Kind of back to reality, sort of, but not really. Maybe.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand she's back!
In Florida.
I have had quite a bit on my mind lately. Too much to handle. First, I am so jet lag from traveling and my allergies totally went insane that I am physically so exhausted that I can't actually feel tired. Not sure if that quite makes sense.
The rest of my trip was great. Rachel mentioned that she still liked me after our nine days together, so all is good in the world. ;) We were able to travel to Waikiki, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, the north shore (a couple times!), hiked Diamond Head and also at the Hawaiian nature center. We also went whale watching, and went to the Polynesian Cultural Center all day for some Polynesian fun, luau, (got lei'd, finally) and much more. I drank from a pineapple. JEALOUS?
Moving on...
A few interesting things kept happening during our travels:
1) At the north shore we saw a jet ski rescue. We weren't sure if they were practicing because they all high-fived eachother after, but the guy they rescued looked like an ordinary man in about his 50's, balding, wearing average swim shorts.
2) At Diamond Head, a young guy ended up passing out on his way up, and we saw the emergency team air lift him. So, we pretty much came to the conclusion that Hawaii rocks at saving people.
3) There was this reaaaallllyyy obnoxious family that we kept seeing the first few days. The dad was really rude to the bus driver on one of our buses (where we first noticed the family) when the bus driver repeatedly told him that the front seats were for the elderly and disabled. Then, we also saw them at Diamond Head. And then, we saw them at the north shore. It was horrible. They were wearing stupid white sneakers and long white socks and dumb collared shirts that were obviously not fit for the 80 degree weather at the beach... so that was bizarre.
4) Weird people enjoyed talking to us. Rachel had mentioned that this would occur often when she was out and about, but with the two of us, it was like EVERYWHERE. This one guy even insisted that we were on another bus with him and were carrying a very large bag (not true). He was so excited about this that he decided to tap me on the shoulder and tell me how he remembers this occasion, that never really happened. Oh yes, one bus ride a lady was laughing hysterically and talking to herself. It was quite the eerie entertainment.
A few interesting things about Hawaii:
1) Spam. Everywhere. It's like their favorite thing. I don't care how expensive imports are, because SICK. They even have Spam sushi.
2) ABC stores. It's like everything you'd ever want and need from Hawaii. Sunscreen, food, towels, postcards, candy, Hawaiian shirts, etc. etc.
3) They love IHOP, McDonalds, Jack in the Box, KFC, and not actually having a dollar menu at any fast food joint or five dollar foot longs at Subway, because, well, someone has to pay for all the importing!
4) Cars. They love them. All kinds. It's like a melting pot of all the cars ever made. Once again, yay for imports!
5) You can take a plane to the other islands. I want to do that next time.
6) People actually wear Hawaiian shirts. Natives and tourists. It's the bus driver's uniform.

That's about all that I can think of at the moment. But in all honesty, Hawaii was wonderful. I am so thankful for having this opportunity to go. The scenery was breathtaking every day, and hard to get used to because it was so unique. You'd see flowers and palm trees, and then mountains and the ocean in the background. Unfortunately, the flights were brutal only because of my sensitive ears (thank the higher power for ear plugs), and for annoying people in general. I could never ever ever be a flight attendant!

Here is a link to my pictures: http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=993207026/a=2083123026_2083123026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
(Courtesy of Rachel and her sister Michelle. I didn't actually take them.)

On another topic...
To my fellow readers: Please, please send me any information you have on loans or scholarship opportunities. I am trying to get this shit taken care of as much as possible while I am doing nothing in Florida.
Also, my tummy has been a-hurtin a lot lately, and I've been a-craving some new eats, so I would love some food/cooking suggestions!

Lastly, I finished "The Wild Things" by Dave Eggars, based off of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." And, on one of my plane rides, they happened to offer the recently released movie. I would say that the movie was pretty good, and made me appreciate the details in the book more. Now, I need to go back and read the illustrated version...

Little miss wahini in Hawaii

Aloha! I officially arrived to Hawaii two days ago. I am staying with Rachel and her sister Michelle in a little town called Aiea, the only city in U.S. without consonants, mind you. Rachel and I went to Waikiki yesterday and walked around the downtown area. Oh man, this place is gorgeous. I can honestly say that I am really impressed with the scenery, cleanliness, and friendliness of people.
Rachel says "Aloha!"
Today we went to the north shore. We stopped at Shark's cove, where there were huge waves. Then, we walked about a quarter of a mile to the next beach and it was A-FRIGGEN-MAZING. There were like maybe three other pairs of people, at the most. The waves were also so strong and intense. I played in the water for like a half hour and then the waves kicked my ass (Rachel was able to witness this) and I wiped out about three times. We also walked up shore a bit and saw a bunch of surfers, which was kewl, dude! Har har har!
Tomorrow we'll be going to Pearl Harbor, and then the Polynesian cultural center for tours, food, and a luau. The rest of the week we'll be climbing volcanoes, enjoying more beaches, watching wales, etc....
Mahalo for reading!

Smells amazing.

It's raining today. The mix of the smell of the ocean and the rain is wonderful. Everything (windows, the floors, etc) has that perspiration effect because of the warm temperature. And, the strong, quick raindrops make it difficult to know what is rain and what is transpiration.
I ran two miles today. Yay! While I was running I came to the conclusion that I am going to find a 5K to run in Florida! That will be my goal. I haven't ran one since last summer. Gotta get my self into it!

Updates on happenings!

I am currently typing this from my new computer! It's oh-so-fabulous. I am very happy. I am also very happy because... excuse me for bragging...but not really... I am booked for HAWAII! I will be going January 19-28. I am constantly told that the flight is very long, but I don't think I mind because I have tons of books I want to read and music I want to listen to. And, it will be interesting to see all the freaks (kidding! well, half kidding) in the Atlanta and Los Angeles airports.
My cousin Michelle was here for a few days. It was nice, we pretty much laid around, got pampered, went shopping, and ate good food. On the shitty side, the weather has been cold. This whole time. Well, actually it finally was in the high 70's today, but really windy.
I'm on to my next book, "The Wild Things" by Dave Eggers. It's alright so far. Not something I would usually pick, but I felt that I might as well try it. I'm also starting "Killing Yourself To Live" by Chuck Klosterman, who is also the author of "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs," which I have heard wasn't bad and I have yet to read one day.
My cousin Alex and his wife Ella are in town at the moment. They are staying at my aunt and uncle's condo. It's a bit of a walk to the beach from their condo... and the beach is kind of weird because it's really narrow. Our condo is actually on the beach, and it's more private and there's a lot of room. But regardless, it has been really nice hanging out with them. Hah, I almost wrote "gout." That would have been entertaining to read. They've been very interested in what's going on with me, and for the first time I feel really confident in my future endeavors. I mean, I'll be going to Villanova University for nursing school! That's pretty ASUM (awesome).
It's also been nice being with Babulya, my grandma. Last year, Michelle, Nikki, Amy, and myself got together and bought her a gym membership at the JCC. It was the best thing we could have done for her. It has made her stronger, more confident, and has boosted her energy and health. We workout together all the time at our gym at the condo, and cook healthy and tasty meals together. She is very receptive to fitness suggestions I give her, and I can tell she really enjoys exercising. At the same time, it can be difficult when we both are stubborn with the ways we like things done, organized, etc. Oh yeah, one last thing, I feel like I am in contact with my immediate family more than I ever have been! Phone calls like woah.
Laaaaastly... Mom and my aunt Laurachka are coming tomorrow. I can't wait to see my Mom. I've missed her a lot and I really want her to be able to relax. I'm not sure how much that is going to happen since they have to work this week (and I'll be out of town so I won't be able to be with her this week). The real exciting thing is that Mom will be staying an extra few days after I come back from Hawaii so we'll be able to enjoy each other's company. =) The last time we were able to spend time with each other was when we drove from Michigan to Florida to be here to get the condo set up and leave the car down here. It was so much fun. Man, I wouldn't mind going on a road trip with her again. She's like a driving machine, and I'm the dj.
Anyway, wish me a safe flight to Hawaii!!!

Florida... fake paradise

I've been wanting to update this for days, but really did not feel like I had enough time with all the traveling, getting settled, going to the grocery store a millions times, etc. My new laptop was ordered today. I CAN'T WAIT. I've held onto my iBook G4 for 4.5 years, and will be getting the new Macbook (yeah... the pretty silver one... with a camera... and lots of hard drive space... oh man I'm tingling just thinking about it......).
Florida is okay. The beach is really pretty and comforting. The bad thing is there are SO MANY PEOPLE. And, not just any kind of people, but a mix of snotty old farts, snotty people in general (people are so rude out here! They act like they are entitled to act this way because it's their vacation spot. Well, you know what? It's mine too! So, fuck you!) foreigners (I rarely hear English. It's Russian, Spanish, or something else I can't even recognize), and people that have just let themselves go (aka really fat, sloppy looking, etc.). I don't think I've seen any attractive people. It's kind of a disappointment. And, I'm afraid if I go down to South Beach it will be douchebag central.
On a lighter note, I am thinking (and hoping) that the majority of these people will be leaving after this holiday season. I don't mind just the old people that live here. I usually make small talk or secretly giggle to myself when I see them wearing Member's Only jackets or other brands that I see at the thrift store all the time.
I am really really really really really hoping I can schedule a trip to visit Rachel Solomon in Hawaii. I hope I can make it out there sometime in February. In that case, I will have to rename this blog! Not really, but wouldn't that be SO AWESOME?!?!? I found tickets for $615-$640 and above for a round trip!!!
I'll try to take some pictures and put them on here so you get an idea of what it looks like here. It's very tranquil sitting on the beach. I do really enjoy it. However, it's been in the 60s lately, so I haven't had more than a day of enjoying the sun.
New Years Eve to New Years was also okay. Not nearly comparable to what my family (extended and all) usually does. January 1 is my mom's birthday, so we usually have a huge dinner at my aunt's house, watch the ball drop, and open presents. We all buy presents for each other, and really good ones too. This year, my mom and aunt had to work, and we officially got the condo in Florida in order, so we decided to have Babulya (my grandma), Amy, her boyfriend Andrew, my cousin Nicole, and myself down in Florida for our mini New Years. I liked it. We made a tasty dinner. I thought our little party was nice, but obviously could not be as good as the big family party. It's like how each family has their own holiday that they all really love. For some it's Christmas, or a birthday, or Hanukah, or whatever. But for us, it's New Years. I felt a little sad after talking to my sister and how she was missing everyone. At this point though, I think I have just been feeling numb because of all the emotions I've gone through in the last month. It's hard to move a million times, say goodbye to people I have spent years with, and then plan for my future. Like really! I've got to start figuring out where I'll be living for nursing school, and I know it is not an easy process.
Anyway, that's about enough for now. I think Nikki and I might go to downtown Miami tonight.