Gettin' into the groove of things

Welp, so far I have been in Hawaii for 3 1/2 weeks. Lots has happened, but before I go off on all that, I will explain the basics...

My little college town of Laie (law-ee-ay) is located on the north-east shore of Oahu. I live in "the brick house" on "the point". Most student homes out here have a name that everyone recognizes them by: the brick house, canal house, bus stop house, quiet house, etc. "The Point" is an neighborhood that is located on a small peninsula (if you will) that pokes out into the ocean. It's one street, but a long one; has enough off-campus student housing to make up its own ward. I live with 3 other girls: Chanise Raab, who is my roommate, Britt Edman and Nat Cude, who live in the 2nd bedroom. They are all great girls, which drastically helps with the whole transition of moving away from family and friends to an unfamiliar island in the middle of the great Pacific.

After my relatives picked me up from the airport, I slept at their home and spent my first day, New Year's Eve, with them. We took care of some quick business, taking my baggage to my new home, along with the little life necessities that we picked up at Walmart in Honolulu on the way home from the airport the night before. That night the holiday celebrations were much different that I experience at home in Utah. Hawaiians are CRAZY about fireworks, and more specifically fire crackers! It was a constant noise-fest. The McDonell's and I walked around the neighborhood, block party to block party, eating food and watching firework displays that were carefully fashioned out of poles and wires in order to link together and set off lengthy chains of firecrackers.

The next few days consisted of unpacking, settling in, and either lazying around inside because of crazy tropical "winter" rainstorms or soaking up some sun outside. I tended to be lazier than necessary, but I felt it was deserved because of the difficult semester that just ended and how busy I had been with Katie's wedding plans and the holidays for the previous few months. I didn't mind laying around one bit.

I was lucky enough to get a job out here immediately. My uncle Marty is a professor in the Social Work department and was aware that a new student secretary was needed. He worked his magic and soon I was able to send in my resume and application, business was taken care of and the job was officially mine. I now work up to 19 measly hours a week, which is perfect for a student vacationer like me. I am only enrolled in 3 classes (7 credit hours), and with the part-time job, I find that I have lots of free-time to utilize the beach with. My classes include a Book of Mormon course, Hawaiian Culture, and Fitness for Life. I already enjoy each one a lot, and I feel that they provide a great balance for me out here. I enjoy that I am learning spiritually, culturally, and physically.

The McDonell's have been a super huge help to me since I got here, especially in the first week, but they continually help me with anything I need and more. They are so generous, providing me food when I'm over at their house (which is just a few streets away), taking me to Walmart and Costco when I need it, and lending me some things that I need temporarily like a beach cruiser. They are awesome, and Im glad that I have them here whenever I may need anything.