Its hard to write a lot.

  It is hard to keep this blog up. The last thing I want to do while I am enjoying myself and having lots of fun is sit down and write. I really dislike writing but this will be nice to look back later and remember my travels. It's also great because I can keep my family up to date on what I'm doing and not annoy people with it on other forms of social media. So I will start now on what Ive been doing while slacking on this blog. 
     So. Since I got here I have been struggling to get my phone working. At first it was fighting with AT&T to unlock my phone like they were supposed to have done before I left the US. Finally getting that done I moved on to activating my pay as you go sim card. That they want you to have a telephone number to set up....     Hello! Im trying to GET a telephone number how am I supposed to provide them with one!! I will need to go into town and go to an actual store and set it up. 
     A few days ago I decided it would be nice to get a 4x4 car to get around in instead of going around on transportation. This requires a bank account. I was going to get one anyways but it wasn't an immediate need. Now wanting a car it is.  WELL, apparently you also need a phone number to register your bank account. This is just wonderful and makes no sense to me. I need to go in and talk to my new Australian bank. 
     Buying a car is as difficult as buying a car sounds. It's hard so far I have found a lot  I like but they are overpriced for not having registration and a RWC ( means that the car is safe to drive). 
     On to the fun stuff!! All around town here are little art displays for the art festival going on.
    I am learning to surf, I actually stood up!! 
 On tuesday I made burritos for my HelpX hosts and it was fun. Then on thursday I made quesadillas for them with the leftovers from burrito night. To my shock and horror they had never had nor heard of quesadillas. So I had to explain what  a quesadilla was and how to eat them. Australia really has very little Mexican food and to a Californian this is extremely strange as Mexican is a big part of our diet. 

"An adventure without risk is Disneyland"- Doug Coupland
Disneyland a dream land but this is real adventure.

A Surfing First!

   

Geoff  and Raff took me out to go surfing at Granite, well they surfed and I got to attempt it. 

     The first thing I learned was that the boards are very light for how large they are. 

     The second thing I learned is that the boards are actually quite heavy. It may be light as a feather at first but carrying that board ~5k uphill in bare feet then climbing down the side of a cliff the board seems to just get heavier and heavier as you go. Carrying it back it was even heavier.

     Then Geoff taught me how to use the leg leash and off we went! (I am right handed but board left foot back, apparently this is strange) Paddling out wasn't too hard one you get past the breaking waves. Out there I got to practice sitting up and paddling around trying to stay out of everyone's way. As I got better at that, Geoff said I should try and catch a wave just laying on the board. That attempt sort of failed as will happen with beginners. I totally ate wave and flipped end over end than got ran over at least by my board and maybe Raff. All the joys of learning to surf. I then paddled back out to wait another try. Getting board paddling around and sitting watching the guys I started watching for fish and turtles. There was even some dolphins in the distance.  If you get sea sick I don't recommend doing watching the sea-life and getting distracted. Sad to say I am the first anyone at this house has heard of getting sea sick on a board. I was good enough not to fall off and roll with the waves but I AM lame enough to get sea sick. It was cool watching the fish trying to eat the jellyfish though!  So feeling a bit nauseous I went back to shore to watch the guys finish their surf and back home we went after the obligatory 7/11 run for coffee.

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train" -Oscar Wilde

Hawaii

   

The Inn I stayed at was a lot more sketchy than this picture makes it look. Filters can do amazing things!

  I'm sitting at the airport waiting. Waiting means lots of thinking and facebooking and there are all sorts of things I would like to post; I highly dislike it when people constantly post, especially on vacation.  So in order to remedy this I have decided to create a blog! Just so the reader (probably just my family) knows this is day two. If I were smart (wish I was) I would have started yesterday on this. I would have also remembered that as a solo traveler I can't sunscreen my back.

Wild Chickens!

Rooster wants to ride the waves.

After making it to the other side of Diamondhead rd. there was a pretty rainbow. 

Should have known the clouds and rainbow meant the next minute I had to run for cover it was pouring and I got drenched

   That last sentence is what led me to all this really. The bliss of taking my backpack off of my sunburn that had the knot of my swimsuit rubbing into my sunburned back after walking the Diamond head rd. and back was wonderful.  And thank goodness for buses even IF they are very confusing to a public transit beginner. 

    O'ahu is beautiful, Waikiki is beautiful, the whole beach and area out of the CBD is beautiful, the birds and wildlife are gorgeous even the wild chickens.  I wish I had gone to the Pearl Harbor Memorial but hey, one more reason to come back! After just over 24 hrs I got lots of pretty pictures and when I come back I hope someone/s will be there to share in the fun and maybe sunscreen my back.

Lots of fun,
     Sami

 
“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

Ps. Mom should be proud I used my hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen everywhere I could reach. I'm making progress already!