Things That Surprised Me About Hawaii

Things That Surprised Me About Hawaii

1. Chickens. Wild chickens run free here. Like, lots of them. Walking to the grocery store? Oh. That's just a chicken in you path. Finding your car in the parking lot? Oh, there's a pack of roosters just roaming around like they have no place to go. Unfortunately, they really don't. Stray cats are also a thing, but there are not as nearly as many cats as there are chickens.

(Random rooster that was roaming the Dole Plantation walking area.)

2. No Updated Music. I can't recall one store or restaurant that played any music that was released after 2000. I've only noticed music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's playing in restaurants and grocery stores. Or Hawaiianish music, which is totally awesome because it just adds to the Hawaiian effect, but that's a different category. I have a friend out here that plays guitar, and when we get together to sing he never knows the songs or artists that I am talking about. He's never heard 'Counting Stars' by One Republic. He doesn't know who Ellie Goulding is. He's really into music so at first I just thought he was a music snob, but then I realized that there is no 97.1 ZHT out here and the stores are always playing Beatles music and such... So ya. Just interesting.

3. Outdatedness In General. The moment I stepped off the plane into the Honolulu airport, I felt like I was in a timeless-retro dimension. The airport looked like it was built in the 1960's. The decor, the colors, the furniture, even the cement screams retro. That's generally what most of the buildings and infrastructure are like out here. Definitely not like Orem, where they knock down the old Pizza Hut building just to build an entire new building for Chick-Fil-A (see State Street across from the library and police station). Speaking of fast food, I passed this gem the other day: an old-school Taco Bell building.

My theory is that since the Hawaii was made a state in 1959, a general surge in tourism and building took place at that time, and not much has been updated since. That combined with the slower pace of life in general is why there is sort of a retro-timeless feel out here. Honestly, I like it. It gives you "permission" to let go of some of the stuff that would be a big deal on the mainland. 


4. Blue Stop Signs. Ya, that's what I said. Would it ever cross your mind that a stop sign would be anything but red? I have no explanation for this. 

5. No freeway system. Well, that's not entirely true. In Honolulu, there's a freeway system. But nowhere else on the island of Oahu. There is literally only one road that gets you everywhere, and it runs along the perimeter of the island. That is it. No 6 lane freeway system that conveniently takes you to any major city like we have in Utah. It's just a 2 way road that lines the perimeter of the island and goes through each town, so if you want to go anywhere, you've got to take that road. It's kind of nice because you're almost always in view of the ocean. The simplicity of the road system contributes to the laid back attitude of the island. 


6. Pineapple is old. It takes on average 2 YEARS to grow a pineapple!!! The fruit you are eating, is literally 2 years old. Next time you eat a pineapple, ask yourself, what was I doing 2 years ago? And then be grateful for how much work actually goes into producing food. 

(Side note- pineapple is not a native fruit to Hawaii. It was brought here by outsiders, but turns out, it is a really good environment for growing the fruit.)



Well that is all for today! Thanks for reading. :)

Sincerely,

Coolianaire

The CURSE of THAT chair!

(Eery Halloween music playing in the background)

Little did they know when they were hired on at the graduation office that there was a curse...the curse of THAT chair!!! (Thunderclap!)

All who sit in THAT chair will eventually leave...one way or another!
When I first started, Evelyn sat in that chair. Evelyn was pretty awesome and between her and Chelsey, I learned everything that I know about graduation! But one day, Evelyn mysteriously disappeared! (Or maybe she had a baby... I get hazy on the details)
The next victim of the chair was Jessica. She also mysteriously vanished...all that was left was a trail of Saltine Cracker crumbs! My love of free food also significantly dwindled after that day. (Crashing retirement parties just isn't the same without you!)
Finally, came Tia...One day it seemed like everyone was laughing at my jokes...and then...the laughter vanished! (Or maybe it was just that Tia was the only person who found me funny...dang it! 1986 4-ever.)
In the end, they have all succumbed to the Vortex that is THAT chair.
I just have one final warning to it's next victim...

BEWARE THE CHAIR!!!!

PS Did you all know Grace won the grand prize at the Advisor Conference which was AWESOME! AND Chelsey won Support Advisor of the Year...DOUBLE AWESOME! Love our office...Even if you all leave me :)

Week One in Hawaii

Aloha from Hawaii! My first week in Hawaii has been super exciting and adventurous! I am so glad to be here! As I write this I am sitting on my ocean-view balcony and singing Jack Johnson. :)

The Journey Begins

Waiting at the airport!

Layover in Seattle.

We didn't get into Honolulu till 11 pm, so we had a hotel booked. My friend met us there. I hadn't seen her in 7 years!

So, we had planned to catch a bus to our apartment, but turns out they won't allow luggage on the bus. We had to get a taxi to take us to apartment. It was a one hour ride, and it cost us $130! Good thing there was three of us to split it. 

Our bus driver was super nice. He let asked us if we wanted to take a quick stop to see China Man's Hat. This was our first official Hawaii beach experience. 

When i entered my apartment, i was greeted by this gorgeous view. 

It never gets old. 

I didn't realize this before I came out here, but i live on a peninsula, so that is pretty cool. I never thought I would live on a peninsula, let alone right on the beach! According to a rental website, the place I live is worth about 1.1 million dollars, so I like to joke to my friends about going home to our "million dollar home on the beach". :) It's location adds value, but it the epitome of student housing... it sort of has that student housing grime that you deal with as a freshman/sophmore/junior. But my friends and i all feel really blessed that we found this place. It is not only in a beautiful location, but literally a 5 minute walk from a bus stop, grocery store, a few restaurants, and some other shops. On top of that, there are 10 girls that live here, and every one of them have been extremely friendly and kind to us. It's been wonderful. 

My Room

There is rocky beach on one side of the peninsula and a beautiful white sandy beach on the other that I have gone to almost everyday. We have gone various beaches 1-3 times per day since I have been here. The water here really is as clear and turquoise blue-green as depicted in pictures... And warm! I have LOVED being in the ocean. There is something different about the beaches here... I love being at the beach out here. When I lived Florida, I really didn't care much for it, but it's different here. It's part of the magic of Hawaii, I guess!

Wiamea Bay

 Lanikai

Aloha Spirit

The rumors are true: the Aloha spirit is a real thing! I cannot believe how friendly people are out here! I feel like if I have even a one sentence conversation with someone, they become my friend. It doesn't matter who they are, the hotel concierge, the taxi driver, the grocery store teller, etc. It's contagious. There is a spirit of friendliness and sharing, and it is contagious. 

Since i have been out here, I have been hungry ALL THE TIME! I am always figuring out how to get my next meal. I think it is a combination of being more active and away from a desk and the fact that I was living at home for a while before I came here and my momma fed me well! Don't have that anymore, dang it!

Budgeting

I'm writing this part for Heather's sake, since she wanted to know how I am going to live in Hawaii for cheap. I wouldn't say it has been cheap, but so far I've managed to keep things reasonable. These are my expenses so far as of week one:

One-way Plane Ticket: $354 (Purchased the first week of March)

Hotel: $38 (We used my friend's discount at a Best Western and then split the cost 3 ways. Air port shuttle pick up was free)

Groceries: $11.5 (Bread, peanut butter, carrots, bananas)

Eating Out: $35.46 

Apartment: $440 from June 9th- July 11th. $13.50 for each day stayed before and after. Utilities included.

So far my adventuring has just been getting here, eating, and hitting the beach. We will start hitting up all the tourists spots next week. As for now, I am just enjoying the tropical environment, relaxing, sleeping, and exploring!