Postscript

While I originally had this as a postscript at the conclusion of my last blog post, I felt the sentiment deserved it's own space entirely. When I thought more about it, the message wasn't merely an afterthought, but truly a reflection of our military life thus far.  It is the entire essence and central theme that has unconsciously developed in this blog, documenting our journey and seeing every big-change and curveball that comes our way as an opportunity. Moving is said to be the 3rd most stressful life event, next to only death of a loved one and divorce. However, we have survived THRIVED through 6 moves in 3 years by living with an attitude of gratitude and choosing to seek joy in all of our surroundings. No, life isn't perfect, not even here in paradise! We have  definitely had our share of challenges at every location and with every move (did I mention the shipping company totaled the Audi this move and we are in the midst of a legal battle?), but as cheesy as it sounds, a positive attitude goes a long way.

Yesterday, Jordan and I went to the local farmer's market. Sitting amongst the tents was a man, his very impressive dreads (dread-locks), his guitar and a harmonica. His music was calmingly melodious (a combination of folk, blues and reggae styles) and his whole presence was very unassuming. He exuded peacefulness and contentment. After sitting down to listen for a good 30 minutes,  his contagious aura forming two smiles on both of our faces, we walked away with a couple of his CDs. In his words, "We have the choice to come with love and light in any situation! [...] No matter the chaos around us, we can look through the eyes of love and allow our hearts to sing with the timeless melody."

When I first started the blog, my intention was to keep our family and friends updated on our new life on the other side of the country and Jordan's training (since he was too utterly exhausted at the end of the work-week, or realistically at the end of every day, to even garner the strength to pick up the phone).  However, it has become more than that. It is a digital scrapbook of the last 3 years of our life, documenting both big and small events, allowing us to reflect on experiences and memories that would have otherwise been lost and forgotten. It is a reflection of our journey, and not just our geographical one, but also an evolution of growth of two individuals continuously shaped by our experiences. I'm so grateful we have these memories written down in order to reflect back on. I can see each post, or more accurately, each of the stories and experiences that inspired the post, as a building block, coming together to create and build the story of our life.  And so once again, here is my challenge to you...

Postscript

While I have already invested too much time as I tend to do [on my previous post From Sunrise to Moonrise], getting wrapped up with and humbly attempting to wax poetic in order to allow my black and white words in type to become more than just letters on a page, but to completely capture and recreate these most magical experiences and allow our story to visually unfold within your own mind;  I must now add just a few more words if I may...

Since we have moved to Hawaii and started sharing our new experiences here, so many lovely friends and family have expressed how happy they are for us in this next chapter in our life. We continue to hear how fortunate, how lucky, and how blessed we are, and I couldn't agree more. Everyday we live here is a true blessing, and I am constantly taken aback and surprised anew with the re-realization that we are LIVING in Hawaii.  It's usually as simple as the now-familiar backdrop as I am driving around our small little town, or the glistening waters and their unmatched beauty that have become a routine sight, which will randomly and unpredictably shock me back to "reality," I guess you would say. I am so thankful we were given this experience and I hope that I can combat the ever-present enemies of time and routine, that tend to immunize us to our surroundings and allow us to lose sight of just how spectacular our blessings are.

However, with that being said, I encourage each and every one of you to live with the same sense of adventure and exploration as we do. To recognize just how fortunate, how lucky, and how blessed you are. Every town, no matter how big or how small or how long you have lived there, has a beautiful history, a unique culture, and hidden gems just waiting to be explored by you. I mean if we can find fun and adventure in Corpus Christi, TX,  no one has any excuse not to as well! Our 6-month increments at each of our last 5 locations (California included), have encouraged us to see and explore as much as we possibly can in our short time there; to soak up every possible exciting experience while we have the opportunity and means to do so. Even returning back to California, the place where we were both born and raised for the first 25 years of our lives, held new possibilities and unexplored opportunities. We made a concerted effort to spend our time in our hometown as tourists, because we now live a life not knowing when or if we will have the opportunity to return to each place again. So I encourage anyone that is reading this to change their mindset too, and to live as a tourist in your own current surroundings: research a hike in your area, try out a new local restaurant, buy a groupon for a fun activity! I challenge each of you this weekend to go LIVE, EXPLORE, LEARN AND BREAK YOUR ROUTINE! There is a beautiful world surrounding you, just waiting to be discovered and ready to remind YOU just how fortunate, how lucky, and how blessed YOU ARE! 


So, with that being said (AGAIN)...

Carpe Diem! Memento Mori! And for those people better versed in pop-culture than Latin, #YOLO!

From Sunrise to Moonrise

While it has only been a week and half since my last blog post, I feel like I have so much to catch up on already! And while I prefer writing over simply using pictures for updates, this post will have to be a combination of both in order to document all of our adventures packed in to these last weeks without completely tying myself down to the computer for hours on end.

We discovered another amazing hike, the Lanikai Pillbox Hike or the Ka'iwa Ridge Trail. It is definitely one that will be on our visitors' to-do list for anyone that is interested. This hike is recommended to be done either before sunrise or before sunset, although I am sure any time of the day would probably be just as amazing. However, in order to spice things up a bit, a group of us decided to make the hike early in order to watch the sun rise over the Mokolua Islands off Lanikai Beach. We met at the bottom of the trail at 4:30am, equipped with headlamps, flashlights, and glowsticks, and made the trek up the small mountain to the WWII bunkers, aka pillboxes. Although the hike is a short one, only about 30-45 minutes to the top, it still manages to get your heart-pumping as you ascend a steep incline and climb up a rocky path. We were the first people to the top and sat together in the predawn light waiting for the sun to rise, our feet dangling over the bunker's edge and the precarious cliff below.  A scattering of twinkling lights lay spread out below us in the small towns of Kailua and Kaneohe, like stars lighting up the night sky. Even while we waited for the main event to start, so-to-say, this peaceful moment when most of the world was still sound asleep, was quite magical in and of itself.

As we waited for the sun to come up (singing amongst ourselves, here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo), more and more people began joining us. We were surprised to find out how popular this hike was, even at this early hour. However, we didn't mind in the least. In fact, the crowd brought a dynamic energy to the atmosphere, especially the group that brought music. The bunker-top took on a festive air and all of the sudden, this simple and most ancient of natural occurrences, one that is truly as old as time and that we all have come to take for granted, became a joyful celebration. It was a beautiful glorification of a new day!

Here is a short video from the top of the pillbox:

The trek back down the mountain was equally as beautiful, as the terrain that was previously covered in a blanket of darkness, now revealed itself in the new day's morning light.

Jordan and I also celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on June 13th. It does not seem possible that we have actually been married 5 years already!!! With all of our moves and exciting experiences living in new towns and exploring different parts of the country, the time has truly flown by. On our wedding day (those of you that were there may remember), we had each table sign an "anniversary card" with words of wisdom and wishes for each of the big anniversaries, starting with the 1st year anniversary, and then every 5 year milestone after that. I have been so anxious to read these cards, and have had to restrain myself thus far from taking a peek into what everyone wrote. Our first anniversary card was signed by the head table, of all of our bridesmaids and groomsmen, and we had the best time reading it and reflecting back on that day and those we shared it with. I was so excited to be opening up another one this year! Well wouldn't you know it, but after 4 years of anticipation, our anniversary card is being held hostage, along with the rest of our household goods, in storage until we move in to our house! I guess it will have to be something to look forward to and will hopefully make the ever-overwhelming and exhausting unpacking process a bit more exciting.

The traditional 5th year anniversary gift is wood, which signifies the strength and solidity of one's relationship. Jordan was in need of a new wedding ring, the last of which he lost somewhere between taking it off for flying and removing it before working out. So we were so thrilled when, a few weeks earlier, we came across a Koa wood and tungsten wedding ring. Koa wood is native to the Hawaiian Islands, and has been used traditionally in Hawaiian history, from the ancient outrigger canoes to the very first surfboards and ukeleles. It is truly at the heart of the Hawaiian culture. Koa means "warrior" in the Hawaiian language and has come to symbolize strength, bravery, boldness, fearlessness and the warrior spirit.  And quite perfectly, tungsten is the material that Jordan's original wedding ring was made of. These compounded layers of meaning and symbolism within this one ring and of this specific anniversary gave me goosebumps, as it could not have been a more perfect symbol to encompass and commemorate our 5th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. I am hoping this ring is actually unique and "hippie" enough that Jordan makes a better effort to keep track of this one.

Jordan also surprised me with a beautiful, decorative wooden sign. I have been wanting one of these signs with the phrase, "Let's Do Sunset" for a while now, as that sentiment reflected our daily routine back when we lived in Carlsbad. All of our time on the East Coast gave us a renewed appreciation for watching the sun set over the Pacific, and the sunsets at Tamarack Beach never disappointed. 

Just one of many, spectacular sunsets witnessed in Carlsbad

I absolutely love the thoughtfulness and meaning behind this gift, and once again I could not be more excited and anxious to finally move in to our home, so I can proudly display this new piece.

We were especially spoiled this year to even be able to have the day to spend together, as Jordan just happened to have Friday off of work. Most anniversaries, the USMC has been Jordan's date for the day. Again, it was just too perfect! Friday the 13th was turning out to be quite the opposite of unlucky! We spent the first part of our day frolicking in the turquoise waters at the beautiful Kailua Beach. After a couple hours, our skin now feeling crisp and tight with a dried layer of salty ocean water, freshly baked in by the powerful Hawaiian sun, we headed back to our apartment with our newly acquired golden hues to get spruced up for our big plans: our first hawaiian luau! I have been looking forward to a luau from the moment we stepped off the plane (or more realistically, since the moment we knew we were moving to Hawaii), but we decided to hold off and save it for our anniversary. All the anticipation and the excitement of this long awaited excursion was met with a show that far exceeded all my expectations! Not only was there the traditional pig roast, hula dancing, live music and fire-dancing that you come to expect at luaus, but before the show even started there was also fire-making and hula lessons, spear throwing games, and head-dress weaving. The whole evening was amazing, although I'm sure Jordan's favorite part was simply the all-you-can-eat hawaiian buffet.

Kailua beach with a view of Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay in the background.

Shell leis, painted hawaiian tattoos and our personally made head-dresses, we are now accessorized for the festivities!

The spear-throwing game, and yes Jordan is barefoot!

The official start of the luau, with the chief ceremonially blowing into the giant conch shell.

The luau was set against a magnificent backdrop of natural beauty, nestled at the base of the majestic and overwhelming Pali (sea cliffs), and on a flat expanse of land in the Makapu'u Meadows overlooking the coastal waters of Waimanalo Bay. Throughout the night we were treated to a lesson in history and were immersed in the heritage of the Polynesian culture through various dances and musical performances, each representing a different time period or style from the various islands. And like a 4th of July fireworks display that continues to grow in grandeur, culminating in the dazzling splendor of the grande finale, each dance performance continued to captivate us even more than the previous one, culminating in a spectacular and exhilarating fire dance led by the Chief, a world-champion Polynesian fire-dancer, and his ohana (family). We were blown away by the entire production, which also had us in stitches of laughter with the comedic routine simultaneously woven in throughout the show.

As if this day wasn't already special enough, we were treated to one final gift. We have been told that it is a tradition to watch the moonrise over the Mokulua Islands from Lanikai Beach on your anniversary. If it wasn't already apparent by now, let me just tell you, I love all things to do with tradition! So of course we just had to conclude the evening, two champagne glasses in hand, by heading down to this beach by our house to take in the moon.

 Friday, June 13, 2014 just happened to coincide with a rare "honey moon," the first one of it's kind in 95 years. As I randomly learned earlier that day when I stumbled across an article in Hawaii News Now, "Every full moon in June is known as a 'honey moon,' but what makes this year's so rare is that it coincides with the perigee, which is the point at which the moon is closest to the Earth, making it appear larger in the sky." This rare occurrence of coinciding events won't happen again for another 84 years. It was literally a once in our lifetime moon! I mean, come on, how amazing is that? I'd say we had a pretty lucky Friday the 13th anniversary this year!

The moon starting to rise behind the hills at the luau

Although we had a hard time capturing the moment on camera, it was a beautiful and serene sight, and one that I hope to share with Jordan next year on our anniversary as well.

Well it seems even with letting the pictures do most of the talking, I have still managed to spend a few hours on this post. So with that being said, I'll just wrap it by summarizing that the three of us (Gunns of course is always included) have spent the rest of our time at the beach, reveling in God's beautiful glory and magical creation!

This guy absolutely loves riding in the "truck," eyes closed, ears flapping in the wind, and mouth open in what looks like a smile. 

And since the Corpus Christi grass-experience has forever traumatized Gunnar to grass in general (the poor guy gingerly and hesitantly places one foot lightly in front of the other every time he attempts to walk on it these days), he absolutely goes wild for the sand, where he runs and bounds for hours on end, chasing after his frisbee.

Sometimes the biggest decision of the day is what beach to go to, there are just so many! I guess that's what you would call "Hawaii problems."

And now I'm off to try and catch sight of Jordan landing on the boat for the first time in his career! Ahhh, I'm so nervous for him. 

Can you see the small aircraft carrier in the distance? It was right off shore yesterday, so I am hoping I can see it again today!

Until next time....ALOOO-HAAAAA! 

Wingmen

2 years ago, we were living in Corpus Christi, TX (ick!).  This is where we first met Mr. Zumbusch, who we just affectionately came to call Busch. Jordan and Busch shared an on-wing instructor during their time at primary flight school. During our 8 months at Corpus, we became fast friends. Busch would often times randomly show up on my couch, Gunnar (or just "Bubba" as Busch called him) sprawled across his lap, with Law and Order SVU on the tv. I would come home and plop down on the couch with Busch and Bubba, as we waited for Jordan to return from his flight (which was second to Busch's with their on-wing instructor). 

2 years later, after 2 selections,

for first flight platform and then helicopter type, these two are now in the fleet. Not only that, but they are now both stationed in Hawaii, and yesterday, for the first time,  flew as REAL wingmen.

This was such a special (and cute!) moment. These two have come so far, and I loved that these two great friends will now fly in the real Marine Corps as wingmen, having eachother's back.

Busch flying the Huey

Jordan in the Cobra

Busch and Jordan flying together

Sometimes keeping it short and sweet is best, right? And how sweet (and adorable) it is!

Until next time...

Our New Reality

Wow, what an eventful week we have had! Our theme of "another day, another adventure" still holds true despite the fact that Jordan has returned to work and "reality" has now set in. However, I guess this may very well be our reality, no quotation marks needed, now that we live in Hawaii. It's almost too good to believe it's actually real, normal life and not some extended vacation. We often find ourselves stopping on a daily basis to take it all in: the coconut palms lining the streets, the sweet scent of plumeria wafting through the air and the constant backdrop of lush mountain ridges. Even driving on the freeway is better in Hawaii! It too is amazing and magnificent and absolutely breathtaking! 

While most of our adventures and exploring are now solely delegated to the weekends, we still found ourselves with an extremely busy week! Jordan's work schedule is in full swing and has taken another full turn up in intensity. Between studying for simulator flights, learning and practicing his new duties as legal officer, rotating as on-duty officer for the squadron, and doing the prep work and studying for his flights, he found himself getting a minimal 2-4 hours of sleep. If that wasn't enough, his 2 hour briefs (which as I mentioned previously are basically intense and drilling oral exams with a superior officer), simulator flights and actual flights themselves are the most mentally taxing and intense of them all. Whenever he finds the overwhelming and never-ending demands of his job sucking the soul from his body and all joy from his life, as he and his coworkers tend to commiserate jokingly (but seriously!), he takes a step outside of the squadron to relax and find perspective...

I mean, really, can anyone claim to have a cooler office than this?!?!? 

I kept myself busy this last week by moving our household of 7 suitcases, a dog kennel, and a random, and rather large, collection of newly acquired jeep junk (parts, brochures, doors and a roof) to our new temporary home. Yes, we are officially out of the lodge! Thank goodness for a minivan rental, with awesome back seats that all rolled into the floor, providing as much storage space as the back of a pick up truck. I can't believe I really just used the adjective awesome when describing a minivan! What has the world come to?

However, I am so grateful for this AWESOME minivan, which spared me a million and one trips back and forth between the lodge and our new place. And although we will definitely miss the free breakfasts, maid service, and proximity to everything on base, after a full month in the lodge, living out of suitcases and the chaos that therefore ensued on a daily basis, we couldn't be happier to be done with hotel-living!

We have moved in to an Ohana apartment while we continue to wait for our house on base to become available (fingers crossed that should be August-September-ish). Ohana means family in Hawaiian. Property in Hawaii is incredibly expensive so many of the home owners renovate their properties in order to create a money-making rental property by coverting a house into a duplex, or adding a separate guest apartment/house, just like the show Income Property on HGTV! We were so lucky and grateful to find the perfect Ohana apartment for our situation: furnished (since our household goods will remain in storage until we move in to our permanent home on base), pet-friendly, and with a month-to-month lease option that will allow us to accept our housing offer as soon as our home becomes available, whether that ends up being tomorrow (a girl can dream) or September. It may be small, but after a month at the lodge, this feels like a mansion! 

Never thought I would be so happy to be driving a minivan!

From the Kitchen, looking down to the living room

View off the patio from the living room: Plumerias and the Kai'iwa Ridge.

From the living room, looking back at the kitchen.

The bedroom, and the very best part about being out of the lodge: the large dresser and a closet. No more suitcase-living!!!!

Secondary office space, don't mind the mess! It's serving as a storage space for the time being. 

Not too shabby, right? It's not home, but it's a comfortable place to live until we finally get our permanent place. I am sure just as the lodge has made this small apartment seem spacious, this apartment will make our eventual home seem gargantuan! I know we will feel like two kids on Christmas morning on actual move-in day, when we unpack all of our  boxes of household goods and personal items, everything feeling new again, as we excitedly decorate and find each item it's new home. Perhaps this experience and the time passed, will bring joy to the unpacking/moving process that has become such an overwhelming and exhausting routine during our last 3 years, and 6 moves, of military life.

When the weekend finally rolled around, we were more than ready to set off for some exploration and relaxing fun! Saturday we decided to head to Pearl Harbor. While we had originally wanted to visit the memorial last weekend in honor of Memorial Day, we figured this weekend would be much less crowded. While the Arizona Memorial is free, they only give out a limited number of tickets per day. Had we known this, we would have arrived much earlier in the day, because by the time we arrived they were already all gone! Unfortunately, we got a little distracted furniture shopping on our way there...

Sensing our disappointment and recognizing Jordan's military haircut, a nice park ranger decided to print out an extra two tickets just for us! Thank you Mr. Park Ranger!!!!!!

Of the 1,777 crewmen who lost their lives on the USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack (their names listed on the memorial wall pictured), it is amazing that over 900 of these crewmen were not recovered and find their final resting place to still be here, in the sunken battleship.

We couldn't believe how much oil was, even still, constantly bubbling to the surface.

 

On Sunday, Jordan and I wanted to find a way to exercise outdoors to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, so we decided on another beautiful Oahu hike. The Kuli'ou'ou Ridge Trail is a 5 mile round trip trail, climbing an altitude gain of about 1900ft. What makes this hike unique is drastic terrain and vegetation changes that you pass through on your way up the ridge, from a grove of pine trees with fallen needles covering the entire earth floor to the traditional Hawaiian environment of lush greens and exposed roots. At each of these places, where the terrain and plants have naturally created divisions, there are places to brush off your feet, to prevent cross contamination by bringing errant seeds to the other environments. Most of the trail is a gradual incline, with a series of switch-backs, zig-zagging up the ridge; however, once you hit the 2/3 mark, you really start to get your workout in as the incline becomes increasingly steep and you begin climbing stairs. Jordan and I made it to the top in an hour and thirty minutes, and took an hour and fifteen to get back down. You would think going down would be drastically quicker than going up; however, in order to get a workout in for the day, we made ourselves run most of the way up, and jog/speedwalk during the steeper spots. It was a great Hawaiian PT ( Marine Corps acronym for Physical Training) and the reward at the top was well worth all those stairs!!!

Rest spot at the Hawaii Kai Lookout, looking out over the Kuli'ou'ou Valley

Up we go! The last 1/4 of the hike is a steep incline where "stairs" have been placed to prevent erosion and for safety precautions

We made it! The panoramic view from the Puu O Kona peak allows you to see most of East Oahu.

Looking to the left you can see all the way to Kailua and the Kaneohe Marine Corps base

Looking down on the town of Waimanalo

Heading back down the stairs, looking out on the town of Hawai'i Kai

Jogging stairs and using the natural arch of the trees for a few pull ups. Is there any better way to exercise?

Today, my girlfriends and I decided to seek some excercise outdoors again and hiked the Koko Crater Tramway. Although it's really more of just a workout than hike, per say. And while this hike is only 1.5 miles round trip, it is Mother Nature's ultimate stair master and booty blaster as you ascend an incredibly steep 1200 feet by climbing up old railway ties (1,048 of them to be exact!) from a WWII railway, which was used to transport military personnel and equipment to the top lookout spots and bunkers. The breathtaking view from the top of the Koko head crater was such a sweet reward after huffing, puffing and sweating our way to the top!

1048 to the top!

Stole this photo from the trailblazertravelbooks so you can really appreciate the incredibly steep incline.

About 3/4 of the way up, looking back down.

Red faces and big smiles! We made it!

Our sweet reward! Views of Hawai'i Kai and Hanauma Bay. Photo credit goes to Brittney for this awesome shot!

Views of Waimanalo from this side. 

Overall, it took us a little less than 30 minutes to the top. I wouldn't mind finding the time to drive down here to do this hike once a week just for the workout! Many locals run this 2-3 times, multiple times a week!!!!!! Insane!

After side-stepping our way back down the mountain to safety, we treated ourselves to Jamba Juice smoothies and a few hours relaxing at the gorgeous Lanikai beach. It's a rough life, but someone's got to live it! I'm just thankful it gets to be us!

The iconic Mokes off Lanikai beach