Today I got my permit and bought my first car… it was a milestone of a day. I was pretty nervous about going in to take the test. I studied about a month ago but haven’t touched or reviewed the manual since then. On the drive there my boyfriend gave me some helpful hints and calmed me down because I was freaking out, more so because I didn’t want to fail the test in front of him and look like an idiot. After an hour and a half I walked out of the station with my permit and lots of pride. I am pretty stoked and the best part about it is that in two days I can take the road test and get my driver’s license. I am turning 18 baby!! I met up with my dad at the car dealership to look at some cars following that. The dealer showed me some small girly cars but it just didn’t create a spark for me. Instead I ended up with the biggest truck in the lot, a Chevy Silverado in a sexy dark blue, haha. I absolutely love it and am so excited! Everybody watch out because here I come!
After almost a month of traveling I am home. I was so anxious to be back that I was pacing back and forth and sweating bullets waiting for my dad to pick me up from the airport. I was so relieved and estatic when I finally saw him pull up. It was one of the best feelings in the world to wrap my arms around him again. We talked the whole way home, giggling about all the craziness that had gone on. I got to see my little sister’s beautiful face again when I picked her up from school and she filled me in with all her gossip. She is playing volleyball, running for President and eating lots of yummy chocolate;) Very exciting isn’t it? We went surfing together this morning before school and were blessed with this beautiful rainbow. I just got this cool new app on my iPhone that takes really neat looking pictures so here are a few. Enjoy!
Have you ever felt so ugly that you didn’t want to leave the house so that nobody would see you? Well that is exactly how I felt when I got back from Indonesia. Either while on the boat or on the way home I contracted Impetigo on my face. I had yellow crusted blisters that burned all over my chin and I felt absolutely miserable. On top of that I decided to get a haircut AND perm it straight. Not such a smart idea since my hair is already fried and out of control. While at the hair salon the hair stylist forgot me under the dryer, my hair fried, and is ruined forever. In short I left the place crying and every day I have to pin it up so it doesn’t frizz out of control. If your having trouble picturing it I look like I am turning twelve with my bangs tied behind my ear. I know looks are definitely not everything but as a girl I do think it is important to look pretty because it makes you feel good. I was sort of down in the dumps, complaining and dwelling on the negatives for awhile and it really did take a toll on me. I ended up getting sick and frustrated, couldn’t surf and had to stay home and sleep. But enough of that, time to move forward. Today I decided to make a list of the things that I am thankful for, to try and focus on the positive things in my life. I have a great family, an awesome boyfriend, I can run, walk, smell, see, feel, taste and appreciate the world around me. I get to travel to amazing places, do something that I love and make a difference in this world. The last thing that I put on my list was that I have a beautiful smile:) The funniest part was that when my dad came upstairs to to read my list he looked at my BEAUTIFUL smile and starts laughing. Why? Well while I was writing, I was resting my lips on the back of the pen which was leaking ink and I had black all over my face! Luckily… I was able to wash it off quite easily. At least it made for a good laugh and lightened up the mood. I leave for California tomorrow night for the US Open. I am very excited. Despite what I look like on the outside, however important that may be, it’s the beauty and confidence from within that makes me who I am.
We finally got a miracle plane out of Tahiti four days late. I know I sound so excited to leave such an exotic place it’s just that when you are set to go home and can’t, it sucks. Everyone on the plane was cheering when we landed in LA.
Traveling has really gotten me to appreciate my time at home. I have to make the most out of every moment I have because I will be gone again before I know it. I spent last Saturday with my boyfriend and our sisters. We drove out to the North Shore together, jumped off the rock at Waimea, raided Foodland, got washed around in the shore break at Pipe and had a dance party on the beach. It was a blast. The next sibling day we want to make a jello pool and throw pies in each others faces. It sounds kind of weird but I have oddly always wanted to do it.
The ten days at home went by in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it I was on a plane to Indonesia for a Nike 6.0 boat trip. Because Tahiti went a little long my dad had to stay home and I flew solo. It’s a lot different not having my dad around. He is usually my little piece of home on the road that keeps me comfortable and happy. Luckily I had my girls, Coco, Monyca and Laura to keep me company. Dusty, Kai, Michelle, Nat and Gabriel were the boys on our boat. The crew was great, everyone got along really well, the boat was nice and the food was delicious.
There wasn’t much swell while we were there which was a little disappointing but we managed to find some really fun and playful waves. A few days were flat and I took the stand up paddle board to the beach and found some really nice shells. Between SUPing, movie watching and Backgammon we kept ourselves busy.
We had an epic dance party on 4th of July. A few people got thrown over and we lit broken boards on fire in honor of US independence. The tradition is to party really hard and the surf will be good the next day. We tried our best but unfortunately the surf didn’t get any better. On the last day of our trip the swell finally arrived and we went to Greenbush. The swell was a little off so I decided to sit that one out but the boys made it really exciting to watch.
Home sweet home again! Off to the US Open in two weeks!!! 
After my experience in New Zealand I was really inspired to speak in chapel at school. Chapel is a place where students have the opportunity to share their gifts and stories with the rest of the class. I took this opportunity to reflect and share the magic and magnificence and love I found in New Zealand. This is the speech I wrote. I apologize if it sounds repetitive, I took the first two paragraphs from an earlier post I had written. Hope you like it:)
Love is intangible. You can’t physically touch it or hold on to it but you can feel it. It is a strong power that makes the world go round, what motivates us and improves us. It is our life’s mission is to love and be loved. We are driven by our love for something or someone. It is what lights the flame and sustains the fire within us on our journey to fulfill our personal legend.
I have just embarked on my own journey. Ever since I was little I wanted to be the best surfer in the world and my time has finally come to contend for a world title. I have been training to best prepare myself for the start of the tour and it hasn’t been easy. About a month ago I was starting to doubt if I really wanted to go thru with this and put everything I have into something that is not definite. There was a period of frustration and negativity because I wasn’t following my heart, I was fighting it. My love for surfing and the ocean runs deeper than anything but my fear of failing was holding me back.
After finishing equal ninth in my first two events I went to New Zealand with the hope that being in a new place would provide a new beginning. There was a lot of downtime, plenty of time for reflection. I got pretty homesick and was losing motivation. Struggling to find the right frame of mind, I took inspiration from the the Maori people. They might not have a wealth of material objects but just the company of each other and their love for surfing is enough. In the beginning of the week the boys did a traditional Haka for me, a chant that prepares a warrior for battle. They promised to help me paddle my canoe and give me strength. As the week progressed, our bond grew and my anxiety faded. Right before the final, the whole surf club stood before me on the beach and did one last Haka. Their feet planted firmly in the sand, their eyes glowed with purpose, their voices sang loud and strong and their bodies danced with intense passion. I felt something run thru my body, I don’t know exactly what it was but it was a tingle of something special. All I can say is that the past and the future became unimportant. Nothing else mattered. There was only that moment and us. I felt them out in the water. I wasn’t nervous about finding the right waves, falling or the result. Everything felt right. That week, especially that day I experienced what the power of love and people together acting as one can do. I connected with these people, I learned, laughed and played and found pure, true happiness. Life is full.
I believe in living life to the fullest. What do I mean by this? What does it mean to live a full life? I believe that love is the most important thing in the world and that a life of love is a full one. I believe in people and the power of love. I learned from the people in New Zealand that true happiness comes from the love that we share with those around us. I will never forget the precious moments of laughing, smiling and playing together. The pure joy I got when I was late for my plane because the line of hugs to the ticket counter was never ending. Material objects provide an instant gratification that doesn’t last long. Live in the moment and cherish the people that surround you everyday. Those memories will last forever. Love can do anything and everything. If you love and believe in yourself and embrace the journey you can overcome all things.
The journey we have shared together here at Punahou has been a tremendous one. It has been an amazing time filled with learning, lessons, magic and magnificence. It saddens me to think that we are all going separate ways soon but I am comforted by the thought of the next wonderful chapter we are about to open. I am looking forward to standing with all of you on June 5th as one graduating class of 2010. I feel so lucky to be apart of such a special group of inspiring, talented, intelligent, creative, and beautiful individuals.
This is by no means the end, it is only the beginning. Before I left New Zealand the surf club gave me a book of love notes. One of them wrote about the Koru which is a fern found in the New Zealand bush. The infinite spiral is a symbol of Maori energy that transpires forever thru connections. The connection between us is strong and will remain where ever you are. Never forget the love we shared. Continue to live with passion and purpose and light up the world.
