Pacific Ocean Aloha

Honey, we're home!

We now live in the state of Hawaii, on the island of O'ahu, in the town of Kailua (pronounced Ky-loo-uh).

Our pack-up, flight & travel to O'ahu went as smooth as the stem of a young palm. Our movers came Friday, August 3rd & packed up our home in Virginia, which only took 5ish hours from start to finish (that is how many few items we own as a small family of two). We then stayed in a hotel Friday night in D.C. & flew out the morning of Saturday, August 4th at 8:35am. Our flight was roughly 10.5 hours; we flew a nonstop, which is both recommendable, yet lengthy. We loved the "one & done" process of airport security, checking baggage, flight itinerary, seating, etc. of a nonstop flight, but for me, sitting that long was a test. I got up to use the bathroom 6 times, did toe touches in the back 2 times, all while Clay got up a total of zero times. He called his "sit down & sit tight" discipline; I called his unnecessary & preventable restraint. Although it was an extensive & longwinded flight, I would rather do a straight shot than a connecting. Oh yes, they are definitely way more expensive, so when it comes time to fly back east coast on a non-official, not on on the military's dime, I may have to unwillingly reconsider.

Going back in time 6 hours seems thrilling & all, but my body rejected that instantaneously. Sure, it probably would not have been quite a bodily disturbance if I hadn't been in "psycho move mode" for three weeks leading up to this day, but I was, so it was. I had bloodshot, half-open eyes for 3 days & a splitting headache that just would not quit. I also was on the verge of falling asleep at any given moment; day two we were snorkeling at 2:30pm, & if I would have allowed myself to be face down in the water for another five minutes, I would have been "lights out" in Hanauma Bay. To my shock though, it only took my body 3 full days to get on our new time zone. It took Clay's internal clock a whopping zero hours (the same day we arrived) to adjust. I mean, not that I was flabbergasted by that, considering military personnel are somewhat bulletproof to life's alterations.

We will not have any of our belongings (furniture, home goods, kitchen appliances, bathroom accessories, etc.) for 6-8 weeks, as shipments to O'ahu call for an extended en route transit compared to a mainland duty station. Our friends, Jon & Janine allowed our home here to feel a bit less empty in the meantime; they gave us two air mattresses, a fold up table, camp chairs, bathroom essentials, & kitchen supplies to see us through. Janine also welcomed us home with one of her homemade dinners, & that tasted amazing after snacking on black olives & meat sticks for 10 hours.

Side note regarding those black olives: I love olives. So like any olive-lover would do, I dumped two cans worth into one plastic baggy & shoved it into my carry-on bag for an enjoyable plane ride snack & post-landing house food. As my bag was on the conveyer belt for its security check, it was pulled aside & needed further searching. The security personnel took out my ridiculous sized bag of olives & said he was "checking for explosives." All was well; I did not bring bomb-stuffed olives on board. That was enough olive drama built into our trip... false. As I opened the bag & started eating them on the plane, the juice from the bag leaked all over my pants, seat & blanket. Conclusion of the traveling olives: I threw out the 2 cans worth, threw away the free plane blanket I was given, & had to dab myself in the plane bathroom until my pants felt semi-dry.

We have wasted no sunlight since arriving! Pictured below: Our beach in Kailua - I walk on the bike path along the beach in the mornings to get my daily glimpse of God's inspiring creations.

Pictured below: Shark's Cove in North Shore, O'ahu. No, there are not sharks where one snorkels, just incredibly colored fish & sea life (Not pictured is another snorkeling place we went to in Hanauma Bay. It was absolutely stunning of course, but as noted before, I was too tired to capture it & had to utilize all my energy into staying awake underwater).

Pictured below: Pu'u Ma'eli'eli Digging Trail in the town of Kaneohe. Pictures cannot do this island's terrain justice. You can see the mountains blurred in the background, but my iPhone 5s cannot and will not pick up their beauty. I've tried. I will continue to attempt, but won't expect much from technology.

Pictured below: Me at the top of our Pu'u Ma'eli'eli Digging Trail hike. Clay took 7 pictures of me & I did not like one of them. My frizzy hair, sweaty, no-make up self just wasn't cutting it in my eyes (I like to think we are all our own worst critics). But I include this anyhow because why not? Like Clay says, you can't be a "model" every minute of the day (whatever that model word even means these days with all the plastic surgery/lip fillers/lazer unwanted skin removal behind that flawed term "model"). And like I say, comparing one's self to a Kardashian or any other counterfeit body-altered celeb for that matter is too far gone on the unrealistic scale.

Pictured below: The top of our Pu'u Ma'eli'eli Digging Trail hike; Clay in the center standing on the outlook.

Transitioning here to an unknown terrain has not been demanding or daunting for us. We have the blessing of knowing family friends who embraced us from day one, & have the Marine Corps community who have welcomed us ever so kindly. That is not to say we will not experience many difficult days while living here, oh because I fully know they are ahead (we will say our goodbyes to each other here again sooner than expected, although, that is usually how it unravels for us), but it is encouraging to feel so comfortable in a place that is nearly 5,000 miles away from our previous life. Most of that comfortability can be attributed to Clay's & my "free spirit" personalities, but some of it is also by the grace that God gives us to just be content. Sure, anyone can argue that our content meter should clearly be easier to achieve in a utopia-like habitation such as O'ahu, but many will never be able to see our everyday life beyond the "just another day in paradise."

With this specific Hawaii station comes more time apart in a marriage than any other state, & we altogether know that. And just like I had in Virginia, there will be two seasons of marriage here in O'ahu: one with my husband, & one without, both flip flopping/rotating back & forth, not having a specific pattern or concrete length of time in each. The quantity of time does not necessarily matter, more than the quality of time that does (for our marriage & lifestyle we live). We have already learned by spending the days we do have together bitterly harping on the long weeks/months to come that require being apart, only diminishes the joy God intended us to experience in our "together" parts of our marriage. I know I have said something along these very lines before, but it never hurts for me to write it again "out loud" for my soul's sake. It is a worthy reminder for me to start this new tab of life dashing with a true grateful focus, because we all need recalibrated sometime or another.

O'ahu, your mountains are a breathtaking array of green, your oceans are the loveliest shades of blue, your trade wind breeze soothes one's sweaty, non-air conditioned soul (most all homes here in Kailua do not have AC), & your creator of it all is matchless.