Aloha family and friends! We have officially been here for two weeks. I had planned on blogging our way through it, but I’ll get you all up to speed. Apologies ahead for the long post.

David and I spent our last night in California at each of our parents’ houses. It was kind of cool to sleep in the bedroom that was mine when we first moved from San Leandro to Livermore when I was in 3rd grade. Since we had taken our cars to Matson for shipping that morning, we had no vehicles. I had my mom drop me off at the gym for a bit and then spent the evening cramming the last of my belongings into three large suitcases, watched the Warriors game (wasn’t pretty – a nasty loss to the Nuggets, come on guys), and cuddled with my puppies as much as I could.

In the morning, my parents and I met David with his Dad and cousin William at the Oakland airport. We said our last goodbyes and were on our way. We rented out a little condo on the golf course over at Turtle Bay on the north shore in Kahuku, just a few miles from the house I lived in when I was 5. We had a pretty low key first night and the next morning treated ourselves to a seaside couples massage, which was so amazing and much needed.

We spent the rest of our first week relaxing, skimming the internet for furniture, walking the Turtle Bay trails (where we saw Hawaii Five-0 being filmed throughout our stay), and trying our hardest to not give in to all of the delicious temptation the North Shore of Oahu has to offer. We did however fit David’s first Hawaiian shave ice into our macros one day via Matsumoto’s. We opted for the sugar free flavors so we could afford the ice cream and adzuki beans! Worth it! We also went to our first live concert, which was at Surfer the Bar, to see Spawnbreezie. We have had so many reminders that we aren’t in the Bay Area anymore, and this concert is probably one of the biggest ones. We went a little after the doors opened, around 8:30, with the concert starting at 9. We ended up standing against the bar counter, right next to the stage, and had an incredible close-up view of the entire show. Events here are just not crowded the way we’re used to, and people aren’t uptight and fighting for space, to be first in line, to cut you off. It’s such a healthier environment, and my stress levels are almost non-existent. It’s how life should be!

We are super lucky that we actually have family here! My cousins moved to Oahu on January 11th, so we have been able to hang out with them and enjoy some delicious meals, gaze at the ocean, bond with their adorable puppy Sylvester, and just kind of exist in this incredible place. We all felt very drawn to Hawaii, and it feels right that we’re all here together! Here’s a shot from our first meet up. We got lunch at Bogart’s in the Diamond Head district, then took it to the beach to enjoy. Then we caught the last of the day’s sun at Kaimana Beach where we watched Sylvester make new friends, and talked about life and the decisions we’ve made that have led us to where we are today. I really enjoy spending time with my cousins, comparing notes, and feeling inspired by their story. We had a different approach to getting here, but share the same goal of living out our dreams while inspiring the ones we love to do the same. We’re all so excited to have this incredible island as our playground. Lizel and I have a date the next time there’s a big storm to go early morning shell hunting! Hawaii is already starting to feel like home for us.

About a week ago we moved from our North Shore condo to our temporary townhouse in Kapolei (pronounced COP-O-LAY as I stand corrected by the nail technician who did my first mani in Hawaii…”that’s how they know where you’re from, how you talk.”). So far we are loving this town – it feels new and upcoming, with all of the comforts of home – hello Target. The touristy areas of Kapolei are a bit removed from our neighborhood, but still close enough to where pristine and manicured beaches, live ocean side music, and a fruity cocktail on the beach are within our reach. Click here to see some of the more popular tourist attractions in our area (which we will definitely be enjoying). We have already spent a few afternoons lounging at the Ko’Olina lagoons. They’re man made lagoon beaches which are just ridiculously picturesque and family friendly. David has questioned whether or not the grass is real at these beaches because it just looks too perfect. Thank you tourism industry for providing us with such a gorgeous playground at our fingertips!

We have spent our time since arriving in Kapolei shopping for furniture and everything we need to make our house a home. We’re scheduled to move into our new place on March 8th, but we are also looking into a few other options in our community, so note: to those of you who already have our address…our address may be changing. The community we are renting from manages so many units. Once we got here we realized just how many options we have. We will update by the end of the week to either confirm or revise our home address. We like to live life on the edge, so hang loose and we will update you as soon as we can! 🙂

I woke up this morning thinking, “in a week from now…” and it hasn’t stopped. In a week from now, I will go to the Oakland airport with my parents to meet David and his parents for our final goodbyes (for now). In a week from now I will be taking off for a completely new life. In a week from now I will be the lucky lady who gets to make a house a home with one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. In a week from right now, I will be landing in Honolulu. Hey, in a week from now it’s Valentine’s Day, so guys, gals, celebrate the people you love.

The cold and rainy weather in the Bay has had me thinking so much about what it is we’re actually in for. We can wear shorts and flip flops every day. I don’t have to do my hair and makeup, no hectic mornings, no commute, no more late nights at the office. On the flip side, I can’t wear cozy socks, I have no reason to get dressed up and ready every day, and my days will be starting a little earlier as I will still work California hours. All in all, I am so ready for the many changes that await us. I’ve been scouring Pinterest for home design inspo, and I am literally burning up for a good DIY project. It’s been too long!!!

We’ve made a ton of progress in the last few weeks…packing up our odds and ends, (and Nikes), and getting them ready to sail across the ocean to meet us on the other side. We found a reasonable ocean freighter after finding that FedEx, UPS, and USPS want a human organ to ship one 20 pound box to Hawaii. David and his Pops are dropping off the goods in San Leandro on Friday. Our cars are being shipping via Matson on Monday, and then it’s just us, our bags, lots of hugs and goodbyes, and the adventure that awaits.

Thanks again everyone for being so inspiring and supportive in this amazing part of our lives. This is the second time in my life I can say my dreams are coming true…second only to meeting David and the ridiculous blessing he has been in my life.

Photo cred: Leticia R. (aka the newest LuLaRoe consultant to hit the block! Best wishes on your new journey as well gorgeous Mama!!)