my british amiga.

holly will be here in just 3 days! 

when we met last summer in spain we didn't say goodbye we just said "see you soon" because we knew we'd see each other again but i didn't think it would be so soon :)) 

it's her first time here in america & she'll be here for two & half weeks. we'll be in utah for almost a week & then we'll hit the road on an adventure to st.george, zions national park, vegas, L.A., and san fran. 

i'm soo very excited. 

can't wait to "party in the U.S.A." with my lovely british amiga!! 

(i had to post this picture too... probably one of the best pictures ever taken)

baby doll.

my dad has always called my mom "doll" so when i was really little i started calling my mom "mama doll" and then devin became "baby doll" seeing as he was just a baby then (he is really embarrassed by that nickname every time we bring it up....haha). i'm so glad dev and i were both able to go to hawaii cause it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without him. and after hanging out with him for the past seven weeks in hawaii i really miss him. the house doesn't feel complete without him. we'll all be happy to have him back. 

no place like home.

one thing traveling has taught me is that there is no place like home.
even in paris or rome, spain, or a paradise called hawaii.... home is where your heart is & always will be. 
i absolutely love traveling because it is a complete eye opening experience. you learn so much about different cultures, people, places, foods, religions, etc. 
but coming home is one of the best parts because you come back a better person and each time you leave you realize how blessed you are to have the home, family, & friends that you have. 
i can't wait for my next destination but for now.... i am just happy to be home. 

stairway to heaven.

the night before i left hawaii a group of 9 of us climbed 4,000 stairs to the top of "stairway to heaven". i only got a few hours of sleep because you have to leave at 3 in the morning in order to make it there before the security guard arrives (yes, this hike is now illegal but tooons of people still do it). i was kinda freaked out at the steep parts and our legs felt like jello by the time we finished but the view made it all worth it. it was awesome!! 

last but not least...

hawaii to-do list: #1. check!

aloha hawaii.

and i'm meaning aloha as goodbye- not hello. the double meaning can be very confusing.

my time here has come to an end and it's definitely a bitter-sweet feeling.

sweet because it is always nice to go home after being away for awhile. family & friends are always missed. along with my bed, utah's mountains, and normally my car (but i'd rather not remember the fact that it won't be there to greet me when i get home).

bitter because it flew by waaaay too fast and there is still plenty i would love to do here while not being in school. i'll especially miss the beach being in my back yard, the sound of the waves in my living room, the lush green nature all around me, & the variety of culture.

i had an amazing adventure here in the aloha state. it will be missed but i'll be back someday.......

as for now i'm leaving on an airplane tonight at precisely 9:01pm (hawaii time) & will be arriving in utah in the morning. alooooha.

one more day.

the reasons why i am going to miss hawaii:

enough said. 

waikiki.

so i finally squeezed in a day in honolulu at waikiki and i loved it. 

of course the beach is terribly crowded with tourists. plus its lined with giant hotels rather than hawaiian mountains. so its definitely a different feel than being at a north shore beach. 

the beach at waikiki isn't want i loved though. it was the city. 

i just loved the feeling of the busy city right next to the relaxing beach. 

maybe its just because i'm somewhat of a 

city girl

guess i can't help it! 

hawaii to-do list: #5. check!