Snorkeling Adventures (once again, forgot to post it)

I have decided that I need to take advantage of my time in Hawaii, so if that means going out alone and exploring without Nathan, than I need to do that. So, I decided I was going to go to Hanauma Bay which is THE place to go snorkeling here on Oahu. This place has an address so I can add it to my GPS system so... it's perfect. I think I'm scared of getting lost, hence why I don't like to just go out and explore but I'm slowly starting to get over this. Anyways, so I went there with my beach bag in hand, snorkel gear, and straw laying mat. I find a spot, lay down and after a while decide I am going to go snorkel. I loved just seeing all these amazing fish swimming all around me. But for whatever reason my mask wasn't sealing well because I changed the strap to it and water kept leaking in. So I had to keep clearing my mask several times while I was in the water. Trying not to step on the coral below me and trying to fix my masks while floating is kind of difficult I found out. Anyways, I decided to go to the shallow end one of the times to adjust my mask and this time I decided to step on the sand as this was much easier. I put my mask back on and look down to the water to see that to the side of me is a rock with an EEL just starring at me. This freaked me out at first as I could have easily stepped on this eel because it was so close to me. That would have not been a good situation... yikes. After way too many times of having to adjust my mask and getting irritated, I decided to clear it one last time. Well, this last time did end up being the last time because I lost one of my contact in the water! Anyone who knows me well, I am sooo blind without my contacts. Luckily, I only lost one or else there is no way I could have driven, like NO WAY. So, I swam back and drove back with only one contact in my eye. I made it back... after much panic.

Birthday Part II

So the day before my birthday we went to that wonderful luau but my birthday was not over. Nathan had something else planned which of course was another surprise because Nathan just loves surprises. I had mentioned to Nathan about this restaurant in Waikiki that has a large aquarium that I wanted to go to. He decided to get in contact with my cousin and her husband and their new baby boy to join us. He knew being away from my family had been tough on me so he decided that having some family around for my birthday would put a smile on my face, which it did.

So, we went to the Oceanarium Restaurant and sat next to the aquarium. It was so awesome to just see all these fish and rays swimming around. We enjoyed the scrumptious buffet. Then towards the end of our meal, a kid with scuba gear goes inside the aquarium holding a sign saying "Happy Birthday Bambina" and comes towards the table and leaves the sign there. Nathan always calls me Bambina so it obviously was prearranged, it was sweet. Then, our waiter comes over with a small crew to sing me Happy Birthday. He reads the sign confused as to what my name was and told him my name was Natalie. But even then... the serenade was funny because he could hardly pronounce my name, it was cute. Anyways, I got a cute cupcake and blew a candle for my 24th birthday!

Guess what? (oops I forgot to post this, it's old)

I've been job searching for something more dependable than the aiding position. It was not really working out as I had only been called a couple of times. So I was in search to find a job that would be full time. If I only knew how difficult it would be to find one. I was checking monster.com, hawaiijobsondemand.com, careerbuilder.com, the Honolulu advertiser, craigslist on a daily basis, several times a day... I submitted many resumes and nothing. I finally got a couple of call backs from two company's, this small alarm company needing an office clerk and Macy's had a cosmetic sales position. Having to go to therapy like 3 times a day, I was not able to do the office position because I wouldn't be able to go to therapy which was not an option. I decided to pursue the Macy's position. It was a long interviewing process, I had a 3 interviews for it total and in the end they offered me the position. I was so relieved... I was going to have a job, FINALLY.

As I was heading out of the door of the apartment to head to Macy's to sign all my official paperwork, I get a call. The call was from the vice principal of the school that I had done my aiding at. He told me that they had a long term substitute kindergarten position open and that they would love if I could take it. It wouldn't start till Oct 14th and would go on till December. I did not know what to say because if I took this job I would obviously have to wait even LONGER to start up. But subbing pays more and I wouldn't have to give up my weekends and work late at the mall. But I was nervous, I had an appointment to fill out my paperwork for Macy's but I am on the phone with the vice principal and I don't know what to do. So, I text Nathan and told him what was going on and he told me to go with the substitute job because it paid a lot more. At the time I was so nervous I couldn't do any calculations. So, while I headed to Macy's to sign paperwork I ended up having to politely turn down the position and decided to accept the substitute position instead.



It's going to be different going into a classroom that was not set up by me so I don't REALLY know where things are and since every school is different the"taking over" will be challenging because Texas and Hawaii have different assessments and curriculum. So, this is going to be challenging but I hope that it works out well.



I decided to purchase my ticket to head back and I will be heading back to Texas January 14th. I know I initially wanted to live in Hawaii for a year but things worked out a little differently then planned. I was not planning on not being able to find a job for months and being stressed about finances. It's definitely been an experience to say the least and I can say I lived in Hawaii and came here with only 2 suit cases and tried to experience Hawaii as much as possible. So, while I was hoping that Hawaii would become my home, it never did... because it is true, home is where the heart is... and so much of my heart is in Texas. But regardless I don't regret this adventure at all I think Hawaii is gorgeous and while most people get to experience it for a week, I will be able to REALLY live and experience Hawaii for over 6 months... now that's how you EXPERIENCE Hawai'i.

My New Obsession

I can admit that I did not get my mom's good cookin' trait. My brother did, but I didn't... isn't that sad? Anyways, I have been really trying to cook since I moved to Hawaii because going out to eat is so expensive. Although I hate to admit this... Nathan is actually quite the chef and he cooks for us most days. When I cook it's like an experiment of a recipe I found. He doesn't need a book of recipes, he's like every person with cooking skills... they have this common sense of cooking and toss a little of this, a tad bit of that, and know exactly how long it should cook and the result is awesome. I don't have that... at all. But I figure if I need to start somewhere, that cookbooks are a good option.
I probably will have to use cookbooks for the rest of my life because I can see myself leaving out an ingredient if I go by memory alone. BUT... I have found the greatest recipe website EVER! So, now I don't think I'll have the impulse of going out and buying recipe books. I have a collection of cook books, some that I've never even made one recipe from. I just love to BUY the cookbooks with the intentions that it will have awesome recipes that I can make, then I store it in the cabinet with such delight and then... never use them. WELL, since I've come to Hawaii I have made quite a few. Just to show you a bit of my cookbook purchasing habit, I moved to Hawaii June 23rd. When I arrived at our condo, I had TWO cookbooks waiting for me that I ordered from amazon, since then I have purchased 3 MORE. So, I have 5 cookbooks that I have added to my collection in a matter of less than 2 1/2 months, not including the many that I have in Texas. I also have an obsession with amazon.com , I can spend HOURS just browsing and reading reviews on all kinds of books and CDs. But I can proudly say that I HAVE been using these cook books and that I've made several great meals.
Well, I might reduce my cookbook purchases, that's if I don't just stop completely. I found this website http://www.recipezaar.com/ it is AWESOME. People upload their very favorite recipes on here and then regular people like you and me go and make it for themselves then go back to the website and write a review on it and say how many stars they give it, and leave comments on any additions, subtractions, or substitutions they made and how it taste. I am so excited about this because it is a plethora of recipes. I mean you can type in chicken and get THOUSANDS of recipes with just chicken recipes. Then I usually type in what I want to search. I typed "tuna" to see all that came up and then I hit sort by: RATINGS. That means they will give you the recipes in order of the ones that got the best reviews to the least. THEN... I discovered that people actually upload their own cookbook with their favorite recipes. For example, for people that actually are really great at cooking and have recipes that have been passed down to them or has great recipes from their mother-in laws, neighbors, co-workers... you name it, they put the recipes under their own cookbook and you can view their personal cookbook of their favorite recipes. I can't rave enough about this website. The only problem is that I spend hours looking at it and saving the recipes but then don't get up to go buy the groceries to make it, haha. But today I am, I have saved quite a few of the ones I want to try and now it is time to try them. I just wanted to share this website because it's awesome and it's like getting thousands of cookbooks for FREE. You can get a membership that let's you save your favorite on their website let's you add notes to those recipes and things like that, but for now I'll go for the free and have access to all the recipes. So, try it out and see what you think! I made a Weight Watcher's Key Lime Pie recipe this week and it was delicious... so they have all kinds of recipes there!

New Haircut

I was getting tired of having the same ol' look but still wanted my length so I decided that maybe getting bangs would give me a new look without having to do something drastic. Well, I love it! I got side swept bangs with long layers. It's funny because anyone who knows me, knows that I put no effort into my hair. But now I have bangs that I have to straighten every day, but obviously it's not a big deal but it's funny because that's as much effort as I put into my hair. However, maybe this is a baby step to me using a bit of more products and playing with my hair some.

I was so nervous in trying to find a stylist to cut my hair. My mom as yall know is the one that always cuts my hair. Last summer when I went to Italy was the first time some other person had cut my hair besides my Mom. I googled forever trying to find a stylist and read reviews, I didn't really have much luck. I decided to hit up the mall... I know that sounds scary to get a hair cut in the mall but actually it turned out great.

Sexy huh?

I had a really bad feeling something was not right when I woke up the following morning and my neck hurt in every direction. I was really hoping that I didn't have "whiplash" and just happened to be sore. I decided that me not being able to turn my head or look down without sending a shocking pain was not normal. So I decided to go to a chiropractor and get it checked out. Well, to my dismay I indeed did have whiplash. After I dislocated my shoulder over 2 years ago and leaving it untreated for so long and still suffering because I didn't catch it early on, I refuse to do the same with my neck which is much more sensitive. So, I am having to go to the chiropractor on a daily basis for right now (hopefully this doesn't last long). The chiropractor showed me the X-rays and there are 2 slips on two of my disk that slip more when I look downward but still apparent when looking in all directions. So, I have been instructed to put an icepack on it and take it easy, and wear this attractive neck brace. I know things could have been a lot worse but gosh... this really ... is more that annoying!

First Day of Work

I was excited to hear the phone ring this morning and being asked if I could come in to work today. I jumped out of bed and tried to get ready as soon as I could. I was excited that the next day after putting in my official paperwork I called into to sub. Hopefully I get called in often enough to pay for all my bills... that's the drawback to being a sub. Anyways, I had a great day. I got placed with a teacher to be an aid in a special needs classroom and when I got there I had no idea what to expect. I arrived to meet a super friendly and helpful teacher along with 5 preschool cuties. What a day in the park it was... in comparison to having 22 students by myself... I had 5 students with a teacher in the same room. Anyways, I had a good first day of work and was introduced to a lot of teachers that wrote my name and phone down so that they could possibly call me if they need a substitute. Luckily, I was placed with a great teacher today, she showed aloha spirit and introduced me to everyone and gave me a tour of the school. My day was going great and I headed home in hopes to go to this beach that the teacher recommended I go to, but then my day turned for the worst... Nathan and I got into a car accident while heading to the beach. More details will be posted on http://natnnate.blogspot.com/ later.

Working Woman

I will have to admit that I haven't written in a while because I have been sort of sad due to my failure of finding a job. Nathan kept assuring me that I had only been searching for a job for about 2 weeks or so and not to get down on myself because I hadn't found anything yet. It felt like it had been a LONG MONTH of me searching and submitting a million resumes and not hearing anything from employers. I decided I needed to go to a staffing agency and see if they perhaps could help me out. I didn't even have much luck finding these places. May I just say this... that Honolulu is AWFUL with downtown parking and as a result I had a hard time even finding these temp agencies. I was about to give up... I couldn't find a job on my own and here I am a professional with a degree yet I feel that it is useless here, then once I decide to go through a temp agency... I can't find the darn buildings and if I happen to find them... I can't park. I finally was able to locate and park at one and arrived just in time to where I could finish the entire "interviewing process" in one day. I have always thought to be good at computers. And by good I mean, I use them on probably an hourly basis .. haha.. and that I feel secure about using Microsoft Word and not a complete stranger to Excel. I felt like I had a great basis and that I could be a good receptionist. So, the receptionist at the temp agency directed me to a computer and told me that I would be taking several test testing my computer skills, starting with my typing skills. Well, as it turns out my typing... is not good enough. I can type well when I look at the screen the entire time and sort of type what is in my head, but when it comes to copying a document and having to look away from the screen and going back and forth from the screen to the paper... I lose my place and I type AWFUL! Especially since they time you on these things and I just sit there trying to find the line I was typing in the midst of this size 10 single spaced font full page paragraph. Moving on, they test my Microsoft Work skills. I thought, "Finally, something I know well!". Oh, boy was I wrong! This program was my lifesaver while I was teaching and I felt like I knew a bit more than just the basics. Well, as it turns out that there are functions on Word that I never even knew of and it wasn't covered in my computer class in high school so... the one program I felt like I knew to the T... I didn't. I was sitting in this chair just losing about 5% of my confidence with every wrong answer. Even getting the correct answers weren't good enough to cheer me up... I was so down and upset. I did so-so on the Word test, but I was upset because I thought I was going to do great. Moving on to the Excel portion of the test... OK Excel is a lot more advanced than word, everyone knows that. I know how to insert data, use the basic functions, and make a graph and make it look nice. But of course that would not be good enough, I have to know about macros and I don't know what else they asked me. So obviously, that part of the exam did not go very well although I surprisingly guessed correctly on some of the questions. I think at this point God just wanted to give me some peace because I was just in disbelief at my lack of skills. Sadly, the only skills I scored 100% was those that I would hope everyone would get... basic addition and alphabetical order. Upon finishing these test I was just wondering why the heck I was having to go through all of this... I feel I'm a smart, professional, hard working, and loyal person yet it seemed no one would even call me to set up an interview with me. I suppose being a teacher doesn't say much to these people and all my other jobs were college part time jobs that were nothing special at all. Finding an entry level job that paid enough to pay my rent and bills was going to be tough. I waited a bit, then I was interviewed by some girl from New Mexico. She was nice and gave me some hope about finding a job that paid decently. In the meantime she asked me if I wanted to take this one job where I would call people and ask for donations of their time for the MDA association which would be for about a month. I thought to myself, "Am I going to be one of those people that get hung up on a hundred times a day or get told 'no thanks' and do that all day long. It didn't sound promising and decided to call back the next day and turn the offer down.

So, this temp agency was not very helpful and I started thinking that perhaps I should be a waitress. I was thinking that perhaps I could make good tips and I would be alright. Then I started thinking about substitute teaching again. I had ruled it out before because I was hoping to find an entry level job doing or helping with HR/PR and that it could be something I could add to my resume and follow up on in Texas. But obviously this was not going to work out as it turns out people from here are very weary about hiring anybody from the "mainland". So, although I knew that substitute teachers didn't get any medical benefits... at this point I just needed a job.
So I decided to hit the website again and see what the first step was to become a substitute teacher. There was something about a 30 hour class I needed to take, along with a $50 test, and before I even considered taking the 30 hour course I had to be sponsored by an administrator at a school that would approve me to even be considered to take the course. Schools here have their own individual substitute list, not like at the school district where I worked where you were submitted for the entire district. You have to go to the schools individually where you would like to possibly work and see if they have any openings on their sub list to add you. I decided to go for it anyways and see what would become of it.
I went to a nearby school but it seemed that because the Vice principal wasn't there, they didn't know much about the substitute program and I left without any answers. I went to another school and I am happy to say that they were happy to sponsor me. The principal was so nice and friendly and he even offered me an extra possible job of tutoring after school if I felt I didn't make ends meet or whatever because I had expressed my concern of not having a stable income with substitute teaching. He also asked me if I was willing to substitute for aides who were in charge of special education students. While I have no prior experience with SPED kids, I figured it wouldn't hurt to add it to my resume for later and it would give me more of a chance to get called in for a job. So I accepted, I don't know what I got myself into but I pray that it will all work out. I'm still nervous because like I mentioned, substitute teaching isn't a set job Monday through Friday. So, my money is based on other teachers getting sick or unable to go to school and giving me the chance to work. I hope to get on 3 schools' list to substitute and hope that it will provide enough work. The principal said that he sees me being a pretty constant sub once the teachers get to know me and add me to their personal list if they happen to be off. I hope so... this job is risky but at this point like I said I just need a job. So, yall pray for me and that this will work out. I thought about being a waitress like part time since school is over at 3, but I'm not sure if I want to spend most of my time working... then what was the point of moving to Hawaii if it was just going to move to work a lot and pay for the ridiculous rent and leaving me no play time. I'll obviously have to see how it goes because if this sub thing doesn't work out then I obviously have to think of something else, but hopefully after I get my transcript the ball starts rolling and I can get called in to sub and enter the substitute teaching world... which scares me because I here it's completely different than being a classroom teacher but oh well...it will have to work. Oh, and as it turned out that I found out that I am exempt from the 30 hours course and the test, YAY!!

What a bummer...

I was so excited when I heard my phone ring and the caller ID showed an 808 number. I thought to myself, "Yay, someone is calling me about my resume I submitted". I even answer it saying, "This is Natalie *****". That was sort of unnecessary but I figured it sounds more professional. I couldn't hear the lady very well that was talking on the other end, I sort of missed the whole introduction of who the company was and didn't get to really key in till she said, "Are you still looking for a job". Then alas I heard her and said, "Yes, yes I am". She asked me to tell her a little about myself and why I think I would be good for the job. Or this is what I thought I heard. I'm either going more deaf by the hour or the connection was pretty bad, both are a great possibility. I went on about how I am a teacher and that I have a lot of qualities and experience that can transfer over to the office workplace. She sort of kept quiet so I suppose that meant... "keep sharing". In attempting to "sale myself" I mentioned how I was a kindergarten teacher and that in itself shows the ability to be able to multi-task. She said that she would like to set up an an interview for the following day at 11:45 at their office. I asked if this was in Pearl City because I first thought maybe this position was the State Farm Insurance position I applied for and she politely said it was located in Honolulu. At this point I realized it was the Foster Care Agency position that I had applied for because I hadn't really submitted any resumes because I haven't been able to find that many positions that I feel would suit me well. I was excited because this job deals with children and I could still make a difference in their lives in a different way. As she started to give me the directions I scrambled to try to find blank paper and was unsuccessful and ended up writing the directions on the white frame of the closest newspaper, she said I would be receiving an e-mail from them later that day. I was so excited! I wrote up my cover letter and my reference page. Thinking about what I was going to wear and I knew that this job was going to pay enough for me to stay on track with my budget.
I checked my e-mail over and over that day waiting for the e-mail so that I could see if there was any extra information on how to arrive there since my chicken scratch on the newspaper was confusing even to me. I didn't seem to get an e-mail from the agency but I did get this e-mail from some insurance company saying how they are looking forward to meeting with me at our appointed interview time. I was so confused, I let Nathan look at it and asked him what he thought that meant because I KNEW I hadn't made an interview with them. I decided to call the number that called me earlier, it was after hours and as I expected it went to the company voicemail. Well, turns out the same company that e-mailed me was the same company that called me. Wow... how the heck did I just assume it was the foster care agency calling me. I suppose because I really had only put in for those 2 jobs and I think this company sort of called me after viewing my resume online and never even considered that an option. I started to feel uneasy about the interview because I had no idea what this company REALLY did. My boyfriend told me to go anyways to just check it out. I couldn't help but be disappointed but I figured I'd try it out. That morning I woke up and decided to Google more about this company. I type in "I worked for American Income" just to see if anything popped up. Well, it did and the first result was "American Income: a fraud?". I thought to myself, "GRRREAT!". I read a lot of comments of people that had tried the company and others that were thanking the people that let them know to not waste their time going to the interview where they only try to get you to join this company who actually IS a Fortune 500 company but its based on a pyramid sort of scheme, so it's based on making more people join and who knows having to invest money to take their test. Anyways, I had heard enough... this was obviously a waste of my time, gas, and energy. I told Nathan I wasn't going to go because it was a bogus company. He text me back saying I should go anyways but just not to buy anything if they wanted to sell me anything. GOSH... I didn't see the sense in it. He probably just wanted me to get out of the house and give me something to do. Well, I really didn't want to go but oh well... I decided to do it anyways.
So, I started to get ready and really putting more effort into looking nice for my driver's licence picture. So, I get ready and type in the address in my GPS system where it takes me straight over there without any problems. Well there was a problem, but not one that my GPS system could help me with. Parking... oh my goodness this is one of the things that can be very annoying about Hawaii... the lack of parking. I hardly ever have to deal with this issue because I have covered reserved parking for my apartment, I brag about this because sadly some apartments say that parking is not included. But the day of this interview I am in this unknown place with no parking spots left. I circled around so long and had to go around so many blocks to see if maybe I could walk to the office from a distance. But I couldn't even park far away, at this point I was irritated and decided to call the office to let them know I am unable to find parking and to see if they have any suggestions. Ring.. ring... voicemail picks up. OK, I'm sorry but if a company doesn't seem to have a receptionist than I don't want to work there. I left a message that I would be canceling my appointment due to the lack of parking. I really didn't care about this job so I was glad to finally get out of there.
I headed straight to retake my driver's written exam. I passed this time...phew. So, I have my Hawaiian driver's licence now which I think is cool except they took my Texas DL away.
So, no job yet...

Job hunting

I'm not going to lie, I admit I was taking it easy since I arrived in Hawaii. Getting a job was on my list of "things to do" but it was something I was going to get around to doing after I accomplished my priority of taking my much deserved break. I would say that the break is over now unfortunately and it is time to start looking for a job. I started thinking and realized that basically every job I have had was because of a connection I had. I never had to turn in a resume or get in my car and go from place to place. This inexperience of acquiring a job makes it that much more difficult. I can't even hop in my car and drive around to areas I think might have openings because well... I'm in Hawaii and I don't know the area well.

I've posted my resume on a few websites that employers browse through (hope so at least). I've sent off a few resumes so hopefully I will get a nibble. It's difficult to get a job that pays enough to make sure all my bills are paid every month. It's even harder finding a job that wants people with 2+ years experience working in an office setting. I obviously have no office experience and I'm having a hard time selling myself with my elementary education degree. I say I'm having a hard time, but I just started these past couple of says so maybe I'm being too hard on myself because I haven't heard from an employer yet. Anyways, I hope someone sees my potential and can give me an opportunity at proving that my skills as a teacher can transfer to an office job as well. So keep me in your prayers that I find a good job.

Feel 16 yrs old all over again...

I am having flashbacks of my driver's ed days in high school. Ask anyone who was privileged enough to drive with me during my driver's ed class and they will tell you that they were probably scared for their life! I wouldn't blame them I was probably the only one who went to driver's ed who had no idea how to actually drive. Everyone knows how to drive when they take the class, they just take it to get their licence. But somehow my parents didn't know this and sent me off clueless to these courses. Of all the cars that were on the lineup to drive for the sessions, I get stuck with the only VAN. I panicked when I heard my name knowing that I was going to drive this huge vehicle. I brushed it off and figured I would be OK to learn in a bigger vehicle and then transition to a smaller one. There were 2 other students who were lucky like me and got stuck with this van. The instructor takes us to a neighborhood to drive and then it comes to my turn. The two other students in the van already knew how to drive, they didn't ask any questions just listened to the instructor on where to go. So yeah... it was my turn and I sit in the driver's seat with a lot of anxiety. I looked at the instructor and said, "I don't know how to drive". And he said, "That's what we are here for, so you can learn". OK this man didn't understand what I was saying... like I didn't know which one was the gas and which one was the brake much less knew anything else. So, someone else took over the wheel and drove me to a parking lot where I had to drive around in a parking lot. Driver's Ed was quite terrifying for me and all those that were in the van with me. My instructor had to use the brake on his side at least one time that I know of and that was because he had to SLAM on them or else I would hit a parked car because I accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the brakes while trying to park. Then the next day, my instructor had me reverse behind a moving train. The other 2 students in the back were literally praying for their life and believe it or not there is still more driving ed stories. Oh the good ol' days... but back to my point.

In a couple of months my driver's license was going to expire and I needed to get a Hawaiian one. I hopped in my car, turned on my GPS system that led me to where I needed to renew my licence. I made sure to look nice, I even straightened my hair so that I would have a nice picture. I get there expecting to just pose and go. But oh no... they made me take a written exam. So yeah... this is where I felt like a 16 yr old all over again. I had to go in this room filled with young teens. I start to get really nervous because some of the questions were phrased in a confusing way and some of these signals they were referring to (which no picture was provided) I had never even seen in Texas. I turn in my form and genuinely nervous that I fail. They call me up... yup I failed. Hmmm back to feeling 16 again... I failed my first driver's test, go figure haha. So I looked over all the questions again and my answers so that next Friday I can pass. Then I'll have a Hawaiian licence which for some weird reason I think is cool.

Oh and may I add that my GPS system has saved my life. I purchased one here because Hawaiian highways and streets are not like in Texas... it can get complicated. I get lost in my own hometown so... yeah Nathan said I didn't have much of a choice but to purchase one and it has been the best investment EVER!

I'm here!!!

It has been a crazy, non-stop time for me. Nathan left for Hawaii on May 6th and I was in San Marcos trying to finish off the school year. I had so much work to do the last couple of weeks and it was tough having no help. I was trying to get my apartment packed up, sell whatever I needed to sell on craigslist, pack up my classroom ALONE, and dealing with "flakers"( the people that say they will buy your stuff but never show). I really never had time to breathe, it was always go, go, go. As soon as I graduated my kinder kiddos I was heading to Laredo to spend some time with my beloved Papi. Gosh I love that man so much! He makes me laugh more than anyone in the world, sometimes because he's funny and sometime because he's just straight up goofy... but I love him regardless. We got to spend a lot of time together, time that I really needed with him. Ever since the divorce my Dad hasn't been himself for obvious reasons. His heart is shattered which in return breaks mine too. But we talked about it and I think we both needed to do some venting and share our emotions that we tend to keep to our self. I had a great time with my Dad, I always do! I really am Daddy's little princess so who wouldn't love that special attention, haha?
From Laredo I followed my grandpa to Del Rio since he was coming in from Mexico. I wanted to spend some quality time with my grandparents too before I came to Hawaii. They are such wonderful grandparents and love me dearly. Santana and I are the only grandchildren so they are very special to me. I love spending time with my Grandma, she always wants to go shopping and I always learn something about cooking . Although, the cooking thing doesn't stick very well... but I love the quality time regardless. She always gives me random hugs and tells me how happy she is that I am there. I also love talking with my grandpa, he always has these stories from his life. I hope to write many of them down one day so I will never forget them. Someone could write a book about his life it's so interesting. I also spent time with my Aunt and Uncle who just recently bought a new wolf. Her name is Sarabi, she's beautiful! I spent some quality time with them as well and enjoyed swimming in the lake in Del Rio, I'd be swimming in a beach in Hawaii soon enough.
I went back to San Marcos and packed up my little apartment. I couldn't help but be so thankful to God for giving me a successful year. I had lived in my own apartment this year and really got the whole "real world" experience. I also was about to embark on a new adventure... one that would be a different chapter in my life. I was very nervous, apprehensive, and for some reason I didn't want to think about the actual move to Hawaii because it was a bittersweet feeling. So, after burning off thousands of calories from loading the Uhaul going up and down my 2nd story apartment, we were ready to head back to Mom's.
I had a task of somehow fitting all my boxes that were staying at my Mom's in Santana's closet. By a miracle I think, it actually all fit! I got to spend some good time with my Mama. I knew she would be taking it just as hard as me just knowing I wasn't in driving distance. I love my mom so much, I have a lot of her crazy spirit which she says scares her. But regardless, she's taught me a lot. The week goes my fast, I am woken up by my Mom at 2:30am after sleeping only one hour, I needed to get ready to head to the airport. I had to tell Mom bye at the door that which I had called home for years and years. I got emotional but I wanted to be strong for her, and I think she was doing the same for me. We shed a few tears but we definitely were holding it in because we knew we would break down if we lingered on for any longer.
Jorge took me to the airport for my super early flight and helped me unload my 68lb and 70lb bags, which by another miracle only cost me $125 because by their policy I was supposed to be charged $325. So thank you to the lady who cut me a break or doesn't know their baggage policy. I walked toward my gate and I boarded my plane a bit later at 5:35am. I was fine, I wasn't crying... everything was ...fine. I sat next to a man who I could tell was a business man but his true passion in life was traveling. He told me all about his traveling experiences to exotic places. It made my 3 hr flight to Phoenix go by so fast. He was encouraging me to travel to Thailand and Malaysia. I could tell that now that he was married with young children, that his passion of traveling has to be put on halt for a while and comes with a lot more sacrifices. Thailand... I'm not sure I'm ready for that but who knows, maybe one day. A visit... not a permanent move, don't worry.
OK, so I land in Arizona and arrive so tired. I only slept that one hour and I had another 8 hours on a plane to fly into Honolulu. I was blessed to get a window seat on my way to Hawaii which I was very happy about because I wanted to see the island as we flew in. Amazingly, the seat next to me was empty so that gave me so much space to relax and ability to take a good nap. Did it happen? NO... I slept for like 20 minutes and that was it. But as I was sitting in the plane it FINALLY hit me. "OH MY GOSH!!! I am MOVING to HAWAII!!! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh for YEAR!!! What am I doing??? A WHOLE YEAR". It was as if it never occurred to me what I was really doing while I was packing. And when I would tell people about moving to Hawaii I would say "It's JUST a year". Just a year?!??! Oh my gosh... a year is a freakin' LONG LONG time. All these thoughts were running through my head. I started to tear up and I was having to breathe calmly to stop myself from having this meltdown that I had not allowed myself to have unconsciously at home I guess. I finally calmed down and sort of kept myself occupied by watching 50 First Dates on my laptop, reading Cosmo, and attempting to close my eyes in hope of falling asleep. The trip wasn't as long as I thought it would take, it wasn't bad at all. But I was spoiled having all that room to myself. So, the pilot announces that we are arriving to Honolulu in a few minutes. I am glued to the window as I see this land fast approaching. It's very green and I could see mountains and the waves in the ocean. I land and after walking a long time I finally arrive to the baggage claim. I knew that Nathan would be on the other side of that door as I was pushing it and all I wanted was his embrace and comfort. It's not long before we meet eyes and he's wearing his linen pants and a blue shirt that compliments his beautiful blue eyes so well. He has a purple lei around his neck. We hugged so tight and all I could smell was this wonderfully smelling plumeria lei around his neck. I was SOOO excited when he put the lei on me and the aroma just captivated me. He handed me the roses that I hadn't noticed he was holding. They were beautiful and I felt so special. I had missed him and finally we were together again. As we drive around, I fell in love with all the trees and flowers here. They are so beautiful! We eat at a Mexican restaurant... I know, I know... Nathan totally misses Mexican food so he's in search of trying to find a good Mexican restaurant here in Hawaii. We head to our new apartment. We get to the door, where he decided he's going to pick me up and carry me into the apartment. It was so sweet!! I LOVE our apartment, it's small but perfect and our view is just so awesome! Hawaii... it's my home now.

Dang it...

I was writing this blog because I originally thought I would be able to post this video clip of singing while my Dad was playing but... the file was too big even thought it wasn't even 5 minutes long so yeah... I tried forever and no luck. Anyways, I absolutely LOVE LOVE sitting with my Dad and sharing the love of music and getting that priceless moment of just praising God.
I really want to make a CD with my Dad playing just the guitar, nothing overly produced... just the same sound I get when we totally chill and play a song together. Also, I would love to have my Grandpa record a song with me and my Mom as well. I think this would just be the best thing I could EVER EVER have! Anyways... yeah I thought I would share something that is so special and dear to me because moments like those are not as usual anymore as they were before, and as I'd like for them to be due to not getting to see my Dad as frequently as I would like since the divorce.

Was it the purses or just something waiting to come out

I'm taking a break from going through all my clothes, shoes, and PURSES and sorting which will go with me to Hawaii, what will be given to Goodwill, or what I'll save at my Mom's house till I come back the following year. I have to put a lot of thought into every single item: "have I even worn this at all this year", "if this even going to be in style a year from now"," could this be replaced with a better looking one when I get back", "I haven't worn this... but gosh it's too cute to get rid of". So you get the difficulty and how TIME consuming this process can be for an ADD girl. I was doing fine however, I took my Ginkgo Biloba supplement so I was sort of not as distracted as I could usually be. So why am I writing a blog in the middle of this sorting process you ask well... while going through my parting process of getting rid some of my treasured purses I started to tear up. No crying with my clothes or shoes... but my beloved purses... YES. I am a purse person, but I don't go by the expensive price tag ones or a certain designer brand. I really love different designs and just a purse that screams "I am so YOU, Natalie!". I love hunting for a purse that fits my versatile moods. I think any girl who is a purse girl totally understand this! Anyways, even if I have had a purse forever and don't wear it anymore it is so hard to get rid of... it's this bond. HAHA... OK I am laughing at myself because I am starting to sound pretty pathetic.

Anyways, what I am hoping is that my tears weren't brought on due to having to part with my purses I think it goes much deeper than that (I'm hoping so at least, or there might be something wrong with me!). As I am looking at certain purses, some of them represent different chapters in my life and each one of them brought different memories back. Then I start thinking how my life has changed and how once again I am beginning another chapter of my life. Here I am MOVING to Hawaii and leaving my family and friends behind. I've never been the one to get home sick, maybe it was because I know they are just a few hours away and a weekend trip isn't that big of a deal. But I am already getting homesick in a way, and I'm not even in Hawaii yet. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about moving and doing something totally adventurous. I know there will be tough financial issues and things like that but I think it is worth the sacrifice for a year. I think that this will be a wonderful learning experience and one of those things that everyone keeps telling me to do because they wished they would have been able to do something like that. So I am going for it!

People keep asking me "So you getting excited?" and I have noticed that I seem very disconnected with the question... like "yeah..." and I am not sure if maybe this whole time I was sort of not letting myself soak it all in because I knew that I am going to have those moments where I have to say bye to my family and friends and not see them for a long time or perhaps the whole year I am gone. So I've sort of put off packing anything or going through my stuff till today and I think I realized while sorting through my purses that I really am going this. Am I seriously freakin' moving to HAWAII!?!? Yup... I keep thinking that I might be the only person on the plane going to Hawaii that might be tearing up... heck probably crying. Anyways, I had to take a moment and step away from my purses because it kind of opened my own eyes to see that I really am moving, that I have been a teacher for 2 years which would make me a professional ADULT... really an adult.. that sounds so old ya know, and that my life is sort of unpredictable at this moment in time. Well, I know Jesus holds my hand wherever I go and that I will be taken care of.

OK guys... back to the dreaded departure of purses... stay tuned....

Stress...

Things are a bit of stressful right now in my life. My trip to Hawaii just got more stressful. I won’t lie; I’ve been worried about not only MOVING there and leaving my family who I love dearly, but also going to another state which almost seems like another country. I have to find a job which makes me nervous because I don’t have the advantage that I do here because I am bilingual. Me knowing Spanish is pretty much pointless because there is like an 8% Hispanic population so yeah unless I know Japanese, I’m not considered the kind of bilingual they want to employ. The economy here lately is just not so good and everything gets more expensive week after week. Well, Hawaii is already much more expensive than Texas so I’m very nervous to see what kind of life I will live there. I’ve already become accustomed to having my own apartment and having a steady income, so this experience that I am seeking is definitely taking me out of my comfort zone. I hope it is all worth it, even if we don’t make it a whole year over there it would be nice to know that I tried and we enjoyed living in paradise for a while. However this is not why I am stressed out about, I knew all of that going into this. At the beginning of this month I get an e-mail telling me that my flight to Honolulu is canceled because my airlines ATA went bankrupt (LOVELY!!). They said someone would notify me but that other airlines were helping out by giving $99 segment charges. Now I wish I would have just forked out another $99 because I received another e-mail yesterday telling me that they are now going to refund me my money and that I will have to purchase another ticket. Doesn’t sound bad right? I could just buy another ticket right? WRONG… because my airline ATA and another Hawaiian airline are no longer flying the prices have like tripled plus since I planned it so far in advance I got a great deal… now I have to pay an outrageous amount of money. But it’s sort of a big mess, I don’t know all the details of what to do but thankfully I have a wonderful boyfriend who is taking care of making all these calls. However, he has the same situation I do except he’s leaving in 3 weeks so I know he’s REALLY stressing out along with some other things. So yeah… we definitely are hitting some bumps on this adventure we want to go on.

So I am a lil' crazy...

I just got home from visiting my Mom. It's my Spring Bring and one of my childhood friends got married this weekend so I went down the first weekend of Spring Break. I got to see my wonderful dad and spent some quality time before he had to leave that next morning to go to a bible convention in San Luis Mexico.
I got to see my best friend in the world Marisol. We usually spend every Valentine's together but we didn't get to this year so we just exchanged our Valentine's almost a month later. We ate some yummy Bob's Tacos and enjoyed some time together before she had to hit the books to study for midterms.
I also got to spend a lot of time with Mom. Last night we jammed out on the karaoke machine and had such an awesome time. We laughed so hard and just acted crazy. Seriously is ANYONE were to have seen us they would have thought my mom and I would have taken some shots of tequila or something. But oh no, it's all natural... we are just crazy ha ha. It's great though I laughed some calories off and we had a good time singing and dancing. "Sing and dance like no one is watching!!"... and for our sake, we hope no one was watching!

One step closer to paradise

So I did it... I bought my ONE-WAY ticket to Hawaii last night!!! It's crazy to think that June 23rd I am boarding a plane and moving to Hawaii (*crossing fingers*). I've been very VERY nervous about this and everyone else has been telling me get over it and that they would love to be in my shoes so instead I'm just taking it in and saying yes... I'm going to embrace this opportunity and go with it instead of being so... stressed.
I'm thinking I need to get a nice tan before I even think about boarding so that way I might blend in a bit more instead of being this not very tan Mexican girl that I am, haha. I also bought a GIGANTIC suit case yesterday called the "Mammoth" because we are literally packing our bags and going. NUTS huh?
I'm going to be a VERY busy girl in June. I'm having to move out of my apartment, move out of my classroom, figure out what I'm going to do with all my stuff and all of this without Nathan. Last year Nathan and I were at the school till 12:30 AM packing up my classroom and that was both of our efforts I am DREADING this part of doing it on my own and being hindered by my never ending shoulder issue. Also, I'm going to do a lot of visiting before I leave. Because I'm not planning on taking trips back to Texas since it's not cheap and well... I've faced the facts that Nathan and I will be more like having to make ourselves eat SPAM instead of going out to eat seafood due to money issues. We'll be on a strict budget I'm sure so... I'm hoping to make stops in Laredo, Richmond, Mexico, and Del Rio so we will see how that goes.

Summer memories and awaiting new ones...

I had an awesome summer last year going to Rome and Sicily and visiting one of my best friends, Alice, who I had not seen in YEARS, like 6 I think. The architecture is beautiful and some of the scenery is just jaw dropping. The CRAZY driving is probably even more jaw dropping, haha. I thought I was going to die I don't know how many times, while everyone else was as calm as could be. I was just reflecting on my summer and I can't wait for this summer. This summer I am hoping to have a beautiful landscape to look at as well, blue waters, hibiscus flowers, surfing, and amazing animals. Aloha...

Nathan and I have decided that we want an adventure and we would love to share it together. We agreed on moving to Hawaii for a year. It's crazy I know... but we are really excited and even if we are poor for a year I think it would be well worth it being able to say that we lived in paradise for a year. Nathan has already purchased his plane ticket... he will be saying "adios" to Texas and "Aloha" to Hawaii May 6th. He's going to "set up house" so that when Buddy (Nate's St. Bernard) and I come everything is ready to go. I will not be leaving till mid June or early July. I'll give yall updates as time goes by!

An extra class pet?

I have a dwarf hamster class pet whose name is Canela (means cinnamon in Spanish). The kids love him, and he is mighty cute! Today while I was in the middle of my lesson my eye caught something else running towards my desk. While some teachers would have shrieked and screamed, I thought it was adorable and was curious to meet him. I finished up the lesson and tried to catch it so it wouldn't get stuck in the mouse trap. It was next to my desk and it stayed there almost all day. He was sooo very small and he was sooo cute! So, it's the end of the day and I come back from car duty and I hear screaming from the teacher next door. It seems the lil' fellow paid a visit to her as well, except she wasn't as welcoming as I was. They caught him and put him in a container. We asked one of the kinder teacher's grandsons to take him outside of the school. He literally opened the door and let him out. Not exactly what we had in mind, we were thinking as far from the school as possible.
We had a baby shower for a couple of teachers today after school so we were all down there for over a half an hour. Punch, cake, open gifts, and watching the clock go by. I was so tired today and felt a little sick. So I went straight to my room after it was over so I could get my stuff and leave. As I leave the school, my little tiny mouse friend is there waiting for me RIGHT by the door. So well mannered huh? Haha... anyways I couldn't just leave him there. I didn't want anyone to kill him so I went back in to get a bag so I could catch him and release him to the grassy fields. While I was trying to catch him you can tell he was scared poor baby, he even squealed (I know pigs squeal, not mice, but it was this high pitch cry of help) it broke my heart... I know only I am this concerned about the mouse's well being. I mean after all, where is its Mom ya know?!? I finally caught him and walked away from the school. I held him up in the Ziploc bag, he was soooo cute seriously, he was so teeny tiny! Anyways, I open the bag and let him out. He just stands there... I think he was so confused. And he was so little he probably doesn't know what to do out in this big world all alone.... :( Well, it made me sad a bit, but I had no other choice. As much as I wish I could have another class pet... I don't think a wild mouse would go over too well. I hope he is well and that he finds some food and smart like Ratatouille, haha... ok a little extreme but the little fellow must be scared ya know so I hope he is ok. So that was my good deed for the day, I saved a LIFE... a mouse's life but hey... it counts right?!?!

Sweet surprises...

I'm awful about forgetting my cell phone some mornings. Nathan and I usually talk to each other on the way to work for a bit to say good morning and share an I love you. This morning was one of those mornings however I still don't know how it didn't end up in my purse because I actually unconnected it from my charger and placed it on my purse. Somehow when I got to work I realized it was not in my purse at all so I figured it fell out in my car by accident. But it turns out I didn't...

I came home to find a note on my door. Handwritten by my sweet boyfriend stating that he was worried about me because he hadn't heard from me so he decided to check on me and make a few "minor changes" to my apartment. I look at my love seat and lo and behold there is my phone sitting with a white little piece of paper sandwiched between my old outdated flip phone. The note read "Te Amo bambina". It put a smile to my face and I need every smile I can get after a stressful day at work. But then I remembered the note said a "few" changes. So that meant 3 or more surprises if you want to be technical. So I was browsing around my apartment. I go to the restroom and next to my Carmex was another sweet note saying "I love you gorgeous" and it made me happy and smile more. So yeah this was fun, I was like on a scavenger hunt. Although I was scared he was going to pop out of somewhere so I was timid with every step, ha ha. I kept wondering when did he go all this... he works later than I do and to know knowledge he wasn't off or anything. I found out later he actually came on his lunch break. Continuing , I go into my room and the first thing I see was that my screen saver has changed from a slide show of pictures to words that read "I love you Bambina". I scroll around to see if there are any others and assume to be no others once I went through the kitchen and there was nothing else. I call him and tell him thank you for all of my surprises to which he is quick to ask if I got all of them. I said I think so... I didn't see any others. I asked how many he counted 5. See... I told you "a few" means 3 or more. So I got off the phone after a bit and then later saw one on my mirror that read "I love you you're amazingly beautiful". Awww... isn't he just the best?!? I thought it was funny because he knows I'm obsessed with mirrors so (not in a conceited way or anything... ;) ) but he placed it where I would see it. I still had one more to go. While my apartment seems out of order and needs a clean up really bad right now, I am pretty good at knowing what seems out of place. There was a white piece of paper on my white desk and I don't know why I turned it over because of all the papers I have around my apartment that one stuck out to me. I turned it over and it was my last sweet note. It revealed his feelings saying "You're my heart, soul, and best friend. I love you so much my angel, always" I'm spoiled I know... I am so thankful for having such a thoughtful boyfriend who takes the time to do sweet things for me just to put a smile on my face. He buys me flowers for no reason just because I love them and they make me happy. You're amazing baby... I love you too!!!

Being recognized by little kids... everywhere I go

Usually I am a little paranoid when I go out with Nathan because he is always touching me in public (even if it is touching my waist) and the teacher in me freaks out if some little kid seems me with him. Kids seriously look SCARED when they see me anywhere, after all teachers live at school right(pretty much though)?!?! But it is funny all of a sudden the most active or talkative child just turns mute when they see me outside of school, ha ha. And if I see any little kids looking at me, whispering, pointing at me I know they know I am a teacher and I work at their school. I might not recognize them, but they know who I am, some even by name.
Yesterday at Wal-Mart I thought it was funny that there was a little girl that was running passing my aisle and I looked over and hardly caught a glimpse of her but I knew she was a kinder girl. She stopped in her tracks after she passed me and took a few seconds before she peeked around the corner to see my face again. She peeked and I waved, and she said "Hi Ms. Serna" and hurried along to her Mom at the next aisle and I could hear her tell her that "Ms. Serna is here, Ms. Serna is here". I didn't know her name nor could I place her but it was funny to me that no matter where I go... I am bound to run into kids that know me. So do you blame me for freaking out some... no P.D.A and looking crappy when going to to grocery store because someone is BOUND to recognize me....

Nate's 26th Birthday!

I was giving Nathan the hardest time about turning 26, little did I know that this birthday really bothered him. I can't believe how time flies. You always hear that from adults when you are young and you think "No way!". I remember one year in school seemed an eternity back in the day. Now it seems that the months just pass by and before you know it a few years pass right before your eyes. I forgot how old I was the other day. I convinced myself I was 24 and later that night I checked with Nathan and thought I would humor him by telling him how I forgot how old I was and said I finally remembered I was 24. Of course he corrected me saying I was only 23... wow. I have the WORST memory ever and I don't know why! I shared with Nathan that I think I have these time lapses where my brain just goes off into another world and I miss months of my life if I add the daily seconds or minutes I lose a day. It's called ADD I suppose... it REALLY affects all aspects of your life.

Anyways, back to the point of my blog which was Nathan's birthday... we went to Austin and we ate at Doña Emilias for the first time. We wanted to eat somewhere different and nice so we checked that out it was South American food we enjoyed it and of course enjoyed our time together. We had lunch the next day (his actually birthday) at the River Pub it was a beautiful day out and enjoyed being on the patio, enjoying the river right by us and people kayaking. Turns out our ticket got lost because we had waited forever for our food and it never came but we didn't seem to mind. We even got a percentage taken off and free dessert- woohoo!! Later on that evening I was supposed to make dinner for Nathan however he helped me (sweet bf I have!). It turned out very fabulous "Creamy Pesto Shrimp" for a recipe I had just googled an hour prior.

I hope you enjoyed your birthday sweetie and that it was nothing less of what you were hoping for. I love you so much!