100 -or- Come to England

This is my 100th posting on this blog (including the drafts I never actually hit publish on). I have been typing on here on and off for the past three years. Looking back, the majority of the pictures and stories are about the sand bar, hiking, and just how much I love being in Hawaii.

And love Hawaii I do. At the same time, I can't stay forever. Happily, I still have a few months here (and I fully expect to move back some day), but I have taken a job in England starting this May. It is a job that I have been working on getting since last summer. I just found out this morning that I got it. Needless to say, I am pretty excited. While a cold climate, terrible weather, clouds, ice cold oceans, and infamously bland food (not to mention a pay cut) are not all that appealing at the onset, it is a chance to do something different and expand my horizons. I think that I could stay in Hawaii forever and be completely happy with that decision- but come on; Europe is going to be pretty sweet, too.

The position I am taking is a leadership position. More responsibility and work than my current job, but I am looking forward to it. Not only that, but I will have wonderful opportunities to travel throughout Europe, and I will get to interact with new people, places, and ways of doing things. If the stereotypes hold true, the English culture may very well may be the antithesis of that of the Hawaiians.

Besides my big news, other things have been going on in the meantime. In fact, I've been quite busy these past weeks. I was just so excited for the 100th posting that I wanted to save it for the job announcement. Here are the highlights:

-My car got so rusted out that when it rained it filled with water. I fixed it with a lot of caulk, steel epoxy, cardboard, and ribbon. My radiator is also leaking like a sieve. While the stop leak didn't live up to its namesake, I've found that if I fill up my radiator with water each time before I drive it and roll with the heat on full blast, I can make it to work and back. Even to Kaneohe! I also recently passed my state of Hawaii safety inspection. I needed to make some fixes to do so, but a wire clothes hanger, needle, and spare hardware are all it took. In case you are wondering, I will not be shipping my car to England with me. From here on out, she will forever be known as an "island beater."

- Mike, Sheila, and Claire came out to visit. The last time they were here, I was living in a cramped apartment. Now, two years later, I am in a much more Hawaiian setting. We had a lot of fun. Claire, now 5, is like a slightly larger and much more eloquent version of her 3 year old self. Personality-wise, I couldn't really tell a difference. Funny how that works. My vote goes to nature in the whole nurture vs. nature debate; I think the majority of who we are is pre-determined by genetics. I'm pretty sure making a sweeping generalization like that based on one observation is scientific enough.


- My older sister is currently here. She is leaving tomorrow, but she and her friend Theresa basically did a high five with Mike and Sheila as they were ending their Hawaiian vacation. They took a trip to Kauai and were able to hike the Na Pali coast. Other than that, they pretty much disappear until right after I get home in the evenings.

- I bought a bunch of cast iron cookware. Is that really worth mentioning on here? Yes. Cast iron is so sweet. Stove top, oven, camp fire: it does it all. Plus, it will last me my entire lifetime. Even if I became immortal like a vampire, I could still expect to be using it in 300 years. Awesome staying power.

- I am leaving for Thailand on Thursday. My Australia and New Zealand trip didn't quite work out for me, but Thailand will be nice too. I will be gone for about 3 weeks, so expect some pictures at the end of the month...

More recent excitement:

Paul's birthday

Barefoot hike up and down the mountain (still regretting that decision)

Tom graduated valedictorian from HPU