Week 47

   Ok, I lied, Hide and Seek wasn't my last romance novel.  It's funny how red in the face I was when I went back into that used bookstore. I felt like that teenage boy sneaking into the curtained off adult area of a video store.  Instead, I was in the back room of a bookstore, in the Romance section. After grabbing a few more creatively titled books with puffed up and bare chested men prominently displayed on the covers( at the bargain price of $1 a pop), I threw in a few normal fictions for good measure. I stacked them on top of the racy covers, just like one of those trips to a drug store where you hide the box of condoms under a pile of magazines and shampoo, looking around nonchalantly as the clerk rings you up.
  I am slightly relieved however, because I have yet to begin reading any other libidinous literature. Nope, I have those books tucked away for safe keeping.  I'll save them for a rainy night. When my friends are watching farmer Chris hand out fantasy suite envelopes I'll be learning about Isabella Valdez's attraction to her dark and mysterious boss, Fallon Jones.

   I also think I may of scared myself when I came home with a bag full of romance novels. My life suddenly flashed before my eyes. I envisioned a frightful scene: alone, mesmerized and transfixed in a world that revolved around Fabios, Damiens, and damsels in distress. Yes, I can believe it's not butter.  So, I am very pleased to announce that I kicked myself in my own behind and I've been making a valiant effort to go out, hobnob with locals and leave my books hidden in the depths of my wardrobe closet.

  This last week I've spent numerous nights out on the town instead of at home reading. I even dared myself to go out to a bar alone in a dress! I really don't understand why I've found it so difficult to rally my confidence to fly solo here. I'm used to going out stag all the time when I travel halfway across the world to foreign cities! Yet, for some reason, here in Hawaii, I've been feeling like a shy little scaredy-cat. But a few nights ago, I threw on my favorite Patagonia dress, shoved a plumeria behind my ear and gave myself a proper pep talk, "Sarah, come on, you are living in Hawaii, go meet people! This is not a big deal. You've done this a million times before. Be yourself, mingle, smile. Just go to a bar and strike up conversations with some locals. You totally got this!" Well, let me  just walk you through the events of that night:

   I sat down at the bar. I ordered a big glass of the lightest beer I could see. Yes, I'd like a PBR, please. I then caught a glimpse of a guy a few barstools down from me. I quickly spouted out with a very cheery voice, " Hi I'm Sarah!! I just moved here, and I don't know anybody!"
  As soon as it came out of my mouth, I was kicking myself. Geez, that sounded so dorky! Oh, and the response was even more mortifying. In my moment of nerves, I had failed to notice this dude's grumpy disposition. He glanced over at me rather annoyed, and mumbled, "Hi."  Frowning and uninterested in any sort of conversation, he promptly returned to his beer. Trouble with Paradise? That's a good book title, perhaps he should read it.
     At that point, I was wondering how long it would take for me to down my beer and make a b-line for the front door. Luckily, not long after that ultimate fail of a social interaction, a very friendly guy accompanied by a huge Newfoundland, sat beside me and salvaged the situation. He introduced himself and we talked for a good portion of the night. By golly, I think I made a friend because I met him again the following night for another PBR and some more casual bar banter.

   Oh and I almost forgot to announce another very important event of this week! SPAM. Yes, Spam, I tried it for the very first time! My friend Paige had the day off on Saturday, so we went snorkeling with sea turtles and then chowed down on some fish tacos(I'm making it my personal mission to find and sample all the fish tacos here, thus determining the best place to get a fish taco on the island). Earlier in the day I had a very successful meeting with the owner of a very prominent gallery. I can now say that I'm officially selling my art in Hawaii! It was a big reason to celebrate so Paige bought us a bottle of champagne for toasting. Since neither of had ever sampled this condensed and canned delicacy known to the world as Spam, we decided to pair it with our champagne for dessert(why not?). When in Rome...right? So, when in Hawaii, try Spam. Since we're both new to island living, it seemed only reasonable to give the Hawaiian State staple a try. And the verdict is...yeah...don't eat it out of the can, it's better fried. Also, I think I'll stick to fish tacos for now.

Although it's hard to tell, I am wearing a dress in this picture(a turquoise silk one). My new friend and landlord, Marika, invited me to her community center's potluck event. I imagine you have a clue to the theme given this picture and the pending big turkey day tomorrow.  I even tried some traditional treats: poi, breadfruit, and raw crab. 

Week 46

   So somehow, somewhere, along the journey across the Pacific ocean to get to Hawaii, I seemed to have lost a week. Yes, a mysterious week has vanished, and what I thought was Week 46, is really Week 47. I blame the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. Oh wait, shoot, wrong ocean, maybe there's a Pacific Triangle that swallowed my lost week? Anyway, I figured I better hurry up and and throw an extra post to the mix.
 
    For a while this blog felt like homework, but now its back to feeling like the fun little project I started many moons ago. Now it's my link to the mainland, a coconut radio to connect with friends and family across an ocean. Hellllloooo?? Anybody out there?? Nah, just kidding, I don't feel that alone; I've been so lucky to be constantly talking and staying in close contact with so many of you! And thanks for that, I need it indeed!
 
    But on that note, I have discovered new ways to entertain myself for sure. I don't have a TV and I'm actually very happy with not having one. I find myself being way more productive and I get a lot done. But still, I'm realizing I need some down time, some time when I can rest my brain and focus on something that requires little effort. I have a stack of inspirational books that I brought with me and I purchased another few at a used book store as well. But honestly, as much as I love the stuff, that kind of reading still requires a significant amount of focus and brain power to get through. No, I need an easy read, equivalent to The Bachelor, Project Runway, or the Real Housewives of Orange County. 
 
  The other day I returned to my now favorite used book store located in the heart of Lahaina. Looking for a mystery or good fiction, I found myself in the Romance novel section. Oh yes, soppy and melodramatic romance novels definitely equate to an episode of the Bachelor and a Rose Ceremony. I figured, what the heck, why not? I  decided to pick one with the sexiest of covers: A long haired pony-tailed man clutching the shoulders of a beautiful and busty blonde. It also had the most enticing of titles: Hide and Seek ( by the best selling author of In Too Deep) Oh Boy. And Oh Yes. I picked out a few other reads in the fiction section and returned to my place. I decided to start slow before I dove into a game of hide and seek and began with a fiction titled: Trouble with Paradise. 
   Well.....it turns out this book was misfiled because it should have been sitting right next to Hide and Seek in the romance section with all the other cheese and corn dogs. Oh, but man, oh man! Don't knock it till you try it!  I must have been starved for some reality TV rated reading, because I literally sat from 5:30 pm until midnight reading 300 glorious pages of delicious entertainment. Oh yes, I finished that book in one night. I mean come on, it was about a young woman who was shipwrecked on a Fijian island with a handsome and very tan French doctor, I was hooked at "tall, dark, mysterious and brooding" and "solid hard body".

   After that saucy novel, I'm embarrassed to admit I'm thirsty for more and I'm looking forward to reading that other book. My only fear is that I'll get way too into this mushy romance literature, and become a full on addict, shut away from the world and engulfed in a life of fantasy. I moved to Hawaii. I'm on  my own tropical island with plenty of bronzed and toned men prancing around the white sand beaches. They may not be French doctors, but they're real. And I really hope I can find one that doesn't prance.  No, I can't hide away in my apartment, sitting in my reading nook. NO, NO, NO! I refuse to make this a habit! I'm going out in a dress and meeting new people! Men in real life aren't going to barge into my apartment, rip me away from my book, through me over their shoulder and take me off into their jungle lair(Me, Tarzan, you Jane). I have to make a solid effort to get out more. Nope, I'm cutting myself off, this will be the last one...I mean it, really I do.

Oh dear. I took a selfie with a romance novel. I know, right? But, at least I wore a red dress for all the fiery content, eh? Grrrrrr! This was not my original dress mission, I'm promising myself from this day forward, no more selfie dress shots with books either. 

Week 45

   A lot has changed in this last week. I no longer consider my smart phone a good friend and my other buddies have been exiled to my lanai.  Siri  has led me astray on a number of occasions. First, she guided me down a dirt road through a sugar cane field on my way to visit a friend on her goat farm. I thought it was strange to be driving in the middle of nowhere, through rows of towering high sugar cane, but I figured perhaps it was normal, because I was in Hawaii, going to a farm. But when the road got muddy and bumpy, I reminded myself that I was no longer driving a truck, rather a Honda Civic. I decided to ignore Siri and began to turn around, but then I got stuck in the mud. Yep, thanks a lot Siri. Luckily, I was able to get my car out myself and then called my friend to learn that no, her farm was not on a dirt path, but rather a paved road, perfectly suitable for a 2 wheel-drive vehicle. Later in the week, Siri proceeded to direct me to turn onto a one way street against oncoming traffic. Using my common sense I rejected her navigation and I've decided that my smart phone is not so smart. I've concluded that it's better to look at maps or ask locals on this island if I need help with directions. I was also looking forward to proudly announcing how it's hard to get lost anyways, because I'm on an island! But recently I've discovered that not to be the case. Not every road is always well marked here. It is true that when I see the ocean verses a mountain, I can orient myself pretty well though. One would hope, right?

   And yes, my new plants, my buddies: Wilson #1 and Wilson #2( my friend Ross inspired those names with reference to the movie Cast Away) no longer keep me company inside my apartment. Ants. I blame the ants. The Wilsons attracted a parade of ants, so I paraded them outside to my lanai, sorry dudes.

    But even though I've lost a robotic friend and my leafy chums,  I've managed to have quite an eventful week. This last week I've befriended five local Hawaiians who took me to their favorite swimming beach, visited a goat farm and a local vodka distillery, finished my website for my art, and applied for and was offered a job working on a snorkel boat!

   The locals I met are great guys, rowdy, fun and super friendly and it feels awesome to be finally meeting some people. I imagine it was quite a funny sight for the tourists to behold as well. Picture this: A big group of tanned locals tromping down the beach with a giddy haole girl gleefully running behind them.
 
  After ignoring Siri's directions, I finally made it to my friend Paige's goat cheese farm where she's interning and learning how to make cheese. It was a rainy day (hence the getting-stuck-in-the mud activity I experienced earlier in the day) so after playing with some baby goats we decided that sampling some local organic vodka at her neighboring distillery was a wonderful rainy day activity.

   After many, many hours of re-sizing photos, editing, and uploading, I can feel very accomplished and proudly announce I finished my very own website!That now means I can feel like a super professional artist and hopefully go around and get my art selling in local galleries!

   I was also productive and found what sounded like my dream side-job, working on a snorkel boat. My informal "interview" was a very full day on the boat. I got to drive the boat, catered to awesome tourists, snorkeled with sea turtles, and watched spinner dolphins. Umm, yes please? Can this be my life? I could get paid to do that?! Yeah well, I learned quickly it was not as stellar as it first seemed. My future would-be-boss, never paid me for essentially working for those 11 hours. He did "split" the tips from the day, although I noticed him pocket some extra cash. Also, after he said I got the job if I wanted it, I learned I would be on a 1099 form, not a W2. I was on a 1099 back in college when I worked for another seedy honcho at a Sailing Center, so I knew what that would mean. A 1099 form means I'd be hired as an independent contractor (a way for him to cut corners with taxes), I'd have no overtime pay, I'd be responsible for taking out my own taxes, and most importantly there'd be no workers comp if I got injured working on the boat. After he had me free diving 15 ft. to hook the boat up to anchor spots with no experience equalizing my ears, I realized that probably wouldn't be a wise move for me to accept the job. So, sleazy boss adverted, and the search continues.

  So, I surmise that describes a busy week. I'm still on the hunt for a good job. I think the Wilsons like being outside and I no longer talk to my feeble-minded phone, just people on the other end of it (sorry to name call Siri-but you had that coming). I'm starting to make some friends and I've also been wearing my dresses and finally got a picture in one so here it is:

This is my beach. Well, its not my beach but it's the one I can call my own because it's across the street from my place and I usually end up here at least once a day. It's a great spot for sea turtles, sunsets, and sipping a morning coffee. 

Oh yes, and here's my website if you haven't seen it already and want to check it out:

sarahwilliamscollections.com 

Week 44

   I realize that it's been over eight years since I lived alone! I almost forgot what this felt like. The first night alone in my new place I gleefully texted my mom and announced, “ I’m starting to put things away and it feels amazing to decide where to put everything…I could store my utensils in the bathroom or put my underwear in the kitchen cabinet!”

   Having my own space does feel wonderful, and I love having the freedom to put things wherever I choose. However, I decided against storing kitchen utensils in the bathroom and so on. But again, I like that I have the option to keep my panties in the pantry if I so desire! Also, I've decided to go with a turquoise theme for my place. No surprise there, right? Turquoise is my favorite color, the color of the ocean in Hawaii! And guess what?? I’m actually in Hawaii!! I've found such joy in discovering little turquoise treasures. However, my definition of 'treasures' has suddenly changed. This week I decided against purchasing an overpriced pillow that was turquoise and had an image of a mermaid on it and the words DREAM written across it. It was as if it was made just for me! But a throw pillow is not on my priority list, and I'm suddenly so careful with the money I spend. Who the heck am I??
      Instead of mermaid pillows, sea shell candles, or flowing sundresses, I find myself looking for things like cleaning supplies, cookware, and lamps. I did, however, discover some very important necessities in my favorite color and it gave me quite the thrill. I found bath towels, shower curtains, sheets and a bath mat at Walmart that were all the color of the ocean HERE! I may have even let out a squeal when I found Dial soap at Longs that was Aqua colored.

   But with the perks, also comes some disadvantages.  Being alone and new to a place where I don’t know more than a few people is a big adjustment. I trust that I’ll meet people and make friends, but I miss all my friends and family immensely that are now 3000 miles away! I’m not embarrassed to announce that I've bonded with my smart phone. It has kept me connected to all my homies back home. Anytime I get a text or hear that familiar email alert,  'ding ding', I jump up with excitement to see who it is (keep ‘em coming please!).
     I've even started talking back to Siri when she guides me around the island. For some reason, her pronunciations of the Hawaiian-named roads always sound hilarious to me. Sometimes she is spot on, and I think Siri is a local, guiding me like a wise Polynesian goddess. Other times, she is so way off I laugh out loud. The other day, on the way to Costco, I started correcting Siri as she was giving me directions. “ No Siri, Hal-ee-ak-ala Road, not Houl-eek-kk-all-aaa Road!”
   Yes, I talk to my phone. I also talk to my plants. After dropping my mom off at the airport with a teary send-off, one of the first things I did was drive myself to Lowes and purchase three plants. There’s something about foliage that just makes any place feel more like a home. I don’t have names for them yet, but I ask them daily if they have enough water. Now… if only I could find a turquoise plant!!

   So, I have my ups and my downs. For the last few mornings I wake up and usually feel an initial wave of anxiety in my new place. I try to just talk myself through it and acknowledge that it's ALL GOOD, that it’s probably normal to be feeling a wee bit anxious with such a big life change.  The feeling usually subsides early afternoon ( I've discovered that swimming in the ocean often fixes me pretty swiftly).
   I've also become somewhat of a clean freak! I sweep and vacuum and I do my dishes not longer than 5 minutes after I've placed them in the sink. Perhaps it’s pride in having my own space? I'm sorry that I wasn't this super tidy with my roommate...or more likely my roommate is sorry.  But I’m not just clean, I feel like I have a little OCD too. For example, when I leave my apartment I always check to make sure the lights are off and that I unplug my appliances. I start to drive away, doubt myself, drive home and recheck that the lights are off and that the stove top is not on! This happens routinely even though I know that I already checked everything twice before I left!

  But again, I say, "Thank you ocean for keeping me calm!"As soon as I jump in the water that’s the best color in the world I feel my stress lift and any doubts just float away. I've seen more sea turtles here in this last week then I've ever seen in Maui before. It’s like they know I need their support and they give me a ‘what up’ nod. This last Tuesday I was swimming at Kapalua Bay and the biggest turtle I've ever seen swam right next to me, adjacent to the shore. He was just chillin' and I was chillin' and it was beautiful.

Wearing dresses here isn't a problem. I've just been living in my Prana cotton dresses over and over again. The only humdinger is now I have to ask strangers to take my picture and I haven't really been on top of that this week. I plan on doing it next week, but I decided against putting any extra pressure on myself for the time being. My only goal for this week was to take some time to adjust and settle into my new home. So, instead of dress pictures, I'll just leave you with this one picture that I recently discovered.

SEE? I was clearly meant to be an island girl from a very young age. I'm not wearing a dress, but I have enough layers going on that they almost qualify as one. 

Week 43

   I have an apartment now; my own little one-bedroom. I have a bed; it was delivered two days ago. I have a car, a cute little Honda Civic I've named Kaia (I've decided that she's related to my old truck Kai who I sold to my Dad back in California). So, I finally feel like I can begin to settle because I've got the three essentials: a home, a bed, and a mode of transportation. Oh wait, I take it back, I have the four essentials: a home, a bed, a mode of transportation, and a suitcase full of dresses. Anyway, this gigantic weight has been lifted off my shoulders and now I can just nest and explore my new island. Mind you, I still feel like I'm riding an emotional roller coaster, but now it feels more like that kiddie dragon ride at the County Fair rather than the Top Gun ride at Great America. I'm realizing how moving away from all my friends and family is a big freakin' deal and it's really hard! But each day I feel my anxiety dissipate and my excitement grow for my new life here. 

    A big reason my anxiety is beginning to subside is because I have a place, a really nice place. It was quite the adventure finding it and I had to go WAY over my originally planned budget. I feel like I should have been on an episode of House Hunters! Well, it would have been an episode with the most predictable of outcomes.

   Did she go with the 200 sq. ft 'luxury' studio apartment in the heart of Lahaina Town; a complex where she met a tenant that told her about the fighting and drugs within the complex?  Or did Sarah pick the budget friendly 1-bedroom which was managed by a very sweet, although suspiciously methed-up landlady who may have mentioned a door on a unit was being replaced because of an angry boyfriend meeting it with his fist?  Or did Sarah go over budget with the newly renovated, 1 bedroom with a lanai and located outside the city center... in one of the safest areas on the island...directly across from the beach? Ding, ding, ding! You're right! Sarah picked option number three! 

    Yep, it was a no-brainer for me. So I have to work extra hard to pay for rent, but it's so worth it. It's perfect. I can walk 4 minutes to get to a fantastic natural food store that has a farmer's market three days a week. Nearby, there are three taco shops, a surf shop, a coffee shop, an acupuncturist/massage studio, a bead supply shop, a fish market, and the best part- the beach that is literally across the street. Oh yeah, yesterday I saw a husky playing in the waves at the beach! That was either the best omen ever or a very overheated dog(more likely both)!

    I'm very happy with my new place and I'm so glad I didn't pick the other options! I learned quickly where the safe areas to live were and what areas to avoid. To think, I could of had a landlady with teeth that were suspiciously decomposing or another one that wanted to rent me her 'luxury' studio apartment sight-unseen because it was being renovated( that smelled a little fishy to me). There were even a few more places I viewed, but they were all the same price as the one I picked with not nearly as many perks or the perfect location.  I'm happy to say that my landlady has already loaned me a toaster, two lamps, a coffee maker, dishes, a curtain, and a vacuum.  I can just imagine the Last Knight Templar telling me the same thing he once advised Indiana Jones, "You have chosen........wisely" 

This dress looks new because it is new. I know, I know ! But wait, don't judge yet, my mom bought it for me at a second hand shop in Paia, so it's new-used so I don't think I need to feel guilty about this inexpensive gift. There will be no more dress shopping for me in the near future, I just plan on wearing the ones still in my suitcase. Instead of garment shopping... I'll be saving for rent.