The End of the Road....

...Literally. The other day, Auntie and I drove to the "end" of the main country road on Oahu and ended up on the other side of the island, near a remote area I had never seen before. We parked in the grass (something you had to do since the road was so narrow) and enjoyed the simplest--and the best--thing about life on the islands: It's pure beauty. The scenery. The mountains. The sunset. It was a pleasure that I knew I wouldn't have at the tip of my fingertips much longer, so I knew not to take the moment for granted.

I wish I could say these photos were mine, but it would be a sin to to call them my own. These photos are Auntie's, who wanted to share them with you all. She really didn't even want the credit for them. "You could say they're yours if you want", she told me. I didn't dare.

It pains me to write this, and I can't quite believe it, but today is my last day in Hawaii. It's currently 3am, and I have yet to shut my eyes, because I don't want to waste any of that precious time sleeping. (although I suppose I should at some point) My flight leaves the islands at 10:50pm Hawaii time, 3:50am Wednesday East Coast time. My bags are (mostly) packed, my boarding passes are printed, my dresser drawers are cleared out and my laundry is done. I have said goodbye to most of my new Hawaii friends, like Cassidy. I will say "See you later" to my best Hawaii friend, Pai, this morning before she heads off to class. I have said goodbye to all of the wonderful employees at the Oahu SPCA, and of course, the animals, like Blue the cat, and Teddy Bear the dog.

I have waved so long to my favorite bus driver, who has taken me across every inch of the island that he can. I have bid adieu to the schoolkids who ride that same bus, greet me every morning and refer to me as "Auntie" when they tell me all about their adventures in learning. I wish for them to continue to grow and to always be open to new experiences, as I have discovered in the past three months.

Today, my itinerary is cleared. I am doing nothing but finishing my packing, going to the beach, and spending my last day with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who has made my experience possible, especially to you Auntie. Without your guidance, gentle encouragement and support, I don't believe I would have made it as far as I have out here. You have helped find the Katie that I thought was lost, and I don't know how I can repay you for that. The world is at my fingertips once more. I can achieve what I want to achieve, big or small. Thank you also for taking me out to dinner, my trip to Maui and giving up your space to accommodate me. It's not easy to do so, and I want you to know that I appreciate it very much. You will always have a place to stay in my new home, should you ever need to, and you will always have a place in my heart.

I hope that all of you blog friends will stick around here, even though my Hawaii chapter has come to a close. I look forward, with nervousness but excitement, at what awaits for me back home. It's onto the next adventure. Where ever I end up, I'll be sure to write it down. 

I confessed to Pai that I didn't want to say goodbye to her, other friends, or the island. "It's not goodbye," Pai said. "Just say 'See you later.'" I have decided to take her advice. And so, I will close here.

See you later Hawaii. It has been an experience I will always treasure.

It's time to go home now.

Almost over....

I can't believe I'm typing this but: I head back to New Jersey on Tuesday night.

There are many mixed emotions that I'm coming to grips with on this fact. One is that I'm looking foreword to reuniting with family and friends that I haven't seen in almost 4 months. Especially Brother. I'm thrilled to see old decor as well. I miss NYC. I miss street fairs. I miss diners and great bakeries. I miss good pizza. I miss my bed. I'm a bit nervous on returning though, because I don't want to fall back into the old habit of feeling stuck. Since I've left, a lot has changed. For example, the family house was sold and my parents and stepsister have moved into new places. They have been situated for quite some time now, but I do not have that settled in feeling. The rental house that I'm moving into with friends is not ready yet. Because of this, I'll be under my parents roof again for a little while, which makes me hesitate. This time I don't have my own room and my things are still in storage. I've loved this adventure and I'm so grateful for every one's hospitality, but at this point, I'm becoming a bit worn out with sleeping on different beds and futons. I miss having my own space, a place that feels like home. I know I'll eventually have that, so I'm telling myself to stick it out a little longer. I'm also terrified that I don't have a job. A 28 year old should probably have one of those....

...And yet: I love the adventure of not knowing what's going to happen next and trying new things. I love it here. I love coming and going whenever I want. I love the fact that I'm not worried about anything or anyone while I'm out in Hawaii. The people here have been amazing to me and I have enjoyed the slow pace. I've made new friends and have been to so many new places. I've rediscovered a lot about myself that I thought was lost forever, like the fact that writing is probably what I enjoy the most and that being independent is the goal I've always dreamed of. I don't want to stop learning, or discovering new adventures. My next goal is to (eventually) travel to a new city. I'd like to stay in a hostel for my next trip. My long term goal is to move to the West Coast or the south, but I have to see what this country has to offer first, before I commit to one destination. All I know right now is that it's been amazing to not feel pain in my legs from the harsh, cold elements and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd love to have two places that I call home (a feeling that I have gotten since I've been here in Hawaii) Two sets of friends, two places I feel comfortable. I already have the two sets of friends part, and for that I am very lucky.

We'll see.

The best part about life is that you never know where it will take you. I've learned that too. In due time I will have what I want. In the meantime, I'll have to figure out what that is.

You might be wondering why I've been MIA.

Or not. But I'll tell ya anyhow.

Well, first of all, I've been out and about seeing as much as I can before I leave the islands. (wow is it that time ALREADY?) Second, is this not so charming news:

My computer--one that's barely 2 years old--has sputtered on me and died. As in, deader then a doornail. I've managed to place a back up, VERY temporary disk in place, to get into programs like Windows 7, and get onto blogger if I'm lucky. Most of the time, when I turn on my computer, I get a black screen and nothing else. Also, my caps lock key keeps blinking. Don't know what's that about. The cause of this is being narrowed down, but the Geek Squad guys and a lovely Hawaiian local computer store owner both think that my hard drive and motherboard is shot. Why this has happened is unknown. Geek Squad says it'll cost hundreds to fix. (about as much as my laptop cost in the first place) Local computer owner says it can't be fixed at all, to cut my losses, and get my Hawaii pictures saved ASAP.

This is not the first problem with my laptop. (brand shall remain nameless) The first time, the hard drive crashed. Got a new computer under warranty. The second time, a virus got through my firewalls and wiped out my hard drive. Had to get a new hard drive. (not under warranty) the third time, ANOTHER virus got through my Norton and destroyed the whole damn thing. My awesome Brother-in-Law spent weeks trying to get rid of the virus, then put in a new hard drive and Windows 7. I almost feel bad to say this is now the fourth issue, since Dave put so much work into bringing Stanley back to life. (yes he has a name) Tech support wants $800 dollars to fix Stanley, and $300 for "consultation" which they will reimburse. (snort.)

I think it's slowly time to save for a new laptop entirely. Even if this guy gets fixed (doubtful honestly) I'm afraid our relationship is strained at this point. You see, I always end up footing the bill, and on top of that, he keeps leading me on into thinking he's a good computer. No sir, I am not stupid. You don't even return my phone calls.
I'm breaking up with you Stanley. It's time to move on.

P.S. I want my CD's back.

I'm a lovely blogger!

I won a Blog Award! Shannon, (from Shanimals Crackers) has decided to feature me by awarding me this:

Now. I wish I was as witty as Shannon when she accepted HER Lovely Blogger award, but I'm not. (oh, that and I'm starving so pancakes await) Instead, I'll just say thanks a bunches! I'd like to thank my parents for never giving up on me, my aunt's cat for giving me alone time when I need to write, and this really cushy pillow I sit on.

I'd like to spread the love and give my lovely blogger award to three other lovely ladies: Hayley over at Holding the World in a Paper Cup, Carly over at Tune into Radio Carly and Claire over at IN CHAIR. These bloggers are not only awesome writers, they're awesome people. I enjoy visiting their blogs regularly.

Now according to the award rules, I must post 7 random facts about me. Ahem:

 -I love saying hi to people.

-I love looking at google maps and checking out places that I may want to travel to.

-Clowns, Ferris wheels, and math give me the heebie jeebies.

-Thrift stores are one of my favorite places on Earth. It's like treasure hunting.

-I sneeze exactly three times before I fall asleep.

-I love the woods.

-I love bonfires and summer nights.

Thanks again Shannon! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

More new things.

Remember when I said that I wanted to try new things?

Well I've been wanting to get a cartilage piercing on my ear for awhile now....

So after a bunch of research, I finally did.

Oh yeah, one more thing: Sorry in advance Dad.

Our Weekend in Maui: Part 2.

The next morning was a bit cloudy. I didn't fall back to sleep too well after returning home from dinner. Sometimes, due to cerebral palsy, my legs can tense up and hurt a bit. It's been less of an occurrence on the Hawaiian islands, but incidents do happen from time to time that I've grown to live with. Usually, my legs will tense and my muscles will be painful into the next day. I was determined to visit new sights though, not see the inside of my hotel room. I would see plenty of hotel rooms through travel in my lifetime, and sleep on lots of cushy beds and pillows, but walking around Maui would be a rarity. Popping back two aspirin, I waited until my spasms dulled, then headed to get free breakfast.

I was quite surprised at their breakfast selection. It wasn't the dry toast and cold cereal you see at a typical hotel. Downstairs, there was an actual diner, and guests of the hotel get to pick a free breakfast meal, have fresh squeezed juice and coffee. There, Auntie and I planned an itinerary for our day. First, we decided to visit The Lavender Farm:

The Lavender Farm is on the way up the Haleakala Crater. (more on that later) The property is owned by Alii Chang. He died this year, but a husband and wife team (as well as his co-workers) have taken over running the farm and keeping his dream alive. There are guided tours, an adorable gift shop and you can walk along beautiful trails, all speckled with lavender. When I entered the gift shop, there were all kinds of organic products made purely from lavender and all natural ingredients. Soaps, necklaces, earrings,  food products and teas. After purchasing a bunch of stuff for family back at home, I walked the trails.

Everything is kept immaculate. (in fact, one of the groundskeepers kept his distance to allow me to take pictures for this entry. I didn't even ask. It was so nice and thoughful of him. Oh and he probably didn't want to be on this blog or something like that. I will give a shout out to him anyway though. Thank you. You're the one who keeps this place beautiful.)

When Aunt Lynn and I grew tired of the Lavender Farm, she told me we were going somewhere else, but she couldn't tell me where. Soon, I realized why. If she told me where we were going in advance, there was a good chance I would have chickened out. When she began to drive, Auntie announced we were going to drive up the remainder of the Haleakala Crater. The Haleakala Crater is a dormant volcano that you can drive up around 10,000 ft. She didn't tell me how high we were going either. That was also probably for the best. At first, I was nervous as she drove up the winding roads.

But soon the view became more and more enthralling that I forgot to be nervous. Except when she teased me and would announce where a new cross was placed at every accident site we came across. Thanks a lot Auntie.

There are little stations you can stop at to take breaks on the drive up. FYI, this is probably a good idea, since the air changes the higher you go. If you start at the bottom and drive straight up without stopping to adjust, you could get altitude sickness. When I felt a little woozy, we pulled over to a rest stop, and I saw this view:

The blue beyond the clouds is NOT the ocean. Just the sky. Rain was happening below us, but we were up so high that we were above the storms.

Before we left to continue our journey, I had a funny idea: it took a couple of tries with my camera, but we managed. Can you fly? We did.

There's much more, but that will have to wait until my next entry. Until next time everyone!

Recently, one of these guys paid a visit to me.

This my friends, is a Cane Spider. They are only found on the Hawaiian Islands and Austrailia. 

When we were in Maui, Auntie and I discovered one on the wall of a restruant we were eating at. (Nope, it wasn't an awful restruant. In fact, it was a fancy steakhouse. I guess the spider wanted steak too.) You know when, in a nightmare, you open your mouth to scream and no sound comes out? That was me.

The spider on the wall? His name is George. I named him George so I wouldn't cry. I figured if they have a name, they can't be TOO scary right? Right. Note, these are NOT George's pictures, just ones I found online of his friends, because I was too frozen in fear to take out my camera.

They are as big as you think they are.

Now, onto the big question: Are they poisonous?  Answer: Nope. Just scary as hell. They do eat the bugs though, including the roaches.

I think I'd rather see a roach.