FINALLY.... a blog to share what's going down in Hawai'i!!

It's come to my attention by several people that I have not been sending pictures home or keeping people up-to-date about my situation. Considering I've been in Hawai'i for almost three months and there's been barely any pictures and updates, I'm going to try this blog thing to keep everyone in the loop!

Let's see where to begin... I've been on the Big Island of Hawai'i since the beginning of August. I'm on the Hilo side to be exact, which is the much rainier side of the island averaging almost 150 inches of rain a year! I came only after a week and a half of getting the position - it was pretty much a "just do it" situation. I didn't have much time to plan or think twice about it. I packed what I could into a few suitcases and I was off. I guess I figured if I had a job the rest would fall into place soon enough... I can officially say that just about everything has fallen into place - I've got a decent place to stay, a decent vehicle, and I am living in an amazing location!! So many people here have asked "What made you move to Hawai'i?" I have no real reason other than I got an offer, figured why not, and jumped on the opportunity. I am so glad I did - it's actually one of the best decisions I have ever made! I have absolutely no regrets for coming out here - and I have had an incredible few months!

As for my job - I've been teaching at a school called Mt. View Elementary. When the clouds aren't covering, there's a pretty decent view of the mountains. I should also mention that the school sits on the slope of Kilauea, the longest active, continuously erupting volcano. Now, I may be making it sound a bit more exotic than it really is. In reality, there's just about no chance that the lava would actually ever touch the school itself... but it's still pretty cool to say that I teach on the slopes of an active volcano. How many people do you know that can say that?? The school that I'm teaching at is so different from any school I've been to before! All of the hallways are all outdoors and there's separate buildings scattered throughout campus. I feel like I'm teaching "outside" and I love it! My class itself is a group of 11 students (we've already had two move from the beginning of the year). It's a special ed combination class of 2nd and 3rd grade... As most people on campus usually say, I've got a pretty "gnarly" bunch of students... Most of them can be sweet and loving, but they also are what Hawaiians call "Kolohe" or mischievious... We're working on getting it together, though!

As for Hawai'i itself, it is beautiful here! The weather is incredible - with a high averaging about 80 and a low averaging about 65 how can you go wrong? It usually stays right in between those temps! I guess that's one thing I don't miss about Pittsburgh, going from 30-degree weather in the a.m to 80-degrees by afternoon! We're headed into Hawai'i's version of winter pretty soon here, but it's more commonly known as the "rainy season." So when it's cold and snowy where you are, don't be too depressed because I'll be sitting out here in the rain... And don't be too sad about me missing out on the snow, either - Mauna Kea, a mountain that rises 14,000 feet in the air does claim some snow in the winter time so I can get my "fix" if need be. As you can see, Hawaii truly has everything - volcanoes, mountains, waterfalls, the ocean, desert, and even snow - basically anything and everything you could possibly need. It seems a little far away from the rest of the world, though, considering it's about 2,300 miles from the mainland. I think it's one of the most isolated group of islands in the world. It seems pretty crazy, too that you can get around the whole island in about five hours - no more serious road trips for me!

As for everything else, I'm settling in well and adjusting. I may be enjoying Hawaiian food just a little too much (it's just SO good how can I resist??). I am truly loving the islands!! Don't worry, I have not been working on my tan too much, so I'm not turning into a Hawaiian goddess or anything. As one of my local friend's said, I am "haupia-colored" or the color of the white of a coconut. Maybe I'll have to fix that situation a bit and get out into the sunshine a little more! It's a little sad when your sister whose living in Pittsburgh may have a much better tan than her sister whose living in Hawai'i... I guess I need to take those "mental health" days off school or something and head to the beach....

I'll try to post regularly - but I do get pretty busy with school. Being a first year teacher is tough work! And since I'm working hard to keep all of you posted - don't forget to keep me updated on things, too!! Aloha!!