First steps toward Hawaii -Life Improvement

Since I got pregnant with my first daughter I have been losing the "weight-loss" battle. And now that my second child is 7 months old I have decided "enough is enough." So I bought some running shoes and I'm ready to hit the pavement!

I am going to start by Monday morning (I've got lots going on Saturday & Sunday mornings so I doubt I can truly fit it in). I am both very excited and nervous -dreading also comes to mind. I have had a love-hate relationship with jogging & running since I was a young kid. I am not the athletic type, but I do love the feeling I have all day when I have had a good run and when I am about half way through a run I always feel great. It's the first steps in and the last that are not so fun.

I have some fears about shin-splints (if you have ever had them you know what I mean) and I have a spastic colon, so I have to be careful of that too. I am often an "all or nothing" type, so it makes running hard for me. I want to go out there and push myself hard and if I don't ease into it carefully I will find myself bed ridden with colon spasms and burning pain in my shins. And if I have that happen it will take a long time to get back out on the pavement again.

I will post how my first day out again goes (it's been AGES since I laced up running shoes and went for a run).

Top 10 Fears about Moving to Hawaii

I think it's extremely important to regularly take an assessment of where you are at: mentally, spiritually, physically and relationally. How else can you make significant improvements? Or measure improvement? It also helps to just recognize things -honor them for what they are- and make plans accordingly.

Today I am looking at some fears I have about moving to Hawaii. Do I want to move there? "Yes!" Am I willing to take big risks? "Yep!" Am I scared? "More than I really want to admit..." -But I will. I will look them in the eye and take them on. Some will have to be crushed and others will remain to keep me humble or to keep me focused on this dream. Others will become a tool for strengthening me spiritually.

So here are my top 10 fears
(in no particular order):

1. Learning the Hawaiian language (just reading street signs will be a challenge)
2. Cost of living
3. Racism
   
4. Island Fever
5. No change in seasons
6. The critters of the islands
7. Not seeing family and friends often
8. Failure
9. Our photography business
10. We won't be on vacation if we live there

There! I wrote them out. I plan to work on and perhaps with each of these fears individually and most likely blog about each one of them.

For now I will say this in regards to my fears:

2 Timothy 1:7: "God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control."

Philippians 4:13: "Christ gives me the strength to face anything."

(both verses from the Contemporary English Version)

My Heart for Hawaii (The picture for our move is starting to come together)

It's amazing how quickly we can have our heart worked on when we ask for God to do so. I still want to move to Hawaii for the amazing beaches, tropical breezes, the Aloha Spirit and the delicious pineapple! But lately God's been working on my heart and now I find myself thinking of the people of Hawaii -especially those in poverty and in need.

A little (okay, sorta a lot of) background first:

We were currently in the middle of trying to buy our first house and move away from Southern California. And we actually were really looking into moving to Hawaii. But we got scared by the reports of racism toward "mainlanders." And we were afraid we would never be able to raise a family the way we wanted to -with me staying home with our children. We imagined each working two jobs for an 800 square foot condo in a Hawaiian ghetto. And then there was our debt (probably one of the most ugly four-letter words I know). The book we got about moving to Hawaii insisted that if you had debt you should not move to Hawaii.

So we gave up on Hawaii. We ended up moving to Bakersfield (go ahead and laugh, it really is comical!) and bought our first home.

We found an amazing new church, Life Journey Christian Church, and we fell in love with the people, the style and feel of the services and we were friends with our pastor and his family -it was a spiritual dream come true.

Okay -so I am getting to how all this is relevant:
Our church, Life Journey, was a new church plant through Stadia. Our pastor's family and a handful of others came from Illinois to start this church in Bakersfield. ( I actually found them while searching for churches in Bakersfield before we made our move.) I remember one day in church when our pastor said that one day Life Journey would hopefully be part of another church plant and people from our congregation would leave to help that new church start (or something to that effect). -I remember clearly thinking "I wanna do that!!!" I even thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if it was in Hawaii??!!!"

Then when the opportunity came to help a new church start in Bakersfield (again, not Hawaii) we joined and have loved the process. I am still very connected to Life Journey -in fact I do a weekly Bible study with them. And this summer I co-led the Beth Moore study we did. My dear friend, Barbara (who leads the small group/Bible study group) told me God told her to ask me to help her lead. She said that she's known for a long time that I was "marked" to lead.

How this is relevant:
I feel God has kept my heart for Hawaii all this time -while He has given us training in two new churches and experience in leadership. Shortly after Alex and I moved to Bakersfield he got a job with a wholesale travel company specializing in Hawaiian vacations so he has learned a lot about the islands and we've spent many nights at the dinner table chatting about Hawaii (everything from good travel deals to land development and interesting "little known facts").

Now I am beginning to see how God's been training us to go out and start a new church. I get that goose-bump feeling all over just typing this out. To add to the picture, I found out through facebooking with our previous pastor (who's now the West Coast new church planter director/"over-see-er" -I am not sure of his official title) that he covers Hawaii and that there are some people at our previous church who've told him they want to start a new church in Hawaii.

I realize that this may all be coincidental -but I cannot help but think this is God working here! Maybe He has our hearts for Hawaii right now, but will change them later for another place. But from where I sit today I cannot help but think we will be in Hawaii in 2-5 years helping a new Stadia church plant launch and serve the people of Hawaii. And I think it will be on the Big Island.

I am so excited to see where this adventure will take us. I know amazing things are already happening! I am so glad you're joining me on this adventure.

Aloha!

Welcome! (If you are new to this blog please read this post)

What's the blog about? Why am I blogging about going to Hawaii?

I decided to publicly journal about my journey to Hawaii so that I could help others on the same journey, or just thinking about it and because I think it's great hearing feedback from people I would never get to meet otherwise. I used to blog about wedding planning and it was a great experience and I would love for this blog to gain a fun following as well. Also I love the idea of making some money towards going to Hawaii -why not right?

This blog is about Hawaii. I mean Hawaii -as in the chain of islands that the USA made their 50th state and figuratively as paradise -specifically the life I dream of living. In this sense I mean I will blog about improving my life -seizing the day! I turned 30 this year and though I don't see 30 as old -I do see that this train called life is moving fast and I must get more intentional about everything -giving my life a serious looking-over and re-working -otherwise I will arrive at the end of the track and think "No! How did I get here? I never got to ..."

So I am starting over. A lot about my life is currently wonderful, but so much is not. Some things I am completely powerless to change, but so many of my life's aches and unpleasant areas are within my power to change and God-willing I will change those things.

What do I want to change?

Well, this list is longer than I care to admit. But I am willing to bet that most people feel the same about their "need to change about myself" list. That used to be an excuse I had and now I am not going to allow myself to use that as an excuse to continue to not better myself.

The following areas are the key things in my life I wish to change and or improve and will be blogging about on my journey to Hawaii:

1. My walk with Christ.
2. My relationship with my husband.
3. My motherhood.
4. Our family's life.
5. Fears/worries.
6. Our finances
7. My health/body
8. My zipcode (at least figuratively -if not literally)

GULP! It is a bit daunting, but what's my alternative? Celebrate my 40th birthday with the same issues (but likely only worse)? No thank you. I choose to take on the challenges now. Today. Not tomorrow...

I promise...

I promise to be real. Raw. Honest. Intentional. And in the now. I will not be overly dramatic. I will not fake success. I will not sugar coat. I will be fully human -walking with Christ- as I transform. It will be ugly at times, but I know it will be worth it. I am glad you are with me on the journey -or at least visiting. I pray I am inspiring you to take your own journey to a better you too!

How I will organize this blog for readers:

When I am making an entry about life improvement (and more than just a sentence or two) I will put ("Life Improvement") in the title and tag it that way and categorize it that way. I will tag and categorize it based on what specifically I am addressing in the post (motherhood or organic food, etc.).

When I am writing about Hawaii (literally) I will put ("Hawaii") in the title. If it's about researching housing or jobs, etc. I will tag and categorize the post accordingly.

I do plan to talk about Hawaii in ways beyond moving there and for those of you looking to just vacation there. Alex used to work for a whole sale travel company specializing in Hawaiian vacations so he is extremely knowledgeable about the islands and the hotels (he's visited many on several islands) and what to do and how to get the best deals, etc.

And a final thought on how I see this blog working: I have a huge heart for Hawaii -so I will write with my dream of living there (soon!) -even if it's on a topic that isn't necessarily related to Hawaii at all. Additionally, my heart is for Jesus. I love the beauty of Hawaii that God created, but I worship the creator -not the creation. I will always write with Jesus in my heart. If you are not a follower of Jesus it would be a thrill to know that this blog helped you to join your life with His -but I am not writing this blog to "convert" you. I am writing what's on my mind, on my heart and in my dreams. All are welcome here -just know I am a Jesus freak first and foremost -and a Hawaiian fanatic.

Aloha!

About Me

Introductions:

Aloha! My name is Rhiannon. I celebrated my 30th birthday this year and seeing the beginning of my 30s has led me to think a lot about my life (more on that soon). I have a wonderful husband, Alex, and two beautiful daughters, Katelyn (who'll be three in October) and Grace (who will be one in January). Alex shares my love for Hawaii and hopes I am right when I say I am pretty sure we'll be moving there some day (soon!??!!).

Alex and I have a successful photography business that we currently run from our home in Bakersfield, CA. We are active in church life (we are part of a new church plant -a non-denominational Christian church, Kaleo Fellowship) and besides photography, we enjoy traveling, watching movies, playing games (like Settlers of Catan) and when we can fit it in we love the outdoors -camping, hiking, etc.

A little about me, specifically: I love to cook (though I never like cleaning up after I've made a big meal); I love coffee; I love doing Bible studies (just finished and actually led my 3rd Beth Moore Psalms of Ascent study); I love to do creative crafts and projects; I love spending time with my family and friends; and listening to a wide variety of music and dancing. I spend my days taking care of my daughters, working on our photography business and lately I have been doing more than a little day dreaming about Hawaii.


A recent family photo of us at Lake Tahoe

Why I Want to Move to Hawaii

So I want to move to Hawaii. Who doesn't, right? Actually, I am sure many people don't. But many of us dream of having 808 as our area code.

It's hard to put into words why I want to live in Hawaii so much. In some ways it's quite simple and in others it's so complex (deep) I don't know I can put words to the emotions it sirs up in me.

Simply: I love how stunningly beautiful Hawaii is. I love how amazing the water is and warm!!! I actually never liked the beach until I honeymooned in Hawaii. I could have hung out on the beach the entire time we were there. But thankfully we did do a lot more than just play in the water and layout on the sand. We went snorkeling and to a Luau and horse back riding. We drove around the island of Oahu and had an absolute blast.

I've been to Hawaii in the months of September, October and December and the weather was fantastic. Even when it was extremely humid it was wonderful! I've spent summers in Mississippi and that kind of humidity was annoying in comparison.
So simply put Hawaii is beautiful, and the opportunities for out door adventures is nearly endless. So why not just vacation there?

Complexly: I have a connection with Hawaii I cannot explain. On my first trip, our honeymoon, we went on a day outing to the Kualoa Ranch (where they film a lot of scenes in LOST) and part of our day there we spent our time on a private island. Wow! What an experience! One of the best things was talking to the people working there.

I met a young man who grew up on the islands. He left after high school to "make it" on the mainland (I think he said he moved to Oregon) and though he was making good money he was miserable. He said that he would rather be poor all his life in Hawaii than rich and comfortable on the mainland -just visiting Hawaii for vacation.

By this point I had the Hawaii bug (It was almost the end of our vacation) and I was trying to figure out how in the world I could move! So I asked him lots of questions and he was so kind to take the time and chat with me. He told me a lot about the culture and how people really take care of each other there. He told me about the hardships and issues of the islands too, but he spoke of his Hawaii like a man in love with his bride!

We have been back together two more times. And honestly, each time I go back I fall more in love with Hawaii. I love the Aloha spirit -being called "Cousin" with affection and a very spiritual feeling I have there. I have never felt more "at home" than when I am in Hawaii. Some times when I wake up and before I open my eyes I imagine I am in Hawaii. And when the weather is awesome here and I sit outside and close my eyes I imagine I am on my lanai in Hawaii.

On our 3 trips we've visited Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. Our second trip was about 2 weeks long and we were on all three islands. I loved the Big Island. I loved that when we landed at the airport it was the smallest air port I had ever seen and that it felt like we were totally in another world. I loved the black lava rock everywhere and I loved exploring that island! We sadly weren't there for very long, but it was amazing. I loved going through the rain forest to get to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The feeling was surreal and I still enjoy that car ride just thinking back on it.

When we were in Maui on that trip and our last trip we loved driving around the island and enjoying the spectacular landscape and diverse environments (from the top of Mt Haleakala) to the extremely tropical side of Maui (on the road to Hana). If we could live anywhere we've been so far I think it would be Maui -though it appears to be the most expensive so I doubt we'll live there.


View from car while driving to our hotel on our fist day in Maui -I was so taken by the lush green and dramatic peaks of these mountains and who doesn't love a rainbow?



On our last trip to Maui we stopped on the road to Hana a few times to buy fruit and to take pictures, etc. On one stop I spent a while chatting with a young woman running a fruit stand. I was almost jealous of her. She was living where I wanted to live. She was probably quite poor by monetary standards, but Paradise was her backyard and she was living her dream.

Me looking out over the water around Maui. This was taken during a stop along the road to Hana.


Looking over what I wrote, I can say that I am not even touching what Hawaii means to me. And I doubt I actually can. Like my passion for Christ -I cannot use words to describe it. There are no words I have, no matter how I arrange them, to describe Him and probably only a few for Hawaii.

I had an amazing experience while snorkeling in Maui (on my last trip). I saw a huge sea turtle. I could have touched it (though I wouldn't dare!). We looked at each other. Time stood still. I will cherish that forever. But it went beyond a "cool experience" it was amazing! Sure I could vacation there every few years and go snorkeling again, but I want access to that year round. Really, I do. I want my children to have the ocean as their playground. (As much as that terrifies me -I still want it for them.)

But here's how I can maybe best describe this unbelievable desire. I cry about Hawaii. I am not one to cry easily or just over anything. But certain things touch me in such a deep way tears are my immediate response. There are certain songs I cannot sing. I can never finish them without weeping too much to utter the words. This happens a lot in church. I just sway to the beautiful melody and hear the words and sing them in my heart for Jesus while tears stream down my cheeks. It's annoying sometimes, but it is the way He made me. And I cry for Hawaii. It's often a happy cry. Like when my daughters are adorable, or do something new for the first time or I catch them just enjoying their life. It moves me to tears. That painful notch in my throat instantly appears and the tears come.

Hawaii comes to me in my dreams and it beckons me to return. I have wanted few things more than I want to live in Hawaii. Just writing that, giving a physical form to this desire is emotional. I am willing to bet that only those of you reading this who are trying to move to Hawaii too can understand what I mean. I assure you that I am a sound minded, well educated, woman with an indescribable love for Hawaii.

Our Last Trip

Day One

Who knows where this journey will take me (and my family). Maybe it will take us to a better life with the same address as we currently have and I'll just have a few more gray hairs and wrinkles (I am 30 -the wrinkles and gray hairs are really just around the corner -no matter where I call "home"). And I am okay with that, just as long as the first part is true -a better life. But as I sit here in Bakersfield, California in my messy living room with lots of things on my current life's "things I hate about my life" list -on Sunday, August 16, 2009 -I am thinking I will be living in Hawaii soon (2-3 years from now) and living a much better life in a significantly much more beautiful place.

From the beginning I will be honest with myself and anyone else reading this, I want greatly! to live in Hawaii -but my deepest desire is to please the Lord with my life -NO MATTER WHERE I AM LIVING!

So one of my first steps is going to be deciding whether or not this Hawaiian desire is Godly. Is it my Heavenly Father giving me this desire?

Next will be to decide what to do with the answer. If it isn't God giving me this desire, should we still go for it? Maybe... I don't think it would be necessarily un-Godly if we moved to Hawaii if we didn't feel God called us to the islands... And maybe if it is God giving me the desire it isn't so that I would move to Hawaii -but just take steps toward something else he has planned for me. Any way this turns out I am excited to be taking this journey!

The ongoing step I am from this moment on choosing to take is to better my life. To better my marriage. To better my children's lives. To better my family life. To better my relationship with God. To better this world. I have this fantasy about my life in Hawaii -but the simple truth is that the woman who boards a plane headed for Hawaii will be the same one that gets out of the plane in Hawaii. I want to be a changing (for the better) woman when I board the plane. I must work on becoming the woman I want to be before I get there -not once I get there.

Now on to becoming that woman...