Missing the Island

So I've really been missing Hawaii lately. Living there for 2.5 years has left a small splinter on my heart.

When I got to work this morning I quickly logged into Pandora and created a new radio station--Iz. As I started listening to the music it quickly brought me back to the many hours I spent working at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) where they played all the same music over the sound system. Then, I began daydreaming about my beach cruiser, acai bowls, waiting for "The Bus," studying at the beach, people strolling along on their skateboards playing the ukelele, jumping off Waimea and being caught in a 30-second rain shower on my way to class.

I can say that I truly tried to not take a single day for granted while I was there. Each day I rode my bike to school I would pass the temple and stare at all its wonderment. On my way to a dreaded class, I would close my eyes and listen to the Tongan drums playing at the PCC. On days when I was really busy and felt there was no time to get anything done, I would go into the Aloha Center and listen to the many different languages swirling around me....the sound was beautiful.

I miss not having air conditioning and sweating my butt off while trying to cook dinner in a scorching 1x1 foot oven. I miss not having a car and not being able to buy everything I needed at the grocery store for fear of it throwing off the balance of my bicycle. I miss taking 2-hour bus rides to the mall on the winding roads of Kamehameha just to get to the mall and not be able to find anything modest enough to buy.

I miss the laughter of the people, their smiles, their sweet spirits.

It's been almost two years and I feel the aloha spirit slipping away from me. I no longer feel the urge to begin my emails at work with "Aloha" or shout out a roaring reply to someone's greeting when they stand to give a speech.

I need to go back to the island. I need to revitalize my mind and refuel my spirit.

Vacation Part Dos: VIVA LAS VEGAS!

We stayed at the Monte Carlo right on the strip. I would definitely recommend this hotel. It was very family friendly with a small lazy river and wavepool, mall and foodcourt. Really cheap too ;)

The first day we spent walking up and down the strip exploring all the amazing hotels and casinos. The Wynn is my absolute favorite. Everything about it is classy and beautiful. I wish I could afford to stay there (sigh).

We had a frrrozen hot chocolate from Serendipity's. Apprently, there are only three in the whole world....Manhattan, Las Vegas and Boca Raton. Boca Raton, Fla! That's random, but much closer to home. And I'll let you readers in on a little secret....a new one is opening in Washington D.C. sometime this year. If you have never tried one of these, you have to add it to your bucket list.

We also saw the Blue Man Group at the Venetian. I've seen their show once before in Vegas and they didn't fail to shock and delight. Those guys are CRAZY!

We decided to take a dam tour while we were there since we were so close. Yep, we took a dam elevator down to the dam bottom and saw all of the dam power generators. (Haha....that never gets old!)

Next stop, the four-story M&M store. Yes, I did say four-stories. I don't know how they did it, but they managed to put the M&M logo on everything possible and actually selll it.

Overall, our trip to Vegas was great, but we were actually a little homesick for Utah.

Vacation Part Uno: UTAH

We spent the first part of our vacation in northern Utah at my aunt and uncle's house. They moved there almost three years ago so we hardly get to see them and my six cousins.

But first things first. My favorite part of the trip was getting to see all my old college friends :)
(And by old I mean we used to go to school together back in the day. I don't mean we're old because WE ARE NOT!)

You know you have a great friend when they are not only willing to spend your two-hour layover with you at the airport, but also bring you breakfast. Thanks, Amy!

Our first day we got to spend the entire afternoon with none other than the fabulous April. She's a local to the city so she took us around and showed us the sights. She made a wonderful tour guide.

We finally made our way to my aunt's house by about 10pm. We were exhausted but really excited about the fun week ahead.

We did a lot of this....

And some of this....

And this....

Overall, we had a great time in Utah and we are currently job searching there.

Yes, I'm serious.

Fat Mississippi

Read here >>>> Shaping Up a City In the Nation's Fattest State

Okay, so when I saw this headline I thought yep that has to be about Mississippi. My home state, the place I was born and raised. It is sad, but true. We are the fattest state in America! In fact, the article states, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 34.4% of Mississippi's adults are obese." That is not just over weight....that is OBESE.

The article profiles a woman from Vicksburg, Miss. who is trying to do something to fight obesity in the state. She started a program in 2009 entitled Shape Up Vicksburg. She also opened a women's only gym for women who may feel self-concious working-out around men. I think it is a wonderful idea, and I commend her for being so proactive in her community.

However, it isn't really working  :(

First of all, the article implies that the gym is only open on Saturdays. I hope this is not the case. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults should participate in "at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity--preferably spread thoughout the week and strength training exercises twice a week."

In addition, while the program has had 2500 people join, they have only lost an average of 5 lbs. per person over a 17-week period. Five pounds in 17 weeks! That's nothing! I can lose 5 lbs. of water weight in a couple of days. Granted, some people lost more than this, but that also means that some people lost less.

The founder points out that "most people do not know they have a weight problem because we live in an environment where everyone almost looks the same." What she is really saying is that everyone in Mississippi is overweight and it has become an acceptable look.

Look, I'm not trying to offend anyone. All I'm saying is that being overweight is not okay. It is very unhealthy. Please help yourself and those who love you by doing something about it.

p.s. Sorry for the lapse in posts. We were on vacation....adventures and pics coming soon.

Games Anyone?

One of my many goals in life is to be in London, England in August 2012. Why you might ask....
For the 2012 Summer Olympic games of course!

I'm obsessed with the Olympic games. I love competition, and I really love the idea of all the countries across the world joining together under one roof for some friendly rivalry. It totally gives me a newfound hope for world peace.

The games only happen every four years, which gives crazed fans (like me) plenty of time to pine for more. When the games are on my eyes are glued to the tube for 2.5 weeks. I think part of my obsession comes from my Dad who wouldn't let us watch anything else while the Olympics were on. It was Olympics or nothing at all.

As a child, it was my wish to be in the Olympics some day. I didn't know what sport I was going to play, but I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to wear the red, white and blue jacket with the Olympic rings monogrammed on the back; I wanted to walk the track circle during the opening ceremony with the other athletes of the world; and most of all, I wanted to stand on the rostrum and be awarded a medal with my flag waving in the background.

Well, those dreams went flying out the window after I realized that while I was good at sports, I had no real record-breaking, earth shattering, God-defying talent like some other people I know (hint: Michael Phelps). So now I just like to watch.

The London Olympics are going to be superb. There will be more than 100,000 hotel rooms available, an excellent transit system to get you back and forth to your hotel and between stadiums and over 38 sports to watch....(sigh). You can check it out here London 2012.

Tickets don't go on sale until 2011 (the exact date hasn't been announced yet). And right now plane tickets to England are priced at around $1200/person. So I definitely have some saving to do. Besides that, it's England so I don't have to brush up on any foreign language.

For now, all I know is "Citius, Altius, Fortius."


Next stop: BRAZIL!

Me vs. The Media

I like to read. And I especially like to read the news because (a) I don't like fiction and (b) I like to know what's going on in the world we live in. Since I started blogging, it is a place I like to refer to for inspiration.

However....the news can be very very VERY depressing! I got on a news website today and the first three articles I read were about the massive flooding in Pakistan, three murderers escaping from prison and two twin girls drowing in a pool. Extremely sad stuff  :*(

I don't want my blog to be all about the latest news updates on child kidnappings, lost hikers (although I have found that there are a lot of stupid hikers out there), celebrities going in and out of rehab or finding Natalee Holloway's body.

Don't get me wrong. I totally believe that people should always be aware of what's going on in the world around them. For example, one of my sisters didn't even know about all the ins and outs of North Korea and their crazy president (oh gosh I hope I don't get wiped off the planet for talking bad about him on my public blog....eeeek!), and when I told her she was completely shocked and terrified. Seriously, she's been having nightmares. My message to her: B, stop watching MTV and turn on CNN, Fox News, anything!

Side note: If you're reading this right now and wondering what I'm talking about, please google "North Korea."

Okay, back to my point. So people should know what's going on in the world, but why does it always have to be negative? Well, while staying on top of the latest news I came across a solution....

An article written about 8 great websites that are dedicated to brightening people's day with real-life stories about amazing people  :)

Here they are....I hope you enjoy!
1. Happy News
Their motto: Real news. Compelling stories. Always positive.
2. Gives Me Hope
An example of what you'll find here: "I work at a nursing home and every day I see an old man pushing an old woman in a wheelchair with Alzheimer's around the building. One day, I asked the man how his wife was doing. He laughed at me and said 'that woman is not my wife, she is the wife of my best friend, who died years ago.' On-going best friendships Give Me Hope."
3. 1000 Awesome Things
4. Post Secret
Warning: This one is a little eccentric, but interesting, nonetheless.
5. Cute Baby Fix
If you like babies (which every normal person should), then you will like this site. It's full of cute videos and pics. Some of it is kind of corny, but most of it is just plain cuteness.
6. Christian the Lion
This is a YouTube video, but you have to know the story behind it first. "John Rendall and Anthony Bourke bought Christian, a lion cub, from Harrods in 1969 and raised him in their London home. Several years later, they set the lion free to live in the wilds of Africa. A year later, against the advice of experts, the pair was determined to locate Christian. They traveled to Kenya to find him, and their reunion was recorded on film.

7. Today's Big Thing

8. Zoo Borns

Who doesn't love cute animals? (See monkey below)

Well, there you have it. I hope it brightens your day as it did mine :)

Thank you to Tas Anjarwalla, Special to CNN