked on our sweet trip, learning about the Hawaiian people and seeing the sights. I think I heard that we go on a submarine or something. Yikes, I’m going to be so scared, but it’ll be fine. If I can survive a ride in a tiny airplane being driven by my 15 year old brother, I think I can do that.

Let’s see, it was Nikki’s birthday last Wednesday. 20 years young. CRAP. Not sure how I feel about being not a teenager, well no that’s not true. I feel alright about it. Once I’m 30 I’ll have reason to lament. For now I’ll just shut it and enjoy being a kid for as long as humanly possible, and then some. And then some after that, just to tick everyone off.

Also: NEW COUCH IN OUR COMMON ROOM. Yes, I realize this may sound like a mundane, lame, no good thing to talk about, but CRAP. Let me tell you, LET ME TELL YOU! It’s so comfy, and I’ve sat here all afternoon/night. This is amazing. I’ll take a photo someday. I think I’ve adopted it as my child, that’s how much I love it.

Well, I think that’s it. OH, no it’s not. Kaitlin and Kayla came up yesterday, and we all chilled with Eileen and did fun stuff like ate Bruchi’s and slurpees and went to Forever 21 and cried for days! Yeah, in a good way.

Okay, that’s officially it. I can’t wait for Thanksgiving. I wanna see my familyyyyyyyyy. I love you guys.