Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

haha, new hawaiian phrase I learned for Happy New Year.

New year...alreaaady?! Seriously, what happened? I feel like I blinked and the year flew right before my eyes! How was everybody's Christmas???

With the Cummings Ohana, and my sleepy ass looking all tired!!

This would mark my first Christmas away from family. Kinda sad, but work has been keeping me busy.  With two of the major hospitals on Oahu closing, our little itty bitty hospital is now one of the major hospitals for the entire Leeward side of the island= NUTS!!! Our little 8 bed ICU is not cutting it--we are constantly understaffed..and slamming with admissions. The hospital is bursting out of its seams...I really hope something happens about it....Haha but back to my Christmas!! So Mike's family kindly flew me in to spend Christmas in Kauai with them. Straight off a crazy 12-hr shift, jumped on a plane to Kauai and stayed up til like 3pm. It was a simple Christmas with the Cummings family--ate breakfast, opened gifts, watched ball, ate.....was nice, but definitely still missed the comforts of home and my own family--nothing will ever compare. Afterwards, we headed over to his Grandma's party where I had fun laughing at/with his crazy, yet funny family. & that was about it...flew back home early the next morning and went back to work!

My last new years in SD, 2010:) :) good times!

Now New Years is coming up..and wow, I can't believe it. I remember saying living a year out here in Hawaii was good enough, but daaang--that went by super fast. I can't really remember anything suuper spectacular from 2011, but I do recognize my own personal growth which is good enough=). Living out here has made me realize who and what really matters to me. What makes ME happy, not everyone else--learning to live my life according to only me(w/ a little or a lot of influence fr God:) )  I have learned how to keep my sanity (lol), how to be alone, &how to Love somebody like that (lol, ew).  I have also learned stupid things like what makes me yak when I drink hard, the perfect combination to cure my hangovers, how to fuh-reeeeeakin do my own damn laundry! (lol), how to paddleboard and hit a golf ball (still practicing that one), and how to sit back, cruise, and enjoy the scenery.  Life is simple and doesnt have to be complicated, and I must say I have learned to live simply...sometimes a little tooooo simply! But as simple as life gets, life can still get hard but i have grown tougher skin for those moments...maybe not super tough but definitely not fragile!  I have also learned how to forgive, that nobody is perfect.  I've learned to endure when I feel like I am being tested, and know now more than before that sometimes it's okay to cry---that it actually feels really good to let one out once in a while!! & most of all, I have learned to put my Trust in God--completely&unquestionably, knowing that everything happens according to His will.........which comes to my first resolution of the New Year!

1) go to CHURCH  So yeah, the entire time I have been here..I have not been to church. Not once! Haha. The only times I have been is when I go home. But I do pray often, a lot has been done in my car on my long commutes to work--really therapeutic tho!:)

2) SAVE$$$  I am officially credit card DEBT FREEEE for the new year. After years of suppression from those damn credit cards, i am FREEEE!! now is a great time to save...like forreals!!

3)  ACTIVE LIFESTYLE  do more. No better place to than Hawaii! Try new things if I need to, but just stop being a lazy piggy sometimes.  Consistency is my problem:/

4)  TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL  Somewhere, anywhere...not SD, haha. Went home like 5 or more times last year it feels like?!

5) pass my CCRN.  actually this is not reallly a resolution, but my boss is making me take this damn test by march...so I have to get in the mindset to study for it.

6) BE HAPPY. whatever it is.....just be content.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! LOVE YOU GUYS...seeeee you in January!!!=)

BIGGEST LOOOOOSER

Diet. Hormones. Lack of Activity. Boyfriend. Drinking.....SOMETHING!!!

But a couple weeks ago at SD, my Mom, sisters, and I entered a "Biggest Loser" competition with each other.....the winner gets 200 bucks, 2nd place gets their money back. But to my surprise, I stepped on the scale on weigh-in day....and my jaw dropped!!

OMG. No I do not weigh that much...step off the scale, step on. Okay, WAHHHH, I do. =( LOL. I mean I know I did gain some weight, but Oh Myyyy...i didnt think that MUCH!!! It really dawned on me at Inangs party when everyone was like "Oh Cel...look at you, tabaa! you must me so happy with your boypren in hawaii!" NNNNOOOOOOOOOoo! no no no no no!!! LOL

After that, I really didn't feel good about myself. I guess this would be my turning point. You know how you always read those weight loss stories, and they have some kind of enlightening moment in their life...where theyre like No more! Well...that would be mine.

When I came back to Hawaii, I was determined not to go on a "diet"..but make a healthy lifestyle change. With both my parents diabetic, the doctor once told me "it's not a matter of IF Im going to get diabetes...but WHEN." And ohh boy, I do not want to be poking myself checking my blood sugar in my 50s...and I sure as hell dont want my belly entering the room before I do!!!

Since Ive came back, I've cut back a lot...on one my meanest culprits, RICE. How can you avoid it in plate lunch central?!! haha. I've been shoving a bunch of greens down. Drinking more water instead of soda/juice. Preparing my meals instead of buying them. Entering 24 hr fitness, instead of driving past it. LOL. Even had Mike fix his bike for me, and been bike riding through all the rich neighborhoods around here. Took my paddle board out like it needed to for a long time......

& I feel GOOD. I feel more energized and less like a sloth. I dont need to drink as much coffee. I might not be super skinny yet....but I am determined to wear my jeans comfortably again!! & vow never to let myself get that way again......Cheers to healthy living=)

(Another post about Inangs<3 going away later)a

Almost a Year later..

Realizing that in less than a month, will make a year from when I made a crazy decision to live out here.

Today I went somewhere called China Walls by myself (pictured to the left). There's a huge south swell on Oahu, so it was like having my own front row seat to the huge waves. It was seriously amazing, never seen anything like it.

Anyways, while I was there I couldnt help but stare off into the horizon...thinking how I ended up somewhere in the middle of the Pacific ocean...sitting there alone...made me think a lot. I guess today I had one of those days where I was missing the life I used to live. Not paying rent, and going on vacation at least every other month--haha! Having way more than a handful of friends that were just a phone call away to have dinner or a drink, just hang out. Having family around is a big thing too, I guess. Lynnlynn was in town for a couple weeks, and while I totally didnt enjoy having her friends around (lol), I must admit that it was so comforting to have family in my presence. I guess I have that withdrawal feeling I always get when theyre around, and then suddenly not, haha. It's kind of lonely for a minute!! haha. Like doo doo dooo ::twiddle my fingers::

But I cannot say that I regret being here. I actually really like it! But today I got to thinking, hmm...I wonder for how long I can do it? When am I gonna get that Island fever?? I guess I'll go lease by lease, haha. And right now, the only way I see myself being here forever is if I happen to get knocked up and start my family here. Oh Lord, i don't wanna think about it. Oh did I forget the marriage part? haha, yes! Speaking of, Mike has surprisingly stuck around...haha. It's been over a year with only him, so thats really record-breaking for me, puahhaa. We are really two verry different people, but somehow it works. Works great. so I guess I can't complain....he's been a really good friend to me out here& I guess thats what means the most to me.

So as much as I want to know God's plan for me like RIGHT now...I know I have to be patient. I don't know how long I will be here. I dont know what Im doing with my life right now, haha. I dont know anything! lol. All I know is that I pray as often as I remember to, to be guided in the right direction. I have learned more and more growing up that I cannot have every answer right away...that what seems impossible to understand at the moment, will have a simple answer revealed in time. So many times I have looked back with such clarity on the decisions I have made in the past, both good&bad, and have been glad with how it has shaped my life today. So I guess there is not a doubt in my mind that there is a reason I'm out here...with daisy, jamie, and amber. There is purpose...we're not just here to have tans & drink:P lol.

Amen.

happy Sunday.

heyy guys..happy sunday!

oahu has been rained out the past few days...on my 4-day weekend off..Just my luck!:P but I did have a lot of relaxing days off. On my last day of work on thursday, I was called in at 3am and was given a patient that I was coding on and off from the time I arrived to 630 AM--I was soo ready for a break and a few days off...!!! I played pool friday night, watched a movie Saturday afternoon..Sel donado was in town...then we went to the Shack on Saturday night.

Todaaay...i slept..slept somemore...cooked some shrimp..did laundry..cleaned my room..read my boook...Ahh--perfect:)

I wanna go home again. Im thinking May...and again in June-July for the birth of my niece...and maybe del mar fair if it all coincides!

Anyways, been havin a lot on my mind....so it was good to do nothing. I will leave you here with some pictures....

PICTURES FROM WHALEWATCHING/SNORKELING

BBQ AT SANDYS

KAUAI TRIP

WHEN MICHELLE WAS IN TOWN

new year

Aloha!

So, it's 2011! Wow, how does time pass by this quickly?? Anyways, back in December had a great trip back home--was able to fulfill all my homesickness and come back here with a better attitude. I will always miss my family...but I know it's only a phonecall or skype away..or if i really need it.. a 5 hour flight=)

Work. has been good, getting better still. I am much more comfortable around my coworkers which matters the most to me...learning peoples faces..clicking with certain coworkers. the other day though...had a family member dislike me cuz I was not from Hawaii--how annoying. it was difficult to deal with...but at the same time, I was over it and tried not to let it bug me. Some people will be stuck in their ways here..so bleh, my life goes on :P

Home. coming back here, i try not to let anything bother me anymore. my roommates are all cool--different personalities. i still like the neighborhood we live in--nice view, hikes and beaches soo close by, all the shops accessible. only thing that drives me crazy is traffic--dont wanna get into that!

Fitness. been trying to get into this lately. soo far its been going good, i guess! haha. been doing couple hikes....running with daisy around our marina..or around diamond head. nice change of scenery. gym is literally down the block..thinking about picking up some weight classes...but well see! im not skinny tho..by any means! Lol.

Fun. surprisingly been less on the drinking tip than I used to. I cant drink anymore as much as I used to. well I can..but Ill be so ridiculously hung over that I get traumatized. My better idea of fun lately has been the whole beach thing...getting into the water..exploring the island...trying to find hobbies that are fitting to me--and then getting so tired that I cant even go out to drink at night! haha. Like today, me Jamie and Amber drank a few at Bellows...and night swam/attempted body surfed (lol) in the beach..that was a first! Came home and knocked the fck out--there goes my Saturday night! Also, went tandem surfing with Mike las week and was able to stand up on a few baby waves which was fun too! Tomorrow is probowl, were not going..so were gonna go beach and snorkel..try out Stand up paddle boarding. Should be fun! If I like it I wanna get one...and I think Jamie wants a body board to play in the waves..lol. So been having a lot of fun....i still like to go out occasionally..just hate wasting my precious days off hungover in bed! & did i mention the bar tabs?!! haha.

Etc. had another resolution to save money. so i have this whole budgeting thing so i can pay off my debt and save money...haha, i hope it works! all in all, have a healthier attitude being out here. feel blessed. looking forward to visitors, ahem. learning things about myself and growing in ways i probably dont realize for myself at this moment!

i miss you guys! 143.