Hau’oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year)

It's hard to believe another year has passed already. I like to spend a few minutes on New Year's Day reflecting on the past year so I'm ready to move forward with a good attitude into the new year. 

I'll be honest - 2021 was a hard year for us. We moved to Hawaii expecting it to be the picturesque paradise portrayed in social media and movies. What we got instead, due to the pandemic, was an overpriced version of Gillian's Island, with a lot more people stranded on the island with us. Most venues were shut down and most restaurants were take-out only. Products and goods were hard to come by and expensive. Just as the island was starting to open up in the summer, a new wave of Covid outbreak hit and the state imposed even stricter guidelines, which caused things to close back up in September. 

Yes, Hawaii is beautiful. The beaches and mountains are Instagram-worthy. The culture and food are amazing. But...and it's a big but - living here and vacationing here are two very separate things. When you live here, you see things that most tourists don't notice because they are on a trip of their lifetime. The homeless population is huge and many are very aggressive.  I have seen more people urinate and undress in public this past year then I have in all my life. Theft (from cars) is a big problem here. Food and events can be costly. And, if you are not a huge fan of going to the beach, hiking or sightseeing, your options here are limited.

That said, do I regret moving here? Perhaps.  Would I have regretted not moving here? Most definitely, yes. Should I have researched living here a little more before actually moving? Probably. Although, I'm fully confident that no amount of research would have prepared us for the lifestyle here, due to Covid. But, we have adapted to our surroundings. 

Lo and I are both going into 2022 working from home, full-time. We are still in a small apartment without air conditioning but we have moved off of the camping chairs onto more comfortable seating. We are thankful to God, our family and friends for helping us through some really hard times in 2021.  

We are looking forward to 2022 and we are confident that God will lead us to make the right decisions. I hope today has you looking toward 2022 with hope and anticipation. I know I am. 

E komo mai (come in) 2022. I'm ready for you.