Home Sweet Sweet Home

Just so you know the following entry I wrote the day we arrived home, I am just now getting around to editing and posting it :)

On the plane ride home

Oh my goodness, I seriously cant believe we are actually home!!!

So I guess I'm going to have to change the name of this blog ;) Originally it was meant to document our adventures in Hawaii so family and friends could follow us. Yet, now I realize how much I enjoy writing and apparently people are actually reading these things :)

I had to get on here ASAP and blog, I just couldn't resist spilling out my heart today as we set foot back in Oregon after 7 months of living in Hawaii.
It was definitely a challenge getting off that rock. (Thank you family for all the gift and care packages over the 7 months, but oh my god did we have some luggage!) 4 big plastic tubs and 3 oversized bags later, we were over the 50lb weight limit on every piece! Thank god we got a couple of awesome baggage claim guys who, after we slipped em' a $40, let all the overcharges slide. :) Very lucky/happy about that!
Than, after the grueling 7 hour overnight layover in San Jose, we were finally home! This whole adventure has been quite a whirlwind and I find my hands shaking as I type this with sheer adrenaline (oh wait, maybe Im just not used to the colder weather :) )
To both our surprise not only were our parents at the airport to greet us but 8 of our closest friends as well! With no shortage of running-and-jumping hugs, we were also greeted with VooDoo Donuts and welcome home signs. I have never felt more loved by all my friends than I did today, I am truly a lucky girl to have such close and considerate friends :) Something in this world I feel is hard to come by.

It was all such a shock (plus the lack of sleep) that i don't think I really knew what this actually meant until I was driving back to Tylers place. Yes, I have my baby (my car) back! Let me tell you, those mopeds get old! Oh man was it nice to blast the music and drive the speed limit! So, Im driving over the bridge into Vancouver and all I can think is how gorgeous it is! The Columbia river surrounded by all the lush evergreen trees, the clear blue fresh air, and the beautiful city. I was so overwhelmed with happiness I just started crying. I was crying because I knew. I knew I was home and that everything felt right again. In that one short drive over the bridge, I realized I'm back on the right path. I cant wait to throw myself back into my fast pace life full of inspiration and motivation with those who love me by my side.




Fast forward to present time, we have been back in OR now for a little over a month! I cant believe how time flies! In the last month we were able to move into a wonderful house with two awesome roommates, Ryan (Tyler's cousin) and his girlfriend Chelsey. The four of us are renting the perfect house in NE Portland. It is so nice to be out of Gresham and closer to EVERYTHING. We are only a couple blocks from the Max line and freeway and only a ten minute drive to downtown :)

Corner Lot with Double car garage

3 bedroom/ 2 bath

Its so nice to be able to do yard work and have all the extra space! This is definitely a better renting situation compared to our tiny studio in Hawaii! Now that we are back I have been getting into biking a lot. I have always loved to ride bikes for pleasure but now I am actually doing it for convenience and transportation as well. And you cant beat Portland for being biker friendly! All the neighborhoods and parks here are so beautiful. Plus you SEE so much more when you are on a bike, all the cool little shops and bars that I have never noticed before are all in our backyard!

In other news Tyler just got a job at a very nice restaurant downtown called Southpark! I am very happy for him, the job search has been rough. I on the other hand am taking it a bit slower. I decided to wait until after my best friend Ashley's wedding to get a job. I have been keeping myself busy in helping out with wedding stuff and planning the bachelorette party and bridal shower! So very excited for her! I have also been getting the house in order. It is finally all set up and visitor ready. Pictures are hung and boxes are all unpacked. Now to start on the yard work!
I have been pondering the job idea for a while now and have come to the conclusion that Im just about over working in restaurants. I need and crave experience in something new! I was considering trying to find a entry level position for an event planning company. Its something I have always loved doing. I am such a busy body and love hosting, organizing and planing parties. I realized that I really want a job where you can start a project and finish it, seeing all your progress and then the finished product. Working in restaurants is continuous and never reaches a goal. You do the same thing day after day and I never seem to get satisfaction out of that type of work. I do want to go back to school possibly in the next year, but I first really want to try out some new possibilities to see if anything strikes a chord with me.

Besides all that things are smooth sailing from here on out. Depending on Tyler and I's working potential to save up some money, I really want to take a trip to Alaska at the end of the summer! My good friend I made in Hawaii now lives and works at a camping resort and gives Kayak tours up there and it would be really neat to go visit her!   So we shall see.

good to be home,
Laur

Less Than a Month to Go!

Wow, I cant believe our journey to Hawaii that we had been planning and talking about over a year and a half ago is finally coming to a close! The end of this chapter is bitter-sweet to me and I will try and explain it to the best of my ability. I know that only Tyler, who has been with me every step of the way truly understands. I feel very thankful that we see eye to eye on this experience, because so many people don't get why we would ever want to leave "paradise."
Our original plan was to stay one year and we cut it short by about 5 months. Although we have only been here for 6 months it feels like so much longer!  Time in Hawaii is very stagnant, it moves at a very slow pace, and I think I figured out why. There is no sense of time here, the seasons do not change so you never feel like you are progressing though life, but rather that you are in a trance-like state with no motivation. In a place with recognizable seasons you anticipate and look forward to the new and upcoming changes. You start your "spring cleaning" and are SO EXCITED when the first real warm day of summer arrives. You feel compelled to go outside or otherwise risk wasting a beautiful day. When there are gloomy days you have a good excuse to stay in, cuddle up in a blanket and watch movies, and you don't feel bad about it.  And I MISS THAT! I miss the ever changing lifestyles. Here in Hawaii you know there will always be another sunny day, you start to take it for granted. The beach will always be there, you quit going as often. Nothing seems as spectacular because you never know what its like to not have it.  
I love my home and I have realized since moving away that Oregon will always be the place I call home. I dont need fancy beaches and palm trees to be happy. All I need are my best friends, my loving family and my city. None of those are here and I miss it like crazy. 
Now, dont get me wrong, I have no regrets moving here. We have met some wonderful people and done some amazing things. I have swam with the turtles and dolphins, I saw my first whale in the ocean, we have swam with Manta Rays, parasailed, zip-lined through jungle. We have tried new cuisines, hiked Wiapo Valley and Green Sands beach. We have stood on top waterfalls, seen actual lava, and stood upon a 13,700ft summit with the largest telescopes in the world. I have Kayaked and paddled boarded in the ocean, cliff jumped, and lived on my own for the first time. I have seen the North, South, East and West and almost everything in-between on this Island and I cant see anymore without  getting on a plane. I have got what I wanted out of this Island.


I miss road trips, snowboarding and rock climbing, I miss big concerts and comedy shows at Harveys. I miss the skyline and tall buildings. I miss the city life and energy and never seeing the same thing twice. I miss running the streets of Portland never feeling judged because there is always someone weirder than you :) I miss our Karaoke bar. I miss all the varieties of food in Portland and of course the food carts! I miss Powells and riding my bike. I miss the coffee shops and buffalo exchange. I miss the BEER and all the great breweries in Portland! I miss dancing with my friends and 80's nights. I miss hiking the george and being in the forrest. I miss driving my car and blasting the music! i miss planning parties, game nights and bonfires. i miss the MALL and all the great shopping in Portland. I miss my art supply stores. I miss the waffle window and Dantes Pizza! I miss EDGEFIELD!!!! wine tasting, and outdoor fires. I miss OMSI after dark once a month, and pub quiz. I miss the fresh water, floating the river and wakeboarding. I miss dressing up and going out on the town, I miss boots and scarves and hats.  i miss the taste of Oregon water and the smell of oregon air.      You cant find any of this in hawaii, and that is my livelihood. I do not feel empowered or motivated here. It feels like a very long vacation, and I cant settle down and develop roots here. 
I will admit it proudly, Im not an island girl like I thought I may be, I am a hippy city girl at heart. And I know when I get back home I will thrive. 


I will forever travel this world to experience new things and humble myself. i will forever keep Learning because what is the point in living if you cant keep growing. 


I will keep a part of Hawaii with me forever, but forever will Oregon be my home. 






We do still have one more set of guests before we say goodbye for good, though. My cousin Curtis and his wife danielle are visiting May 1-10 ! I am actually really excited to have visitors one more time, it will give us reason to go out with a bang! Plus we have all but mastered being the perfect tour guides for the big Island, so we should get to see and  do everything they want!  
If you dont know the date yet, we will be landing back in Oregon May 16th at 8:15am, get ready for us! I cant wait to see everyone!! expect to be tackled with hugs!! 


always love
Laur

Tour Guide is becoming my middle name

Its been a while since I last blogged, I guess the day to day life in Hawaii is starting to feel more routine as we have seen most of what there is to see and do here. People that live here and love it say "but there are sooo many hidden places and things to do here that you still haven't seen!" Granted, its is The BIG ISLAND with lots of ground to cover; but you can also say that about any place in the world. I still haven't seen EVERY nook and cranny in Portland and never will. The important thing is that I see and do what I came to do. And I cant drive myself crazy thinking I might miss out on something, because we are never all going to see everything!

With that, I did get to experience some new adventures while my parental units were here visiting two weeks ago! First off I cant believe it had been 4 months since I had seen my parents! longest time apart ever. But I really do think it was a good thing, it makes you stronger and appreciate what you have. It was really really good to see them again, made me feel like a kid again haha. Its weird how your brain reverts back to a way of thinking and acting depending on your surroundings or who your with. It was nice to be able to cook THEM meals in MY home for the first time :) bet they never thought I would survive on my own as well as I have. But in reality Im more like my parents than ever. Im neurotic like my father when it comes to cleaning. I freak out if Tyler wipes his crumbs on the floor and I find myself vacuuming at midnight because the floors are dirty and its bugging me! haha And Im stubborn like my mom, if Tyler says hes going to clean the dishes and I get home and they still aren't done I wont wait till he does it, I just do it myself and then complain about it later :)  (Remember mom how I would always tell you I'll cleen my bathroom later, but then you would just do anyway haha) I am a Miss Fix it like my dad and very inventive when it comes to problem solving. I think its funny how you pick stuff up and it just happens and you dont even realize it! :)

They rented a car for the entire time they were here, what do you know, another Dodge Charger haha. I cant tell you how much I miss driving/riding in cars. Its another strange thing I took for granted, blasting the music with the windows down and riding in comfort :)

Along with my parents, Tyler's good friend Chris also arrived on the same day my parents got here! So the 5 of us ended up doing quite a bit together. On the second day they were here we all drove up to the town of Captan Cook and hiked down a roughly 2 mile trail to the ocean to snorkel at one of the top five sites in the world! So we all geared up with our masks and flippers and spent a day exploring the most beautiful waters on the Island. Needles to say we were not anticipating how hard the hike back up would be in the heat of the day climbing 1300 feet in elevation. But after Chris getting heat stroke and my dad climbing a tree to pick 10 giant avocados and cart them up the hill it was quite eventful! Me and my mom reached the top first only to realize we didnt have a bottle opener for our cold bears in the cooler; but dont worry we improvised using the hinge on the trunk to pop the tops, a few pieces of broken glass never killed anyone :)

This is just the cutest shot ever :)  
                                                           
                                                                                     Me and Mamma






After that endeavor, we took it slow for the next couple days. We took them across the street to our little turtle beach, one of my favorite "best kept secrets." No one really knows about this beach and you are always guaranteed to see a turtle or two. They are so used to people they will just keep brushing up next to you in hopes for food. Now if you know my mom you know her love for turtles; I literally thought she was going to loose it when those turtles came up to her!  It made me realize that I may just be keeping the everyday life of living in Hawaii for granted, either that or now I know where I get my "so easily amused" attitude (thanks mom)! They are pretty magical creatures though.

The next day we took a trip by boat out to the Sheraton Hotel where the manta rays flock to at night, to do a snorkel dive with them! Along the way just a few hundred yards from the boat we spotted 3 whales! All breeching right in front of us! Now I had still yet to see a whale (besides for Keiko when I was like 9), and in my opinion this was in my top 3 coolest things Ive seen since being here! So HUGE! It makes you feel so small floating in a little boat right next to them!




Snapped this awesome shot of a whale tale!

Once we got to the location, we waited till the sun set, geared up in our snorkel gear and jumped in! Since there are only 3 places in the world you can see mantas, this spot is a happin' place! I literally thought the Titanic had sunk and I was trapped in the middle of North Atlantic with hundreds of fellow crew members... But the water was like 78 degrees, so I ruled that out. :)  Despite trying to get a front row seat to the manta show in this underwater mosh pit, it was pretty spectacular to see this 10 ft long manta ray swim right near you! (Don't worry grandma they are completely harmless, no teeth no stingers)  Look for underwater video of this event on Facebook :)

The next couple days Tyler had to work, so we took a good ol' fashion family road trip up north to an awesome postcard worthy beach! While dad attempted to boogie board the killer waves, mom and I worked on our tans (like either of us need to work on them hehe)

That evening we headed upwards to the Summit of Mauna Kea to watch the sunset at 13,700 ft. I dont think enough layers could keep you warm up there! Besides almost passing out from the lack of oxygen at that elevation, I think my parents would agree with me that experiencing that was one of their favorite parts of the trip. We stayed up there till after dark to catch a view of the sky at that elevation. Let me just tell you, you havent seen stars till you see them on Mauna Kea. Seeing both sun set and rise when Sam and Sarah were visiting, I would say although a lot more work, I prefer sunrise. Something about the birth of a new day just sparks something inside me. 

So after a short week they were already on their way home. But we still had Chris sleeping on our couch for one more week! So the fun was not over yet. We borrowed a car from a friend and decided to see some more sights. So we headed South to show Chris Green Sand beach! Instead of hiking in this time we had a Jeep wrangler, and I was behind the wheel! haha So we 4-wheeled a couple miles into the beach crawling over the massive sand dunes. This experience most of all made me miss driving my Jeep back home, but not the fuel inefficiency! (damn gas guzzlers!)  By the time we got to the main road it was nearly 7pm and we still had to drive over to the Volcano to see some lava I had heard was visible! Now keep in mind we are driving over to the rainy side of the Island in a Jeep Wrangler with no back windows! Holy crap, what a pain in the ass! It was so cold with the wind blowing in and on top of that it was raining! When we got to Hilo I had to make Tyler stop a Walmart to get a new sweatshirt, mine was completely soaked through! So we finally made it to where the road ends and old lava flows begin. From  up on the hill we could see a glow of orange in the sky. We walked a little further in and ta-da actual lava running down the hillside! Now we were thinking about hiking right up to it, but we only had one flashlight to get across about a half mile of lava rock! Still the closest we have been, and hopefully when our next visitors, my cousins Curt and Danielle get here we can actually get right up to it! After all that we still had to make the drive home. We pulled in around 3 in the morning, wet and exhausted; man a hot shower never felt so good! :) 

The next day Feb 18th, Tyler turned 25 so we thought we would surprise him with a Zipline tour! We drove up to the North part of the Island and spent all day in the tree canopies! Our guides were awesome and we had a great time! 9 ziplines, a few suspension bridges and repelling down trees and Tyler and I were in heaven :) No fear in our eyes, when it comes to heights and hanging from ropes, its just one big playground! By the end of the day our guide Aaron was like "you like taking risks don't you?" and I adopted the name bubbles because I was so giddy and couldn't stop smiling haha Needless to say Tyler and I both got offered jobs to come back and be Zip guides! haha To bad its and hour and a half from our house!

    

That pretty much topped the trips excitement meeter, and Chris then left two days later. Again as each visitor leaves it is so nice to go the bathroom with the door open again ;) We really don't have any boundaries in this little apartment! haha

One last thing as I conclude this incredibly long post. If you haven't already heard the news through the grapevine, Tyler and I will be moving home for good at the end of May! We miss our friends and family so much its really hard being away. I want to be able so see my new baby nephew Kai and spend time with my Niece Shay who is growing up way to fast! Also we have really realized how lucky we are to live in such an awesome city like Portland and that small town life just isnt for us. We are so grateful for this opportunity to make this move and what an adventure it has been. But its getting old quick and we are getting antsy and Island fever! Great place to vacation, not so great place to live, in our opinion. I want to experience the seasons, go snowboarding, go on roadtrips, go dance and sing Karaoke in the big city! I love the energy and crazyness of the city, I love the diversity of people and the many many options of things to do! I miss my boots and scarves and sweatpants! how crazy is that! I will continue to believe that one always wants what they dont have. 

So we are going to get a house in the Hawthorn district of Portland with Tyler's cousin and his girlfriend! Tyler told me when we first started talking about the idea of moving back early, that we are going to live with each other the rest of our lives, why not experience living with roommates while we still can. And I cant agree more, I'm so excited to have a full house and just experience that aspect of living on my own. Plus double dates all the time, yay! hehe

Well thats all for now folks, hope you enjoyed yet another chapter of my life :)

Vacationing at Home

So last week my two good friends Sam and Sarah were here to visit, and man did time fly! We packed so much stuff into one week, we were all so exhausted by the time it was over we didnt know where the time had gone.... And I am here to tell you all about it :) 


It was both of their first times in Hawaii so we had to do it up right. The first few days we spent in town checking out local bars and introducing them to some of our friends. We checked out the Kona Brewery for a tour and same tasters. All four of us scooted around on the mopeds....Im sorry sam and sarah you guys need a little more practice hehe, (besides for one minor fall pulling out of a driveway, me and tyler tried to drive most of the time) 
We went cliff jumping at a spot appropriately named "The End of the World" off 15-25 ft cliffs, and we all eventually jumped in, yay sam! My camera literally died in the middle of filming her jump because she was standing on the rocks for like ten minutes! haha


On their fourth day here we rented a car, packed our bags and headed out for a road trip (sounds weird to take a road trip on an Island doesnt it) We headed north on our first day to a place called Waipio Valley. We decided to be "extreme tourists" as I like to call it and hiked EVERYTHING the entire trip! A total of at least 10miles of hiking over the course of our trip. And we are SOOO glad we started with the hardest one first! The hike down and back up to Waipio Valley is paved at a 25% grade so you have to have a 4wheel drive to get in! (which we did not, the rental car place did though upgrade us to a Dodge Charger :) we were drivin in style) 

<------ Check out that hike!!  Talk about a butt workout! But it was all worth it in the end. The valley is so serene and beautiful. We saw the tallest waterfall in Hawaii and an awesome black sand beach. We could have hitched a ride back up, but honestly we were all glad we did it! It was a great accomplishment!




                  
We were all exhausted after that, and made the drive over to Hilo, the biggest "city" on the big Island on the east side. Our next adventure was to drive up to the top of Mauna Kea for the sunrise. So instead of doing the smart thing and finding a place to crash for a few hours, we decided to save some money and sleep in the car, since we would have to be up super early anyway. Ha ha ha that was a nightmare, no one could sleep so we ended up just driving up the mountain at 2 in the morning and trying to sleep up there. The problem being after driving to the summit we were at about 13,700 ft ! So it was a little hard to breath. I have never experience that feeling before, taking a really deep breath and feeling like you arent getting any air, a really creepy experience that I could see would freak certain people out. Since we were up there before the sun came up we could see ALL the stars, and oh my god I never knew the naked eye could see the amount of stars I saw that night, I was literally enveloped by the universe. I wish I could have just laid out on the ground and looked up all night. But besides the high altitude it was 27 degrees out! So needless to say we were all hunkered down in the car. As the sun rose we all managed to get out of the car wrapped in comforters and watch the miracle that is the birth of each new day. I can honestly say that experience was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Above all the clouds you feel like you are in heaven, I could reach out and touch the sun.  

At the summit where the largest telescopes in the world are. 

SNOW IN HAWAII 

                                                                           Needless to say, I will definitely be going back up there before we leave. Since there is snow at the summit people actually do snowboard up there! But there aren't any lifts so you would have to hike it all and its super icy, not too appealing coming from the fresh powder at Mt. Hood. (which I really miss this season!)   

So after our trek up and back down the mountain, we headed back to Hilo where we spent the day checking out some waterfalls. We tried hand shaved ice for the first time, sooo much better then snow cones! This guy actually grinded down a huge block of ice on this old time machine with a hang crank that spun the ice block around ( i really want one now hehe) We checked into our hostel we would be staying in that night (everyone else's first time in a Hostel, Im pretty sure it won them over) I dont know why hostels get such a bad rap, they are really the way to go when traveling. Its a super social environment and you meet people who are doing the same thing you are, so you can exchange stories and suggestions, and the staff is so friendly and well informed. Plus you have access to a full kitchen and laundry, something you wont find at a hotel, at a steal of a price, we only paid 27 bucks per person for a private room. 

So that night we headed out to the volcano. At the volcano national park you can drive you car down as far as the road will take you. Then you hit old lava flows that have literally covered the road! The pavement just ends and you have to hike in from there. We hiked in a mile or two and ran into a couple hiking back out and found out that the lava flow was actually starting to solidify and that it was at least another couple miles in. So we decided to ditch that idea and head up the the Museum where you can see an active steam vent only a few hundred yards away!

Pretty sweet if you ask me, you could see the glowing orange from inside where the lava is! But one of these trips were going to see the dang lava flow! Possibly when my parents come to visit :) 

It was nice to sleep in an actual bed that night at the Hostel! 

The next morning we set out South. Making our way to South Point and hiking into Green Sand Beach! One of only two green sand beaches. Something to do with the minerals in the rock formations, there are actual gemstones in the sand and it sparkles an olive green! It was about a 2 mile hike in, but a really pretty hike! We spent some time playing in the water and watching Tyler cliff jump off a 30ft cliff! And managed to steel some green sand, despite the 500 dollar fine signs for taking sand :) 

See that furthest outcropping of the cliff on the right side of the picture, thats what Tyler jumped off!

By the time we got home we were all pooped! Two more days of relaxing on the beach and going out for a nice dinner and the adventures were over before they had begun. It was really nice having some familiar faces around and to be able to play tour guide for a week! But I have to say it was a tight squeeze having all us girls in my bed, and it was nice to get back to cuddling with Tyler!