Fresh Perspectives

The Na Pali Coast.  Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular sites I have EVER seen.  This stretch of coastline along Northwest Kauai is absolutely stunning, and I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with it on a catamaran tour over Thanksgiving break.

The boat cruise left around 9 am Saturday morning with about 30 passengers and 4 crew members.  We began the event Hawaiian style by taking off our shoes!  No one was allowed on board unless they were bare-footed.  As soon as we got out into the ocean, past the breaking walls of Port Allen, we were surrounded by scores of dolphins.  They came right up to our boat and showed off by jumping and splashing.  This puzzled me at first, but then I figured that dolphins are like dogs, but instead of chasing cars...they chase boats.

Anyway, after cruising for a bit, we stopped at a great snorkling spot, filled with fish and even a few honu (sea turtles).  After that, the crew set out breakfast, fresh fruit and cinnamon buns.  A good combination in my book!  Then we turned towards the Na Pali, the NW coast of Kauai, as I mentioned earlier.  Appropriately named since Na Pali means 'The Cliffs', this 17 mile stretch of land has massive moutains rising up thousands of feet from the ocean and narrow valleys in between.  It is thought to be one of (if not THE) most beautiful coastlines in the world.  Movies like Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and King Kong were filmed here.

After witnessing this spectacular site, we began to head back.  I was still in total awe of Planet Earth, but managed to chow down on the lunch provided by the crew - sandwiches, fruit, chips, and cookies.  During the ride back to port, our captain entertained us with some classic 'sing-a-longs' including 'Friends in Low Places', 'Brown Eyed Girl', and 'Cheeseburger in Paradise'. 

When the catamaran was docked, we thanked the crew graciously and headed back to the hotel.  Even though the boat ride was only a mere 5 or 6 hours, I definitely got a days worth of rockin' out of it.  Laying in bed that night, I reminisced on my awesome experience all the while still swaying back and forth over the ocean swells.

Until next time...Aloha!  

The Na Pali Coast....I took this from the boat!

Posted by Kendall at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, my Thanksgiving weekend was quite unusual.  No family, no cool weather.  I spent the holiday this year on Kauai, another one of the islands in the Hawaiian chain. 

Anyway, back to the point.  Kauai!  For Thanksgiving!  I was invited by another NSEer (National Student Exchange) named Kate.  She’s from Montana, and the only Montanan I’ve ever met.  Now, I will admit, I had a few preconceived notions of Montana…mostly of fly-fishing and boredom thanks to the Brad Pitt movie, A River Runs Through It.  Then when she told me her father ran a copper mine, I thought, “Yep…boredom, for sure.”  But, after spending time with Kate and hearing all about the great state of Montana, my opinion was quickly changed and I was so excited when she invited Ashleigh, my roommate, and I to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with her family, vacationing on Kauai. 

I flew into Lihue, Kauai Wednesday afternoon and met up with the other girls (who had been there since Monday) at the Marriot Resort.  I immediately felt like a princess!  This place was a bit out of my league, being the small town girl that I am, but hey, it’s okay to get wined and dined every now and then, right?!  The entire long weekend was perfect – we had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel, went kayaking along the Wailua River and hiked to a secret waterfall.  We took a boat cruise along the Na Pali coastline and watched dolphins gallivanting beside us in the deep blue sea.  Some of the best times, however, were spent sharing stories with Kate’s family around the table or by the pool.  It just goes to show how much families mean in life, whether they’re yours or not.  So, even though I was far FAR from mine this Thanksgiving, I’m so grateful for Kate and the whole crew from Montana who allowed me to share the holiday with them!

Until next time…Aloha!

Kate, Ashleigh, and Me

Posted by Kendall at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Missing Holiday:  $100 Reward for Finding Thanksgiving.

Obviously the above is a joke, but really, it's hard to get down to the true meaning of this week's holiday when Christmas has already taken over our lives (No offense, Christmas!).  I'm guilty of it too, though.  I've already begun planning (and stressing) about Christmas gifts for friends and family.  I had to refrain from renting "It's a Wonderful Life" at the BlockBuster.  And my roomate and I already have a miniature Christmas tree sitting on top of our kitchen table.

Even when we do think of Thanksgiving, it's hardly with the right attitude.  We either look forward to all the yummy food we're about to eat or worry about the number of calories we will consume this year.  Rarely do we truly give thanks for our MANY blessings.  (Which is why this week's posts will be dedicated to exactly that.)  Here's a few items from my 'I'm Thankful For' list of 2007.

I, Kendall, am thankful for:

• my mom and dad, who have loved and supported me throughout my 19 years
• my big brother, who loves me in his own special way (even if it's shown with a little teasing) 
• my extended family, who I am lucky to be very close to
• my friends, who never fail to make me smile
• my country, and the freedom I often take for granted

To be continued....but in the meantime, start making your own 'I'm Thankful For' list.  You'll begin to realize just how lucky you really are.

Until next time....Aloha!

Posted by Kendall at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This past Monday was Veteran’s Day, as most of you know, and that meant NO CLASSES for UHH students.  Now, at USC, I might have taken the day off to catch up on rest or homework, but not in Hawaii! Too much to do…too much to see.

Two car loads of some of my closest friends took it to the West side for a full day of beachin’!  We left Hilo at around 9 am and got to Beach 69 (creatively named for being off mile marker 69 on Highway 19) at 11.  We spent the day on the gorgeous white sand beach (I have to differentiate because there are also black and green sand beaches on the island.) soaking up some sun, playing beach volleyball, kayaking, and snorkeling.

By 5, we were all starving, so we went to CostCo in Kona for dinner.  Now, some of you are probably wondering, “Isn’t CostCo the huge warehouse store for bulk buying?”  Yeah, it is, but when you’re on a college budget and you have a big group of kids, a large pizza for $9.99 isn’t a bad deal.  (Plus, while we waited, we got free samples of smoothies, lattes, and soups from a lady trying to sell a ‘Vita-mix’ – some fancy shmancy blender.)

We got the pizza and hopped back in the car to drive 5 minutes to the coast.  We all ran to the beach, formed a circle around the box of pizza in the sand, and chowed down, watching the sunset at dusk.  And let me tell you, there’s nothing in this world quite like warm pizza, close friends, and a Hawaiian sunset.  It was definitely another of those, “Wow…life is good” moments!

So, needless to say, my day off was well spent. (A special thanks to all US Veterans too.  And not just for allowing us a day off from school, either. I know some of you were thinking that!)

Until next time…Aloha!

Posted by Kendall at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s official.  I’ve been away from South Carolina for 3 months now, and the homesick blues are just beginning to settle in.  Now let’s get this straightened out. When I say homesick I don’t mean I go around constantly weeping, “I wanna go home.”  Although, I will admit I shed a tear (or 100) the day my mom and granddad left.  It’s okay, big girls DO cry every once in a while.  Homesickness is usually something much subtler though.

Every now and then, I find myself longing to be with family and friends from home.  I look at the lush greenery around Hilo, and miss the deep reds, oranges, and yellows of the autumn leaves this time of year in SC.  Another thing I never thought I’d miss - cool weather.  Yes, I love rolling out of bed and going to class in shorts and tank tops everyday, but ya know, I don’t think I’d mind having to wear a winter coat on those chilly November nights.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Hawaii and appreciate its beauty, but I’m definitely gunna have to agree with Miss Dorothy in that “There’s no place like home!”

Now for the good part!  Since I do have another month before Christmas break, when I’m reunited with friends and family, I’ve developed a little remedy for this homesickness of mine.  Whenever I feel that gloomy feeling coming on, all I do is close my eyes, dream of home, and as easy as that, I’m “up and gone to Carolina in my mind.” (Lyrics by James Taylor).  So, you see, with a little imagination I can be strolling through the Horseshoe on campus, enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with family, or shopping in Five Points with the girls.

And if that doesn’t work, I just ask myself:  What better place to be homesick in than Hawaii, eh?

Until next time…Aloha!

Posted by Kendall at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I know, I know….Halloween was LAST week.  But it’s really just ended for me…on account of it taking a whole 7 days to finish all the candy I got!  I don’t know what it was, but for some reason I was more into the “Spooky Spirit” this year than the past two or three combined!

It all began in Public Speaking class when my teacher assigned a Demonstration Speech the week before Halloween.  I was searching and searching for the perfect topic.  How to:  bake a cake.  No….too common and I’m a horrible baker.  How to:  dress for an interview.  Boooor-ing.  How to:  change the oil in a car.  I would have no idea where to begin.  And then BAM, I got it!  How to:  carve a Jack O’Lantern.  Fun for all ages and certainly fitting with the season.

So, as I dove in to the research stage of this speech, I started to get more and more interested about the background of Halloween.  I found out some pretty neat things!  To make a long story short:  Halloween dates back to the Celtic festival Samhain, which celebrated the end of the harvest and beginning of a new year.  However, the Pope later changed November 1^st to All Saint’s or All Hallow’s Day because he didn’t approve of the pagan holiday.  That makes October 31^st All Hallow’s Eve which is where we get the term Halloween!

Now that’s not all I discovered.  I also found out Jack O’Lantern comes from Irish folk tales of a farmer named Stingy Jack who, according to the legends, made a series of deals with the devil.  When he wasn’t let into either heaven or hell, he complained he wouldn’t be able to see while he roamed the earth.  So, the devil tossed him a burning ember which he put into a carved out turnip, making a lantern.  (The idea of carving pumpkins didn’t come about until later, since the fruit…yes, fruit…is native to the Americas.)

Pretty interesting, eh?  Next year, you can amaze your friends with these few Fun Facts about Halloween.  Anyway, preparing for the speech definitely got me into the Halloween mood.  Next, it was time to find just the right costume to wear to the Halloween party my friends were having.  After much shared frustration, two of my friends and I still had no costume ideas, so we thought, “What if we did something together?”  And BAM again, a light bulb went off in Rachel’s head (after seeing a box of s’more pop-tarts I might add) that we should all be an ingredient of a s’more.  She was the marshmallow, I was the Hershey bar, and Cassidy was the graham cracker.  It worked out perfectly and we were a big hit!

The night of the Halloween party was a blast.  We carved a few pumpkins, decorated my friend’s house, ate lots of food, played games, and just relaxed!  Now, I’m finally Halloweened out and ready to move on to Thanksgiving!  Turkey Day….here I come!

Posted by Kendall at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let’s backtrack a little bit to this summer.  I had just finished my first year of college and had moved back home under the dreaded "parental supervision".  I was working nearly 40 hours a week at a job I despised.  I had already finalized my plans for moving out here to Hawaii.  So – needless to say, I was READY to go when August 12^th came around.

But after being away from family and friends for two and a half months, I got the ‘I gotta get away’ bug outta my system!  I was so excited when I found out my mom and granddad would be coming to visit me the last week in October.  With a month to go before they arrived, I started a countdown in my agenda, anxiously awaiting the hour their flight got in.

Finally…October 25^th arrived!  Their ETA was around 5:00.  I got out of class at 2:00.  I went home and would’ve gone crazy counting down the 180 minutes, so I decided to walk the 3 miles to the airport…in the rain, I might add.  (I was smilin’ the whole time though!)  I can’t describe the feeling I felt when I first made eye contact with my mom in the Hilo Airport!  We ran and hugged each other.  It was SO good to see family again.

My mom and Pa-Pa (as I call him) stayed in a Hotel close to downtown and just so I could spend every second of their visit with them…I pushed my way in too!  (It was nice to get away from the apartment for a few days.) We did the normal touristy things:  went to the mountain, volcano, Kona side, Coconut Island, etc.  They enjoyed it all, I think.  But aside from that, I also got to show them a closer glimpse of my life in Hawaii.  One day, while I was in class, they explored the UHH campus.  They went to church with me, and I took them to the market to see where I get all my fresh fruits and veggies.

Mom and Pops, as expected, never quite got used to the time change, so we woke up before the sun rose every day.  I didn’t mind a bit.  Some of the best times we shared during their time here were in the early morning hours sitting on the porch, chatting and catching up, or playing cards and laughing together.

Now I am refreshed for the last month and a half of the semester.  I can't believe how fast it's flying by.  I am so thankful for my mom and grandad's visit (even though I will admit it has made me a bit homesick).  No worries, though! Only 40 more days until I'm reunited with family and friends for Christmas Break! 

Me with My Momma and Pa-Pa at Waipio Valley

Posted by Kendall at 08:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)