Mele Kalikimaka

I feel bad for not posting in so long. I've been soaking up the wonderful month of December. Last week I returned back to Washington after living in Hawaii for almost six months. Before I left the island of Oahu, I tried to take in every ounce of beauty that surrounded me. I can still picture the mysterious green mountains and the soft sand that meets the blue vibrant waves of the ocean. I was excited about transferring to BYU-Idaho until I realized how much Hawaii had become my home. While I was in Hawaii I learned a lot about myself and who I want to become. I also learned that I have so many options in front of me, the hardest part is just choosing the right one. I'm always looking forward and making new goals for myself, but for the first time I'm having trouble envisioning what school in Idaho will be like.

I'm a little scared. 

I keep thinking about how I wish I could return to my new found home in Hawaii. It's funny because back in September all I could think about is how I couldn't wait to go somewhere new. 

I try my hardest to not take things for granted, but somehow I did. 

My last couple weeks in Hawaii were the best of all. I knew I was leaving soon, so I made sure to spend time with people I cared about. I paid extra attention to the beauty around me. I let my senses take control so I could easily tap into the memories of the wind blowing through my hair, or the sound of crashing waves, or the feeling of sand between my toes. 

I'm not sure why transferring to Idaho was the answer to my prayers, but I'm going to make the best of it. I almost feel like every emotion has been put into a blender, mixed on high, and poured into my heart. Happy, sad, excited, scared, confused, confident, indifferent, motivated, deranged. 

It's all about attitude though. I can continue to look forward and enjoy this card that has been dealt to me, or I could live in the past and wish away. The power to choose is something I'm extremely grateful for and I hope I can choose to make the best of whatever situation comes my way. 

Relating back to the beauty of Hawaii, obviously Hawaii is a gorgeous place, but you can find beauty everywhere you go as long as you open your eyes. The morning I flew into Seattle was beyond beautiful. The sky was tickled with pink clouds, while the skyscrapers of Seattle were peeking out behind walls of mystifying fog. The drive to Sequim was gorgeous. 

I made sure to notice the tall evergreens and majestic mountains. 

If you look close enough, everything is beautiful. 

It doesn't have to be towering trees or rippling cool waters. Beauty can be found in your everyday life. I look at my mom and her accomplishments of raising a crazy family and see beauty. I look at the chaos my little nephew creates and I see beauty. I see my brother's love for his wife and I see beauty. I see the living room made into a mess by toys and see a day well enjoyed. I see chicken noodle soup spilt all over the floor (my fault...) and laugh because well, it was just dumb to put soup in a packed freezer and not expect the bowl to fall out. Choose to see the beauty around you. Especially during this special holiday season where evenings are filled with laughter, silly accidents happen, songs are sung, traffic gets unbearable, and love is expressed. Learn to love your crazy beautiful life.

 I've certainly learned to love mine. 

P.S. Mele Kalikimaka from me and Ethan!