Better Days Are Here

So, a few days have gone by, and I can report to you that I’m happier already. Yay!

My second day was spent mostly in my hostel and trying to find a grocery store. The part of Honolulu I was staying in doesn’t have a lot of stores around, so that was an adventure in and of itself. But I did get to see a lot of the town that most visitors don’t see. Then, that evening, a friend of mine from high school who lives and works in Waikiki met up with me and we went to Thai and to a local Tiki bar. That was really fun.

Dustin, my friend from HS, works on a “booze cruise” of sorts on a catamaran, and he offered to let me go out for free, so the next day I got to go out on a boat that goes straight off of Waikiki beach, and around Diamond Head and back. It was a lot of fun, and I swear, the drunkest guy on board was a Kennedy. Kid you not, totally had the whole Martha’s Vineyard thing going on.

Then on Monday, I had a meeting at “corporate,” which is funny because our organization is anything but a corporation. It’s in a sketch part of town, but that’s cool. Closer to the people we’ll work with on a daily basis. And it wasn’t as bad as everyone at the hostel made it out to be. Met everyone from all the different centers around the island, and really like them a lot so far. A “motley crew” as they kept telling me, and I’m definitely the youngest by about 5 years or so, though most are in their 30s up to their 70s.

In Haleiwa, I’ll be working with Catherine, Yolanda, “Uncle” Willy, Skye, “Miss Catherine,” and “Auntie.” Catherine is the supervisor, Yolanda the substance abuse counselor, Willy and Auntie are married, in their 70s and Filipino, and Skye is like 30-something and has a 16 year old daughter but looks my age. I’m the only white girl. Hehe.

Haleiwa is amazing. I’m hoping to go to the beach tomorrow… The famous ginormous beaches are having their famous swells and competitions right about now, so I hope to go check that out even though I’m about the last person to be hanging out with surfers usually. The center is in a church, and I encounter my first cockroach there in the bathroom. Eww.

We had a lot of clients today… I’m not sure how many new, but I think we helped like 40 people today, so clearly the need is great. Everyone calls each other “Auntie” and “Uncle,” and it’s very casual and laid back. Most of the clients are really cool, some have really deep issues, and we had to have someone call the police already… But it’s a safe environment and I didn’t feel threatened at any time. And, apparently part of the time I’ll be working in the town I now live in, Wahiawa, so I don’t have to go far. Yay!

I am now an official tenant of an apartment. My roommate is named Michelle, who’s 20, and she has a son, Jared, who is 19 months old. He’s adorable, and at the babbling stage where the only word out of his mouth I understand is “ball.” They also have a cat which is crazy. I really think this will be a good arrangement for us. I’m close to my work site, near a bus stop, etc, and she has someone reliable to live with. Hehe. I'll post pictures when I get a chance to take them.

So that’s all for me right now. I’m tired! Still not used to Hawaii Time, I guess. I love you all and miss you a lot! But I’m doing better and I’m a lot happier, so that’s good. J