Okay, 5 months since my last post...I'm super lame, totally no excuses. BUT as of August 30th, I've been here over a year...WOWZA! Our original plan was to at least give it a year...well we surpassed our goal...YAY! I'm not gonna lie, it was a tough year...trying to adjust to a new place, new job is not an easy task but we did and it seems like everything is just falling into place now.
Wes is working and kicking butt, my industry is recovering from the worst crash since the Great Depression. Our cat is no longer howling 24/7 because he misses his bro. We are both making friends. I'm also in the MBA program at UH.
Living in Hawaii is definitely a treat but it is also one of the top 5 most expensive places to live in the United States. We have learned to be very creative with our budget. For example, milk at Foodland (local grocery store) is about $9/gallon!!! I'm a total moo juice lover so going dairy free is not an option. We shop at the big boxes: Costco and Sam's Club. Safeway is to supplement what we couldn't get at Costco or Sam's and only if it's on sale. Farmer's markets are abundant but you have to be careful because sometimes they tend to be more expensive! Chinatown has the best prices on produce hands down.
One thing that I have noticed and love is that people like to share here. If they have a papaya or mango tree, they'll bring you a big bag...free stuff is the best stuff. Gotta love a coconut milk and papaya smoothie. During the holidays, my clients bring TONS of gifts: sushi platters, gift cards, cookies, cakes, candy, Hawaiian popcorn, macadamia nuts, more macadamia nuts. Gotta love generosity!
At times during the last year we questioned whether we made the right decision but as we sit here on a Saturday morning, looking out at the ocean and a new adventure planned...we know we made the RIGHT decision.
Aloha
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