Best Summer Ever Part Four of Four: The Month of August

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Pandora current song: Fire and Rain by Mat Kearney

Out at the beach in front of our condo.

The last hoorah. Two weeks left until I had to go back to Nebraska. The first week of August was consumed with work, helping mom in the yard, more running and reflecting on what I wanted to do with my life.

A great addition to my summer was spent with an “Amazon-bound” friend, Brett

Standing by the beach!

Buckingham. I hadn’t seen him either since high school so we dined on sushi and chatted for hours. I didn’t realize how much we had in common!

Aloha Kauai! Mom, Dad, Ashley and I all went to Kauai for a week of fun in the sun and hopefully only minimal Kauai rain. Kauai is home to the wettest location in the world, so consequently, the surrounding areas also get quite a load of rain per year. We stayed at a timeshare condo in Kapaa, east Kauai, on the beach front with a 5-mile boardwalk. Of course with our luck, Kauai was in the middle of their rainiest summer season in years. Go figure. However, we still saw the pristine beaches, bountiful vegetation, ate great food, and visited Kauai’s hidden gems.

Trying to climb the tree.

The first night in Kauai, we ended up eating Chinese food since it was so late and nothing else was open. Who goes on vacation to Hawaii of all places and eats regular ol’ Chinese food? We had a good laugh over that one for sure. The first real dinner we had was at Scotty’s BBQ in Kapaa. They have AWESOME BBQ, but I stuck to my fish. While we had dinner, we watched a bunch of people try to climb a crocked tree with minimal success. I thought they were just awful tree climbers. Of course I had to try, so we went down there and I tried it. I didn’t get very far as I quickly realized why it was so difficult to climb. There had been so many people

Laughing so hard I cried!

who’d done it before that the tree bark was smooth with minimal gripping. With a dress on, I decided to stop before I embarrassed myself. I planned on coming back to conquer it, but we never did. Mom decided it was a good opportunity

Trying to make Dad jealous of our mustaches since he
shaved his off for the week! 

for pictures in the dark next to the beach. She had asked us to turn toward the beach so we naturally turned away from her. We knew what she meant, but we decided to listen to her request. She had wanted us to turn towards her with the beach behind us. Well, that struck a funny chord, and Ash and I went off the deep end of laugh attacks. We just couldn’t stop laughing and

I ate SO much at Dukes I looked preggers!
I could be a cute mom down the road ;)

doing the most random things. Definitely a great night!

Our favorite lunch and dinner spot was Dukes at Kalapaki Beach in Nawiliwili. I took many crazy-faced pictures and enjoyed every minute of it. The first night we went to Dukes, Dad and I had two loaded drinks so I was certainly feeling good. Granted, I can be a huge goof ball no matter what, but that night, we walked down the hotel path at Nawiliwili Beach and I found every reason to take a goofy picture. It was a great night o’ fun! Later in the week, I was told to knock it off with all my ridiculous faces, but that only lasted an hour. :) To me, sure, nice pictures are great, but they get repetitive and boring. If I wanted an album of

Crazy faces!

pictures with the same smile, but different background, I’d go to a room with a green screen. I ran almost every morning along the beaches watching the sun rise and listening to the ocean waves slam against the rocks or sand. Are you jealous yet? (My Kauai pictures from my phone)

Ashley and I!  I almost thought about
climbing on top, but then I didn't. 

MEOW! Posing by the statues on the hotel path in Nawiliwili.

One of my favorite moments was the Smith’s Family Luau. They had 30 acres of exquisite landscapes and endless amounts of wildlife, including the ever popular domestic chicken. The owners said if you could catch one, you could take one home as a gift. Too bad no one tried. I think that would have been hilarious to watch! The tropical oasis also consisted of numerous fruits and colorful flowers. One can’t go hungry as the dinner is the heart of the experience. Actually, I think I was full of mahi-mahi up to my heart and beyond. I was rocking the full belly for sure. Endless Mai Tais helped fill in the gaps as I slammed over 10 of them. I had been thirsty before hand and just used Mai Tais to quench my thirst. Later, we watched the Hawaiian traditional dances and chants passed down from their ancestors. It was such a well put together show that ended with a bang! Literally. 

Dad and I waiting for the luau to start.

My favorite beach that we snorkeled was Tunnels beach by far. It was like swimming in an aquarium! We saw turtles, eels, and every possible fish you could imagine and lots of them. Many fish found in Hawaii aren’t found anywhere else in the world due to its seclusion from predator fish found closer to the mainlands. It was awesome! My least favorite snorkeling beach was Anini Beach due to the wind and waves, so when we were there, I soaked up the Hawaiian rays.

Anini Beach

Out at the beach! Yay!

We also went to a hidden beach off the beaten path. OMG The road was RIDICULOUS! We had just a dinky little Nissan, when what we really needed was a tanker. The potholes were the size of sedans and the road was as long as the Great Wall of China. Finally, after bruises on our shoulders and heads from banging against the side of our car, we reached our destination.

On the rocks at the secret beach. Funny part is if you
look at our hands, we have the same funky finger. LoL

Ashley had been sun burned and didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the sun, so she sat on a bench while Mom, Dad and I explored. To the left of the sandy beach was a huge rock formation, aka the island, that extended out over the ocean. We walked along the rock and looked down to deep, crystal clear, blue and green, angry waters with large crashing waves. I wanted

I was a bit windy!

to be gutsy and stand on the edge, but I didn’t want to get wet. I had minimal time during pictures, so I think Mom got me once right after a wave soaked me. Facial expression: priceless. I hungover the edge to see how far down some ledges were too. My Dad about died because he cannot handle heights. When he saw me look over the edge, he just turned and walked away because it made him nervous just watching me! There was also a fascinating channel where the island seemed to split in two. I was bummed I didn’t have my camera as I gazed down into the crevice. Then, Mom and Dad started yelling at me. OMG I’m not going to die. Just looking at the pretty water. HA Well, once I looked, I was only standing on what looked like a huge clay overhang with intense waves crashing against it and underneath it. It was a death sentence waiting to happen. Whoops. For once, Mom and Dad were right. BUT I didn’t let them know it. Brush it off. I’m alive.

Leaning over the edge at least 40ft high.

Mom and Dad found a place where the water went way under the rock where we could hear the waves crash against the wall some 10 yards inland. It was neat to hear the water, but not see it. However, the thought of the water rushing underneath us was daunting. Just think. You never know the stability of the ground you’re walking on at that point. Hmm Metaphorical to life. Anyway, we had a great time walking around! (Other pictures of Kauai)

At an ancient Hawaiian village.

We also went on a bike ride down the path near the beach we stayed at. I had ran it a few times already so I knew what I was going to see, but I had never stopped to enjoy it. We went to another new beach along the way and watched the waves. I stood in the water for a while and played in the waves, while Mom took pictures, Dad sat on the beach, and Ashley sat on a board she found near 

It was calming to just stand in the
waves and let them crash into me.

the beach. We also found a dock to walk out on over the waves and had a family session of crazy faces. On our way back, it started to rain. No, wait. Let me rephrase. It was like we were in a time capsule that someone turned over, and instead of sand pouring all around us, water was threatening to soak us to the bone. Luckily there was a hut a little ways down the path and I started booking it. I don’t think I ever biked so quickly in my life. I made it just in time. However, 

Kissy kissy! Mom and I on the pier!

my Mom chose to use it as a good time to drop her camera case. Even though she was maybe 60 seconds behind us, she looked as though the time capsule had already drained its contents all over her. Poor Mom. We met a girl maybe my age who was from London in Kauai for a solo trip around the Hawaiian islands. We talked to her while the rain came down all around us, but then she went on her merry way after the rain stopped. Mom and Dad thought her parents were crazy for letting her travel so far away from home alone, and I thought, “Uhh, get ready because I’m next!”

Standing in front of the lighthouse.

We also went out to the light house on the island which has been transformed into a wildlife sanctuary. The rain from the morning stuck around so we had to strategically look out around the lighthouse when it wasn’t pouring 

That's my island!

outside. We had fun looking at the huge birds and reading about the light house’s history. There was a small little island out from the main island. I joked I’d someday own my own island like that. Then I proceeded to claim it as mine for future ownership status. Good times.

My horse was thirsty probably
because he took a ridiculous
amount of potty breaks!

Ashley and I took an afternoon to ride horses around a ranch. The ranch was beautiful and our guide was full of knowledge. My horse was at the bottom of the food chain so I was always in the back. I took lots of pictures of the back of Ashley’s horse and the rest of the landscapes. Ashley had a little trouble keeping her horse from eating the grass when she took pictures as he seemed to know exactly when she wasn’t paying attention. She ended up not taking many pictures. :) 

On the last full day, we went back to Tunnels Beach and saw a pod of dolphins! I wanted to swim out to them SO badly!! When we went snorkeling, we could hear the dolphins talking! I tried to find them while I was swimming around, but couldn’t.

I loved the vegetation and geckos!

We went to Dukes for the last time and had another mouthwatering meal. I think I ate a whole pineapple from the salad bar, along with my random assortment of salad items. We had a wonderful dinner talking and reminiscing about the week. Something I do when I’m done with my plate is stack everyone else’s plates so the waiter doesn’t have to reach over people. Ashley and I seemed to pick that up somewhere because we did it once at a PF Chengs not really thinking anything of it. I had wanted to bring a shooter desert home to my little brother, Ehven, since he wasn’t able to come out to dinner with us. Apparently, that was against the rules. After we stacked the plates, we ended up walking out with a lunch bag, shot glass with the shooter desert, metal spoon, and our waiter’s number on a napkin. LOL Anyway, Ash and I told our parents about the story as I stacked the plates. Our waiter this time was so impressed, but 

My free Hula Pie I shared
with Mom!

A great night of funny faces. Yep, Ashley
posed behind me with a knife and this
was when I realized it. LoL 

wondered what was wrong with us! I guess most people don’t stop to think of others very often. Five minutes later, we had a Hula Pie sitting on our table free of charge for helping make his life easier. It was awesome! We sat and laughed about that for quite awhile. By the way, Hula Pie is a massive amount of ice cream on top of a cookie with chocolate and other yummy things. Mmm I’m craving one now just thinking about it! So, moral of the story, if you stack your plates for your waiter, you may get free desert!! But then again, you aren’t my sister and me, so it may not work as well for you. ;)

There were equipment signs
along the beach and Ash
helped me pose for them :)

My dad had a bet with me that he wouldn’t get mad because he’d be with his home boys, his bros, his people. I knew better. Actually, he probably would have been OK if he hadn’t burned himself on the first day at the beach. I had built up my tolerance to the sun so I didn’t worry about sunscreen. Dad thought he would be tough and do the same, except his torso was ghost white. Needless to say, he roasted like a peanut and was miserable the whole rest of the week.

Your mission, should you
choose to accept, is to find
the white bandit! A bit
difficult since Ash was tan
for once! haha

Most of the time, that was thrown at us too, which irked me so I’d throw it right back. I should have won $100 one hundred times over, but I think they called it a wash. I still win because the bet was that Dad wouldn’t get mad :)

I was a bit bummed because my short list of to dos weren’t checked off. No hiking, kayaking, or visiting my college friend, Jerrick Fabro. That’s probably why I was a bit edgy with my Dad. Too bad we didn’t have multiple vehicles so I could adventure around. Man, I definitely became an adventure whore this summer and just couldn’t get enough of it. I’d wake up early and run every morning ready to go. But I’d come back and bum around for a while, or we’d get back after the day and bum around some more. That frustrated the heck out of me. I didn’t go to Hawaii to sit around, but I also don’t have patience sitting around wasting time to begin with. I’m sure my parents didn’t mind the lack of plans and taking it easy, but I certainly didn’t get that trait from them. I guess though if I had my own car, I probably would have just made my own vacation alone, and I do enough alone as it is to last me a lifetime.

Footprints in the sand. How beautiful, huh?

One night, I just left to walk around Kapaa because I was not about to sit around another minute. I found an awesome sushi place, ordered out, and took it to the beach. I met a guy with dreads on the beach walking his dog. He asked me about my birthday sign and we had a whole long conversation about our signs. LoL When I said I had to leave, he told me about a reggae concert he was going to. Granted, I wouldn’t have gone because I was interested in him. No way. But the concert sounded interesting as I’d never been to a reggae concert before. I ended up not going because I was trying to get back in to the Central Time Zone mode of life. Hawaii was five hours different so I was already going to have a hard time adjusting. Excuses. They stink.

Unfortunately, Kauai had to come to an end. We had to be at the airport at the crack of dawn and there wasn’t enough coffee to be consumed to wake us up. While we waited, Mom and Ashley went to the airport shops and came back with the best present yet. The got me a child’s sized coconut bra mocking me for the lack of ... well you get the picture. I put them up to me and they would have worked perfectly. We were laughing so hard we cried!

It was 95 degrees in Seattle when we landed. I think it was the first time EVER that I flew home from a trip and the weather was hotter in Washington.

Flying home was bitter sweet. I knew I had 24 hours to pack my car and leave for Nebraska, which meant goodbye to my family, my awesome summer, and my adventure. I waited until the very last second to pack because I just didn’t want to leave or return to Nebraska. It took a lifetime to strategically pack because my new car doesn’t have as much space as my old one. I was so proud of myself for getting everything in it including all the stuff I bought over the summer.

It was a long drive back to Nebraska. I was so upset and frustrated for many reasons. I didn’t get to finish the projects I started with my parents. Sure to most people, they wouldn’t care, but I really wanted to be there to help as much as I could while I was home. I didn’t get to see my kiddo cousin, Hailey. Now that one really got me. I had seen everyone else except for Hailey. I had every intention to see her show her horse, spend time camping with her, or anything else just to see her, but schedules prevented it.

On my trek back to Nebraska.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be involved in your family’s lives. Growing up, I had a set of grandparents that never missed a concert, a sporting event, 4-H and FFA competitions, or high school graduation. I didn’t realize how much it meant to me when my other grandparents refused to show up at my graduation, when they’d travel the state to watch any of my other cousins’ baseball games. I was so hurt that I never want my younger cousins to feel the same way. I want them to know I cherish them and care about them. I don’t love them any more or any less than my aunts and uncles, but while kids grow up, you only get one chance to show up or not.

I had other things boiling in my mind too. What’s going to happen with the projects in Nebraska? When would our new building start? Will George be around more often? Would the flow of work at our residence hall be smoother than last year? What’s my status and job description at NCTA? Would I be full time or not? Would I get paid fairly?

But the biggest question, was why had I not heard back from the job I had been craving since I had visited Pullman. The perfect job as a recruiter and alumni events coordinator. I wanted out of Nebraska so badly. This new job paid twice what I make in Nebraska. I’d be around people my age a whole lot more often. I’d have a goal to accomplish. I’d be working with people from my alma mater so my enthusiasm would be through the roof. Why hadn’t they called? I was perfect for the job. I guess God has a plan, but it’s really tough to just believe that sometimes.

I drove into Curtis around 1AM and went into hysterics. It was a true low point for sure. After my 5 minute pity party, it was time to suck it up and get ready to train RAs.

After over 6,500 miles on my new car, that concludes my summer. It was a sad goodbye. I’m already missing every moment of it, but it was such a blessing to be able to scrunch everything I did into a three month time frame.

Live boldly challenging status quo!

Pandora current song: Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers

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