Beach Time!

Aloha! So today I went to the beach. It was incredible! It was windy but warm and nice. I sat on the sand for awhile and then I went into the water. The waves were so powerful! My friend, Noelani, taught me how to jump the waves so that your body moves with the current. After that short lesson, I didn't see a wave coming and I totally got thrown under. I drank a HUGE mouthful of ocean water and it was disgusting. I recovered from that wave and then as soon as my head came up from under the water another wave came and threw me back under. It was intense. In the process of trying to get out of the water I cut my knee on the sand. I made it back to shore and then I just sat there for awhile. After that, Noe made me go back into the water saying that if I didn't go back in I would be afraid later. So I went back in and everything was going fine but then I realized that I couldn't touch the bottom anymore and I started panicking. Noe realized that I had gotten caught in a riptide and came back out to help get me in. I was freaking out but Noe kept me as calm as she could and we made it back in. I've decided that I like looking at the water more than being in the water. I'm going to try the beach thing again though and hopefully I'll get the whole ocean currents, wave sets and everything else figured out.

When I got back to campus I got my ID card and got tested for TB. I have to go back on Wednesday to see if my test is negative or positive. I looked for a job too at the Polynesian Cultural Center too but they were all for dancers and I'm definitely not one. I'll hopefully find a campus job.

Here are some more pictures!




Hukilau Beach
Ocean Waves
My Knee.
Another shot of my skinned knee. Wish I could have gotten a good one!
The ocean! The water was SO nice!
A shot from my plane ride over.
The courtyard from my window.
The Courtyard from my window. It was pouring rain.
A Palm Tree!!
Me hanging out in my room.

Adventures in Paradise

So today was my first full day in the wonderful state of Hawaii. I had some adventures and some boring down time. First, I woke up and I ate breakfast. It was weird food so I just had a waffle and some cereal. Then, I went and waited around for the bookstore to open. I needed some stuff so I was hoping the bookstore would have some of it. The bookstore was small but very well stocked--except for the things I needed. Isn't that the luck? I bought my books and a longer ethernet cable and that was it. After that, I got lost going back to my Hale. I just ended up going the wrong way so I made a circle of campus. It was good though because it helped me see where things are at this place. I've been having a rough time navigating campus because I haven't gotten my orientation packet yet with a map. I got here too late yesterday which was annoying. After I found my hale, I took a nap. This jet lag thing is CRAZY. I feel like I'm never going to get used to the time change. I then woke up and decided to go and find the beach and the grocery store. I got lost. I finally found the grocery store and I bought a lot of the stuff I needed. It was not cheap. Items are at least twice as expensive here than on the mainland. After that, I couldn't find the beach. Go figure. I'm on an ISLAND and I can't find a beach. I asked for directions but I got tired of carrying my groceries and wandering around so I just headed home. On the way back to my dorm, I decided to try a new route and it cut about 5 minutes off of the trip. For those who are wondering, the first route took 3-3 1/2 Kelly Clarkson songs to find and the second route only took 2. I know, lame, I'm counting time by songs now because my Mp3 player goes everywhere with me. I find that it is easier to ignore the heat and the dripping sweat when you're jamming to a song. When I got home, I watched Dr. Who the rest of the afternoon because I was hiding from the heat. About 6pm I went to eat and they were serving some kind of food with tofu for dinner so I just made a grilled cheese sandwhich. I think I'll get very used to those here. So, the rest of this night I've just been organizing my room and asking the RA questions. I have a tentative date to go with an RA named Penny to Costco on Tuesday. I hope and pray she comes through on her plans because I am desperate for a new fan and a pillow.

The bugs are going away now because I have sprayed every square inch of my room with RAID and I have ant traps the whole way around my room. I told you, those ants don't stand a chance against me. Aloha!

Aloha from Hawai'i!

Aloha! I've made it to Hawai'i finally. It has not been without its fair share of issues getting here. For starters, I was supposed to arrive in Hawai'i on Thursday afternoon but I barely left Monmouth. Why? Well, on the way to the airport I told my mom that I didn't feel very good. We decided to leave to the airport thinking it was nerves about moving. I was wrong. I got home and got VERY ill. It was awful. I don't know if I had the stomach flu or food poisoning but I don't ever want it again. I rescheduled my flight which was not cheap and then just slept all day Thursday. Today I woke up feeling ready to go. It was a good day to move. I was still a little quesy but I knew that I could make it.

The flight over was LONG! It was a 5 1/2 hour flight so I was done with airplanes when I landed in Maui but I still had to go to Oahu. The flight wasn't so bad. Actually, I sat next to this really friendly girl and we became fast friends. We talked a lot and then they announced that the movie screens weren't working so we would have to rent mini digital players if we wanted to watch anything. The girl next to me volunteered to split the cost of one with me and we watched the movie titled Never Back Down. In my opinion, if you haven't watched this movie DONT. It was predictable and an over done plot. After that I watched the movie Over my Dead Body with Eva Longoria-Parker. It was super cute. I liked it. I recommend you watch it but not more than once.

After I landed in Maui, Tara (the girl next to me) and I figured out that we had the same flight to Oahu so we hung out in the airport together. It was nice t have someone to talk to. Then, I finally arrived on Oahu!!

It is amazing! It is gorgeous! Words can not describe this place. It is magical. I am in love with an island... Anyways, I made it to BYU-Hawaii and I am moved into my dorm. It is a place to sleep but I hope I don't have to spend too much time in my room after the semester starts. I moved in and there were a zillion ants crawling all over everything. It was pretty gross. They were even in my bed! I quickly discoverd, however, that hairspray makes a GREAT bug killer in a pinch. Then, after I got tired of battling the never ending stream of ants I finally gave up and asked the RA what to do. She gave me some bug spray which I have soaked my room with and I will at least be able to sleep tonight. Tomorrow I am going to Wal-mart and I'm going to buy Blackflag and Tarro traps. Those ants will not live to see another day!

Here are some pics from my journey so far:


From the airplane. That is not sky but OCEAN!
Another shot from the airplane. This is of Oahu.
On the way to my Hale.
Car shot so it's not that good.
My dorm room...so far. Once I get rid of the ants I'll start decorating.


My fold out desk. I was just beginning to set up my laptop and stuff.

Mahalo for reading! Check back soon for more!

Praxis I

I had to take the Praxis I (PPST) on Monday at 8:30AM so Sunday my mom, my sister, and my friend Tinisha went down to Eugene, Oregon. Tinisha is from Eugene and she wanted to visit her parents so we dropped her off at her house. Then we tried to find our hotel. It took us three sets of directions, a lot of harsh words, and a few headaches to find our hotel. After we checked in we chilled and played games. Then we went to bed because I had to get up early so I could get to University of Oregon's campus at 8. They wanted me there early to fill out paperwork. So I got up on Monday morning and my mom and I followed the directions that were written down and we ended up on the wrong end of the road! The website for the campus said it was on W 13th st but they ended up being on E 13th st. So after a few calls I finally got the testing center and they were able to give me directions. I finally got there, at 8:30, and the receptionist was really sweet. She could see that I was frazzled so she told me to take my time and breathe before I took the test so I could concentrate on it. I finally walked in a sound proof room with 5 or 6 computers in it that was laced with some heavy duty security cameras and equipment so that didn't make me feel any better. Then, I started the test and I finally calmed down. I thought it was a fairly easy test. At least the reading and math sections were. I got 177 on math and 178 on reading. I only had to get at least 170 so I was SO excited about passing. I don't know what I got on the writing section yet but let's hope and pray that it is over the minimum. I'll keep you updated. My next big adventure is to pack and then I'm off to Idaho. On my way there I'll be stopping to see my dad in Colorado so pray for me to have strength to see him!