Week 9: 2/26-3/4

Sunday: Hapuna Beach Trip

I woke up super early so I could go to Hapuna Beach with my friends. We left school around 8 am to go to the beach. A lot of our friends went scuba diving last night so we had to go around the island instead of going on saddle road. It takes a little longer but it is very pretty and worth the extra hour drive. We got to Hapuna around 10 am and had the whole day to soak up the sun. We played volleyball, soccer, Frisbee, laid out in the sun and swam. I think my favorite part of the day was getting to swim in the waves. The Waves were SOOO Big! It was crazy how big they were; they would come up and make the tunnel and crash. It was so much fun!!!!! Stefanie, Hannah, Vickie, Elizabeth and I were in the zone where the waves would break and we would go tossing and tumbling. The rip current was pretty strong which made it even more fun. Because we were able to ride the waves really really great and then at times we would crash with them. It was a BLAST. It actually helped make my butt feel better, or at least I think it did, I really can’t tell how my butt is doing it still hurts. I think I will have a broken butt for a while. Alicia ended up getting shaved ice too because it was so hot. I got to eat some it too; it was strawberry pineapple. Then we swam some more, sun bathed and listened to music. We stayed there until about 2:30 before we left to go to Waimea to get food and head back to campus. As always, I rode in the fun van with Kailah. We always listen to her carpool play list and listen to music and dance. Today was fun because Jessie, Elizabeth, Fiona, Caitlyn and a couple other girls would scream BRIDGE every time we crossed a bridge it was so much fun! When we got back we had dinner as a big group, I showered and went to bed.

Monday: Preparing for Ashley

Today in my classes, we continued to talk about demigods and the akua of Hawaii. We got a new assignment to do a report on a demigod or goddess. I was assigned Hina the goddess of the moon. As soon as I find out and get a chance to do some research I will tell you all about her. In Aquaculture, we went over aqua plant management. After my classes, I did some homework, spent the day studying for my midterms later in the week and started to clean my room. Ashley will be here in 5 days! Who hoo! Then I went paddling, ate dinner with friends, went to bible study, then studied some more and went to sleep.

Tuesday: Walk

In my global change class, we were given an assignment to collect all of our plastic trash for next Tuesday and that we are then going to do something with it. Today I haven’t produced any trash which is good, but I will let you know what my total is next week. In my geology class, we finished up going over how to monitor Volcanos and then started to review for my exam next Tuesday. In my coral reef class, we talked more about corals on the community level and the different types of reactions that go on there. After classes I studied more for my exams and just relaxed. Michaela and I studied together for both exams. Around 10 pm we were so hungry and thirsty that we went to munches and grabbed a smoothie. I got passion fruit and it was really good. After that we went back to our dorms studied some more and then I went to bed. 4 days to go!!

Wednesday: Studying

Today I studied for a long time after my classes. Today in Ohana we watched a movie and talked about demigods again and then in Aquaculture we talked about Trace elements in the water and studied for our exam on Friday. When I was out of class I grabbed a quick lunch at BCM’s free lunch, went and did some research on Hina, where I found out she lives in Hilo and has many different body forms including the moon, rainbows, a calabash and all sorts of places. I then went back to my room to do laundry, clean my room and study for my global change midterm. Michaela and I studied together again and just relaxed. I went to bed early tonight since I had an exam at 8:30 in the morning. Also 3 days to go!

Thursday: Midterm Exam

Today was the day. I had my first exam in my global change class. I think it went really well, it was multiple choice and short answer. I think I knew most of the material though there were a few things I was not sure about. After words, I went to my volcanoes class and we reviewed for the midterm the entire time. We played a really fun card game my teacher actually came up with. You can buy the game at the store at the volcano national park. Then I ate lunch with Michaela and went to my coral reef ecology class. When that was done, Michaela and I walked over to the NSE office to see about signing her up for an exchange. She is looking at coming to USC; wouldn’t that be the coolest thing ever! We could go to school together for another semester! I also had to drop of my present for Kimberly with Kadian that way I could surprise her! After that we spent the day and night studying in the library for our Aquaculture exam tomorrow morning. We took a break to get dinner and then went right back to studying.

Friday: Midterm Exam Lei Making

My Ohana class today ended up not happening. My teacher never showed up so I got in use the 15-minute rule which was AWESOME! It felt so weird leaving class early. I have never gotten to use that rule before. So, I spent my time studying for my exam I had in the next class. After my exam, I spent the day cleaning and relaxing, studying and making flash cards for my Volcanoes and Earthquakes midterm exam I have on Tuesday. Then around 5:30 in the afternoon, I went and grabbed dinner and then hung out with Emma the rest of the night. We watched a Spanish telenovela, made the Aloha sign for Ashley because she will be here in 1 DAY!! Emma also taught me how to make another type of lei so I could give it to Ashley! It’s still a Hilo braid, but instead of just twisting, you cut up some of the leaves into strips and weave them through. It was so much fun and easy to do once I got the steps down. We also just talked the night away. Josiah came by for a little while and talked to us too. It was really fun just to hang out together!

Saturday: ASHLEY ARRIVED!!!!!!

Today was a good day…no scratch that it. It was a GREAT day! No, it was a SUPERCALIFRAGOLISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS kind of day. It was one of the BEST DAY YET! I stared the day super early and went with the outdoor adventure club to go whale watching outside of Hilo Bay. It was a ton of fun. Candace, Paige, and I were on the bow of the ship the entire time. We switched from standing at the front, to sitting right under the captain driving the boat. While we were out we saw about 8 whales. 8 WHALES! Their flukes where coming out of the water and we saw them from a distance. It was AMAZING and so BEAUTIFUL! Whales are magnificent. They are so much fun to watch! We were out on the water for about 3 hours. It was so relaxing and a great way to spend my morning. When we got back I showered and got ready for Ashley to come. I have been counting down the days until I would get to see her. I can’t believe she is coming to visit. Someone needs to pinch me I must be dreaming. Around 1:30 Hannah came to my room to get ready to go to the airport. Her sisters were also coming in today so we went with each other to the airport to pick them up. Hannah’s sisters came in first and I got pictures for her. About 30 minutes late Ashley got in. She didn’t see me at first partially because she wasn’t expecting to see me; see I surprised her I told her I couldn’t get her at the airport but that there were Taxi’s she could take (I am so mean but I knew I was going to pick her up so it was worth the surprise!) The look on her face was great! I am SOOOO excited she is here. After we picked her up Hannah dropped us off at my dorm and then Anita took Ashley and I to get food at Wiki Fresh, which is Hawaii’s Chipotle. It’s very good and so fresh. After that, we went to get ice shave (Shaved iced but in Hilo it’s called ice shave, they like to be different J ) from Brain freeze. It was so good. I have guava, Passion fruit, lychee. It was so yummy! I got to make the rainbow! Make sure if you come to Hawaii to order a kiddie size because the small is bigger than my head. It took me a good 45 minutes to eat it all, but it was so worth it. When we finished, we went for a drive around Hilo and showed Ashley some of the city. Then we went back to my dorm and the two of us just talked and watched shows and hung out just like we do back at USC. After that we went to bed cause both of us were so tired.

#Hapuna #Leis #WhaleWatching #AshleyMadeIt