Hawaiian Treasures

I was talking to my pops the other day and he asked where I was going. "Kaneohe" I replied. "I don't speak that Hawaiian stuff" my dad told me. So this is for you dad. A short list of my favorite places, complete with pictures!

Kaneohe- a town on the windward side (the East side) of the island and quickly becoming one of my favorite places. My dad would know it because there is a Walgreens there... something from the Mainland that he can associate with! The drive alone is worth the trip. H3 takes you through the lush green mountains and then literally through the mountain in a mile-long tunnel. When you come out of the tunnel, you drive over a super long bridge that offers awesome views... but only if you are the passenger! It's pretty high up and scares the molasses out of Kyle. The town itself is still relatively unexplored by the Schneiders but I can tell you that there is a mall there. Nuff said. Also, it is the home of Kaneohe Bay, one of the friendliest beaches for novice swimmers and children. These are the beaches we look for! haha.

Kapolei- A leeward town (on the west side of the island) the only thing you need to know about this town is that Target is scheduled to open in March 2009. Happy Birthday to me! It's all that a girl could ever want.

Kahala- A burb of Honolulu. One of our favorite restaurants in Louisville was California Pizza Kitchen. Lame. I know. But I looooooove the Tuscan Hummus. Kahala mall (yes another mall) is the home of our new local CPK and that scores it a nod as a Schneider Hawaiian Treasure.

Pearl Harbor- The central/southern part of the island and quite frankly if you don't know where Pearl Harbor is then you don't get to read any further. Come back when you have historized yourself. If you do know, this is where we spend most of our time. Within two miles, it is the closest to where we live. The mall is decent for not being downtown, complete with a monorail that travels between the two sections of the mall. It is the home of our favorite Italian restaurant, our new favorite store Home Depot, and Walmart. I hate Walmart but its that or Kmart... not so many options out here. :(

Tripler- Home. This picture is actually mildly close to what the view is like from our windows but our view is better. Mmmmwwaaaahhh aaaah ahh.

Waimanalo Bay- If you've seen our Facebook pictures, then this beach should look familiar. Currently, this is our swimming beach.

Hanauma Bay- Sea creatures galore. I hear this is the best snorkeling beach in the state. We haven't been there yet but the people we have talked to that have love it so much that we have to add it as a treasure.

That's it folks! More to come!!

Why is my husband so awesome?

This isn't about Hawaii so if you are looking for a tale of how I learned to wakeboard (come to find out, the ocean scares me a little), give it a month or so and I'm sure I will write about it. This is about how I managed to find the most wonderful man on the planet who just so happens to think that my sometimes grumpy ways are the most adorable thing he has ever seen. I used to look at him smiling at me when I was being especially difficult and think, what did I do to deserve him? Here is an excertp of a recent happening to prove to you that he is the most patient man in the world...

Scene: We just picked up our rental car in Hawaii. Its our first day here and all we have is the gps doo dad on my phone and some crappy rental car map of the island. I'm already grumpy because I managed to pick the one car rental company that IS NOT located at the airport (even though it SAYS that it is) and I've just walked all over in 85 degree weather in a sweater and jeans only to discover I had to get on a bus and leave Kyle with our 15 bags. So we are in the car, a dangerous place to begin with and if you've ever taken a drive with me, you know what I am talking about. Little to no patience behind the wheel. Anyway, we are driving and it's rush hour. Six lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper. Traffic is no joke here.

Me: Where do we have to turn next?

K: The GPS said to turn onto Kapeowawa St

Me: Ok.

Drive, drive, drive. No Kapeowawa. We get frustrated and decide to turn around. As we do, I notice that the street we were just on was Kapeohaha. So I turn to my hubby and say,

Me: any freaking chance that Kapeowawa could be Kapeohaha?

K: Oh yeah. Well the GPS (a computer voice that can't pronounce Main St) sounded like Kapeowawa. Sorry.

Me: ..................................................................... (I tried to count to ten here)............... ^%%$####$%^@@##$%$%##$%^&*()(*&^%$#@#$%^&^%$#@!#$%^& *&^%$#@!#$%^&*(*&^%$#

It may seem like a harsh reaction had it been the first time it had happened... but it wasn't, it was the fifth. So after I finished my exploration of modern day curse words, there are quite a few in case you were wondering, and I'm now sweating from the sheer exertion I had put into my tirade, I look over at my wonderfully calm husband and he's smiling at me. "You're cute when you get all mad like that" he says. "Turn right onto blah blah blah....". Without missing a beat. Without getting bent out of shape. Without any hint of annoyance. He is always doing that. When I get upset, he just stays calm and collected. People always call their significant others their "better halves" and I just always thought it was a saying but that day I came to realize that to me, Kyle is my better half. He is all of the things that I wish I could be. Patient, kind, unquestioningly friendly and giving, laid back, and able to take things in stride without getting upset about it. I am sure that he would say the same thing about me and would have different traits he admired, but that is probably why we fit together so well. He can do what I can't and I can do what he can't. I'm not sure what I did to deserve him but if I did I would sell the secret to all of the single women in the world. Because everyone should be so lucky.

Did you know...

That the Hawaiian language is made up of only 5 vowels and 15 consonants? You wont find a road name out here that starts in the letter V but you will find roads that have three vowels in a row (Kaaahi St - pronounced K-ah-ah-ahi). Needless to say, I feel like the stupid main lander every time I have to call someone out here and have to pronounce a town or street name... but I guess that is how to learn, right?

Also, the letter W has a V sound and that is why you hear people say Hawaii and it sounds like they are saying Havaii... guess that is the actual way to pronounce it. Communication is difficult as there is a great number of slang terms. If someone says them slowly, you can figure out what they mean, its the slow part that doesn't happen until the person figures out that you haven't been on the island long. Again with the stupid main lander. I equate it to the difference between English spoken in England and English spoken in America. There's a difference. If you don't believe me, ask EDH, she will tell you!

Reassurance

I'm not going to lie, I worry about how I will fit in when we get to Hawaii. I am an adventurous girl, so I would say that I'm good for the first year and will be consumed with exploring, learning how to boogie board and scuba dive, spending days whale watching and participating in Luau's... but then what? What happens when my mind is no longer consumed with exploration and new sights? What happens when my old friend whom I lovingly refer to as the 'shopping bug' comes back for a nibble? My current vision of Hawaiian apparel offerings (having never been there) is one of local flair. Vibrant colors and wild patterns, flowing dresses and linen pants, sandals and flip flops. But what if I can't learn to love hibiscus patterned shorts and palm tree button downs? What if I never ever want to wear flip flops again? My hair takes serious professional attention to remain looking good, I appreciate a good manicure... **Panic, Panic!**

and then, almost as if it were shining down from heaven, I found my mecca. and another crisis has been diverted.

Wha??

So I decided that I had better get in gear and learn about my new home before I actually get there... it's really just a ploy to control something (like at least I can control the amount of knowledge I have about the state if I can't control anything else! So there!). I ran across an article called "Hawaiian attractions and oddities"... a must read. In order to prove to you that I am not lying about this, I have included the picture as proof. Are you ready? Wait for it.....

• Kealakekua: Best Urinal Scenic View... apparently a tourist attraction and quite possibly our first stop upon arrival.

I GUESS WE ARE REALLY GOING TO MOVE

Kyle is excited. He is always excited about the new adventures that life tosses us. I wish that I could be more like him sometimes. While he dreams of Luau's, weekends spent on the beach, and exploring local waterfalls and volcanoes (volcanoes erupt. hello!), I am saddened at the thought of being so far away from a great number of the people I love, worrying about finding gainful employment, and a little nauseous at the thought of putting all of our worldly belongings on a boat (boats sink. hello!).

It's not just that. I've been a drifter in my lifetime. I've lived in a number of states and used to pride myself on being able to pick up and leave on a whim (where is that when I need it!), but when I moved to Louisville, I knew it was time to hang up my travelling shoes. I love it here. I'm not sure if it is the ecclectic neighborhoods, fantastic local restaurants, the unbelievable color of green that the land turns in the Summer (it's like no other green I have ever seen before), or the friendly yet bustling atmosphere... whatever it is, I was sold from the moment I crossed the Kennedy Bridge. Sure there is crime, the Ohio River might just be the most disgusting thing I have ever stood near (no way my toe is going in that mess of a river!), and it can get so hot and humid that you just want to spend an entire day in the shower... but when I drive through some of the adorable neighborhoods on a green Kentucky day, I can see Kyle and I out in the yard with a couple of kids running around, tossing around a football or playing catch. I can see the future.

I think that is the problem I have with Hawaii right now. I can't see the future. I can't even begin to imagine it. That is a scary sentiment for a control freak! As you may have noticed, I am very self aware of all of my craziness. While the picture is not actually me, the resemblance is there. Crazy young gal. Anyway, I guess what I am really trying to say is that moving scares the molasses out of me. I can't control anything that is going to happen, I can't plan, I'm going to be far away, I have to leave a city I love, I won't have my own income right away.............. he's worth it though. I'd do a million scary things for him and if moving to a little island paradise and being completely out of my element is the worst of it, well I guess I am a pretty lucky gal.