2 Years to The day......

.....since we got on a plane and left our home in Hawaii.  I will always remember the day that we said goodbye to Hawaii for many reasons. One of them is that we coincidentally left on 7.17.08.  Tim worked on the USS Olympia SSN-717 in Hawaii. Every time he saw the number 717 he cringed because it reminded him of the boat. So 717 was never a good number. 717 was both good and bad the day we left. We were finally getting away from that horrible command, but we were also leaving a place that we considered home.

The day we left was surreal. I almost didn't even believe it. I didn't really let myself "feel" any certain way about it. I think because if I did, I would probably lose it.
When we landed in Charleston I immediately felt like crying and vomiting at the same time. It was rainy and gloomy and stinky!!! Yes Charleston has a certain odor. It is the exact opposite of the sweet smell of the ocean and flowers in Hawaii. Charleston smelled like a dirty old shoe that walked through doggy doo-doo or something, but alas we were at out new place of residence.

At first I was optimistic for our new adventure. I was excited to see downtown and that there were still palm trees. We are still a 1/2 hour away from the beach but it is such a different beach..... the beach was flat and hard and the water was so dirty, BUT its the beach... which I was grateful for.

Over the next few months I became soooooo depressed. I usually have such an easy time making friends wherever I go, but I just did not fit in with people I encountered. I didn't really feel that connection with anyone I met. I didn't really feel a connection to anyone at church either which is so weird for me. I mean it's not that people were mean or that they didn't try, I just didn't feel like I could be myself around them. Like they just didn't get me.  I would say that I was up and down for the first year we were here. A few things that helped were school, the purchase of our first home, and getting started with Southeastern Fertility.

Although the past year has been hard for many reasons, I can say that I have been happier here. I have made some really great lifelong friends, I have improved a lot in my photography, and we have made some progress with our infertility.  I have a different appreciation for the south now. It makes me smile thinking of the funny quirky things that are a part of the culture here. Somehow this placed has wiggled it's way into a little corner of my heart. ;)





BUT I can't say that I don't miss my Hawaii Nei everyday. I miss the ocean, the palm trees, the sunsets, the beaches (all of them), the people, the culture, the language, the food, my friends, crazy tourists, Pcc, Laie, Kaneohe 4th ward, and I think I could go on and on and on.
Hawaii will always be my home. Hawaii will always be my heart.
I found my confidence there. I found my husband there. I found my spirituality there, I found my soul there.



I don't think that will ever change, but I know that we probably won't be able to live there again, and I know we will have new adventures where ever we go.
BUT today I have to say here's to you my Hawaii Nei, you will always be my home.