Wastin away again in margaritaville

Aloha,

So I spent three weeks in Oahu, Hawaii from December 17th to January 5th. I'll post about my teaching experiences on my other blog but let me indulge on here and dibble dabble on my own island living experience.

Stories:

#1: Wastin away again in Margaritaville: As we were finishing up our first big 45 hour week with the kids; myself and two of my friends decided it was time to experience Waikiki and the beach.I spent six days on this island without seeing a beach. I was antsy to say the least. However, I lived on an airforce base and the president was flying to Honolulu that night on airforce one, of course. We didn't know what time, it's all very hush hush but once he lands the whole base is on lock down and nobody can come in or out. We wanted to go out so we were going against the clock. Dressing as fast as possible, running down 9 flights of stairs, people yelling at us from balconies saying that we were never going to make it. But WE DID! WE GOT OUT! This was the start of one of my funnest nights during the trip. We sat on the beach, talked, laughed, told stories, i jumped in the water in my dress, and then we walked. We saw this hawaiian band playing. Beau insisted on them playing Margritaville. As for me, I was high on life, I was near the beach, listening to great music and enjoying the company of my new friends. So I thought what the hell and made beau dance with me to the song. I definitely tripped and fell on the bands equipment. I didn't let that stop me, we continued dancing, but my friends who witnessed this especially Sam, didn't let me live it down.

#2: I work out? For christmas eve and christmas I hung out with ryan,jen,sami,and abby for the most part. We had dinner at the infamous dukes (where I tried Hula pie..for free!) and hard rock cafe (which is a first for me). It was a very relaxing weekend. Went up to northshore and sandy beach to swim. Went on a hike by the 50 first dates lighthouse where we could see miles away in each direction (it was beautiful and green everywhere), walked along cliffs by the ocean, snorkled at hanuama bay, and drove around. Each time we drove the same rhianna song would come on and so would "i'm sexy and I know it". I will always think of hawaii whenever I am fortunate or unfortunate to be graced by these songs. We also saw this hilarious street performer. "This is not easy...This is sexy!".

#3 Western Friday: The last hoorah for the 20 or so of us all together was at the country bar on base. Tried to line dance..for the second time in my life. I remember thinking about life while I was dancing. I'm not a country girl in the least bit but I couldn't help but laugh, smile, and keep on dancing. Isn't that what life is about anyways? You keep on dancing and most importantly smile and enjoy it, even if it isn't your favorite or normal tune. I couldn't help but think about all the tunes I've danced to either, from german ballads on german tables to irish pubs with new friends to rome beds with my bestfriends to margaritaville the pervious week and now this. I realized I haven't just done a lot of dancing, I've done a lot of living!

#4 Aloha 2012 The morning of December 31st started at 6:00am for me, after not getting back from line dancing until 2:00am. As I lay in my heavenly cloud-like bed in my own hotel room, I thought "It's 6:00am on a saturday, I have to pack my 50 lbs worth of things, walk them down a mile of Waikiki to a hostel with a sub par bed, noise, and no air-conditioning. Suffice it to say, that may have been one of the hardest times to get out of bed since Edinburgh circa August 24th. But I did it! unfortunately not everyone else who I was going with stuck with this early plan. Molly and I were the only ones down stairs. We ended up hanging out in her room for about an hour until all of us were ready to jam luggage ( 7 peoples' worth) into Robyn's rental car. We were in such a big hurry that I had to leave my things at their hostel which was a mile away from my own. We went to the swap meet and with a little bit of Laura's awesome but bad influence I spent way too much money there on souvenirs and such. We also, ran into this guy "Frankie" who gave us a $40 bargain on a pub crawl later that night with entry/1 drink at each bar included. Sounds pretty good for New Years Eve, I'd say! Sign us up!! After travelling on a bus back to waikiki from Aloha Stadium it's about 3:30 and I had a checklist before meeting my friends for dinner/pubcrawl. 1. drag my luggage to the other new hostel and check in 2. shower and get ready 3. buy a new years eve dress 4. walk back to their hostel.
So #1 With my drawn out directions, I start heading towards the international market where my hostel is. It's just me, foreign streets, my purple suitcase, duffle bag, ipod, and a time crunch. hmm I've been in this scenario before, it took me back to a place in my heart that I love, I was back in traveler Sarah mode and even with lack of sleep and the hawaiian suns rays touching my every being, I felt oddly alive at that moment. I made it to my hostel, I'm becoming more direction saavy. This started to happen during my second summer due to the lack of travelling with the most brilliant bird in the world (Brigette)! Anyways once I get to hostel I chat with a gay russian receptionist about him turning 21 that night. He was hilarious!
#2 Got to my room, showered, did all the girl things. etc.
#3 Bought a white lacy dress and gold necklace from the BIGGEST forever 21 in the world. It was Amazing! and I'm lucky that my money didn't run out right then and there.
#4 On the road again! back to my friends hostel aka Waikiki beachside hostel.
It's about 7:00pm this time and all of us have high spirits of the night and are lookin our darn best. Drinking bacardi and sprite in red plastic cups to start off our night.
So we go downstairs and there's this live band who have that very hawaiian sort of sound. They played Tom Petty songs and Sublime and Oasis. "Life's too short so love the one you got!". Even got to hear/sing Last dance with Mary Jane with my fellow Tom Petty lover Molly. We had amazing FREE dinner which consisted of stringbeans, mashed potatoes, and potroast. They even gave us those fun new years blowers and happy new years hats and crowns. We took photos with hula dressed men. Then we were off to the PubCrawl...

I'll leave you with that cliff hanger.

But I'll give you a few spoilers: there were stolen leis, homeless dogs, and aussies that came from that night. And after a little bit of drama we only had to pay $20 for that pubcrawl which consisted of about 4 drinks for me and not paying one cover. I'd say worth it..especially in the "Hi".

Stay Tuned to Find out More!

Aloha!

Self Indulgence.

Re-cap of my travels on 2011:
Italy -verona,venice,lucca,rome,cinque terre, rimini beach, asiago.
Croatia-premanture, pula
UK- London, Edinburgh
Germany-Munster
U.S- Crater Lake, Reno, Santa Rosa and Napa Valley.
and in two weeks I'll be in Honolulu, HI

I think for most people any one of these places would have been enough to be happy to go to in one single year...well maybe not Reno. That place is shit. The rest are great!
Anyways I feel like my friends and family think i'm milking this travel cow too much.
But I have a theory, everybody has their things.
for some people that might be spending their money on a photography hobby or snowboarding or new x-boxes/wiis/computers/tvs etc. Or making their house look fabulous with new decor/bedding/furniture/the works. Or maybe you're a movie buff and have a collection of hundreds at home.
Whatever it may be. Those things make you happy in one way or another which I will never bash or look down upon.
However, I don't buy shit. I barely have any clothes, my laptop is 4 years old, I have the cheapest camera created. And I have a rule..don't buy things that won't be able to fit in a 50lb. I live frugally to say the least and when I travel..my souvenirs tend to be postcards and little knicknacks like coasters from bars that i've been too or tickets to museums and such.

These travels may seem extravagant but if you only knew/saw the way I was living. You would realize..that they aren't.

This is "my thing" and would rather not feel like I'm a completely self-indulgent bitch for pursuing something that makes me brighter than the sun.

Waiting on the Sun.

Yesterday I bought a couple of pumpkins to carve.
Watched one of my favorite movies (practical magic) with one of my favorite people. We've been watching that movie since we were 8. I realized then, I've always had her, always always.
I drove along river road admiring the plethora of trees that were changing in a place that has always been there for me and the routine changes of the seasons have been the markers of my life there.

I realized that this autumn would be my last one here..just like this. Going to school, seeing old friends and old roads. That's when my mind went into a million directions.
Before this, I've been doing the routine of things; wake up early in the morning, go to school, go to work, have dinner, do homework, read, and then sleep. But what's life going to look like this time next year? I know nobody knows even for their own self. This is different than most years however, I've always had my summer and then came back to school in one form or another. Well I guess perhaps I'll being going to school again next fall (but on the otherside of the desk). I keep getting e-mails saying "congratulations on starting your senior year _____ (insert an after school opportunity here). The most compelling one I've received was teach for America, the idea of the organization I find very valid and the pay even more so. I could even end up in Boston or Newyork. The most compelling part is that I could start planning for that NOW! I like planning as soon as possible, but at the same time I can be very sporatic and whimsical. I'm a weird woman. But, in the end I don't think I want to take on this job, I've worked at a low income school and it's exhausting and I don't feel that i'm adequate for the part..just yet atleast. Give me a few years to pick up some more tricks.
If you really want to know, if I had it my way I would..
first: go to germany with brigette this summer, travel for a few weeks after seeing places like prague/budapest and finally make our way to munich for oktoberfest.
second: after that adventure move up for London to be a nanny for about a year. ( reason being I think it would be nice to get to know one kid for a period of time before jumping into the sea of teaching and of course I love London)
third: Get a tefl job in Europe or Asia for a year. Travel the summer afterwards.
fourth: Find an elementary teaching job either in the east coast or europe. and travel during the summers :)

I find these ideas consuming my thoughts daily.
but what about practical magic?
or watching the river road trees change color?

Is that all over now?

Feeling fresh?

"She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly. Off the coast and I'm heading nowhere...."

"They"..the infamous they who knows all. I'm not sure who they are but i'd like to meet them. Anyways they say that smell has the strongest link to memory but I disagree. I'm currently sitting at the Beanery, my favorite little coffee house in Eugene and this song comes on. I've never heard it play in public or have listened to it in years for that matter. It instantly put this weight on my heart. It brought me back to this place, a place where I felt at home here, possibly for the last time. I sat here thinking how I feel the opposite of that. Once there was a time where I felt connected with another human being. A time of lying around in bed under the heavy dark blue comforrter, that took me months to get used to it's heat, listening to this mix of yours including this particular song. You would play it just because you knew I liked it even though you grew away from it far before you even walked into those double doors of my smoothie making teenage job. It's weird for me to think about those times because truthfully I seldom do. I grew so far past it, as if i'm a completely different person. However, ever since I got off that plane last week I've been battling this feeling of loneliness. I did it backwards, I know that now. I was young and was serious with a boy while all of my friends were single. Now, all of my friends are wrapped up in their own serious relationships, and I'm the one alone. I guess that's the proper way of doing it. Crazy first couple of years of college and then "Settling" down in the later years. On a side note: I hate that phrase "settling down", who the hell wants to settle? It means not going for what you really want which is complete bullshit. I guess i'll never be traditionalist.

A man asked me a few minutes ago if i was having fun and feeling fresh? I must not be up to date on the eugene lingo.

Motes and boats and waterfalls. Alleyways and pay phone calls

Journal exert from August 30th 2011

I sit on the edge of Crater lake; a huge abyss is beneath me filled with perfectly blue rippled water. No swimmers, no boats; a completely undisturbed part of the world. As i'm trying to take it all in I hear my sis and mum say that I must get down. "Are you trying to kill yourself by doing that Sarah". I sigh, I don't feel like I'm in any danger and I can't comprehend how anyone can grasp the beauty from any other view. I still continue sitting there with my feet dangling off the edge. I wanted to feel the wind as it's intended to be felt. Powerful. Unyielding. Unapologetic. Real. Places and moments like these or anything really are constantly wasted on superficial film purposes. I want something more than that even if it meant that my family was waiting inside the rental impala for me. I could probably sit there for hours but ultimately that wasn't up to me. My mind wandered as it tends to do. I could think of only one person in the world who might just want to sit up there along with me. Maybe just maybe. I'm quite the good daydreamer but alas I come down to reality. I'm just as alone and left to be as the lake beneath my dangling feet.

Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun.

An exert from a journal I wrote a few days ago.

August 27th 2011

Currently, I am in London England at a park near Fulham Broadway sitting on a bench with a spectrum of noises surrounding me including the overhead plane flying past, the tube railway's train driving nearby, the children playing, and the birds gawking. It's all very relaxing. A mix of life all coming together as I sit here just watching it all. My three month Euro-journey is coming to an end ( in a long grueling 30 hr long sort of way). The tears always seem to swell up in my eyes when I think about it. I feel so much more at home here than there. I've grown past that life that I have left, it's like regressing everytime I go back to that place. When I was younger I wanted to live in London and now the electricity of that dream is circulating throughout my whole body. I cant feel it..I'm so close to it. In the span of one year I've succeeded in visiting twice. For an Eugene girl who came from quite little this is a feat that I can't cease to be proud about. Italy, Germany, here and everywhere in between brings me a special feeling of happiness. It's all a lot to fully process and I feel like I never have a chance to do so. I am ALWAYS on the move. I can't look back while I move forward. Always moving forward. Is it too much? I bought this antique-esque necklace clock the other day in Leceister Square, the man set it for the english time of course. I'll never change it though. No matter where I'm at I will always know what time it is in London.

Forever and ever you'll stay in my heart.

And I will Love you..

During these last three months, I spent a lot of time with Michelle. My room mate who I just crack up with daily. Walking around in barely any clothes with, eating top ramen with, jumping on roman hostel beds with, drinking spritz with, having our dinner and sex nights with. I spent a plethora of glorious moments with this human.

Also the rest of my "beezy" crew. The five completely different human beings that were stuck together for the summer. We created this bond that I have loved. From dancing in the rain to crying in laughter to never actually watching a movie. I will miss them dearly once we all go our different directions in the world.

But...

The ones who I spent the most time with this summer, were my kindergartners. Typing this is even bringing me to tears. I try not to get attached to people. I've noticed in life that they come and go and to become less attached...the better. I couldn't help it though. These children have impacted my life tremendously. Together 40 hours a week for 12 weeks. How can life be okay again without my "goodmorning ms.sarah" every morning. Or having them repeat different languages to me or the mass amounts of hugs and love I get everyday. Swing dancing with them and creeping around the classroom to the inspector gaget song. Every one of them has something about them that I adore. I wish I could see them grow, I wish they could remember me forever. I know that I'll remember them forever. It's the first time in life that I felt that I had my OWN classroom. I had control of what to do and how to handle things. It taught me a lot about being a teacher. I had many moments where my patience was tested or my heart broken from the lives some of these children have to live. If I could I would take them home with me. My last day in the Kinder room is tomorrow and it doesn't feel real. Won't I see them again on Monday? I notice myself getting a little excited every sunday night to go back to this kinder room of mine but this monday I won't be going back.

The life of the traveler really does have it's downsides. Saying goodbye...Will when I ever perfect this art form?

Fuck. This is so hard.