Weekend Getaway

I don’t necessarily love golfing. I love golfing with him. 🙂 I’ve been golfing on and off for the pass decade. My drive continues to get better. My short game….. well let’s just save we have a love and hate relationship.  Since I’ve been living in Hawaii, Joe and I go at least twice a month if not more. However since I’ve been working, we go about once a month now. Either way I love spending time with him. A few weeks ago, Joe had Saturday and Sunday off! So he decided to take me on a mini vacation. We didn’t go very far but it was nice of him to book us a hotel room at Turtle Bay Resort!  We started off golfing at 9am.  Once we finished we headed over to the hotel to check in. I was hungry and needed a Mai Tai asap!

Here’s our amazing view! I loved it. It was so peaceful and beautiful outside! We changed and rushed to the pool. After a day of golfing, I needed to relax.

When we got to the pool we immediately put in an order for fish and chips AND the famous Mai Tais!!!! I have to say the Mai Tais here are the best! I swear I’m not a light weight but you only need two of those Mai Tais and your done! The fish and chips here are also amaaazzziiinnnggggg. They give you 3-4 big fish chunks. it’s awesome. 

Aren’t these Mai Tais pretty!!!! Don’t worry, not only do they look good they were delicious too! If you get a chance, ask for Deanna, she’s awesome! She’s attentive, funny and has the best laugh ever,  it’s contagious I swear!

After our drinks, we walked the grounds to find the hot tub. 🙂

And we found it! Although it was a bit too hot, we hung out there for a bit until our bodies couldn’t take it anymore.

Some water fun. We aren’t your typical lay out at the pool, we like to play!

Cheese!! Being in the pool is very rare in Hawaii. Back in California, I’m use to pools in every community! In Hawaii, you either need to live in a apartment/condo complex to have one or you have one in your house. So this was fun just because it’s been a while since we’ve been in a pool!
OK, so I lied, we like to play in the water an relax by the pool. 🙂

Later that night, Joe and I had dinner at Ola. They have the best Kahula Pork Nachos and Octopus Salad! We bought our own bottle of wine, my favorite ever! It was a quick weekend getaway but it was so needed. I told Joe that I wanted to be the couple that dated forever. I think it’s so important to have the sweet moments that melts your heart and makes you fall in love all over again. We surely are keeping our promise so far. Being in love is grand, making love last is the hard part. It requires a lot of things but for us we want commitment, honesty, laughter and lots of amazing sex. Yes I said it… .sorry mom(s). 🙂

Dirt, Salt and Sweat

Joe and I have mountain biked around Ka’ena Point for sometime. Since June, when my bike came from California, we’ve gone on a dozen biking trips however today was the first day we were determined to get to the other side. The last time we attempted that, Joe got into an accident. Today was a new day, I packed a beach towel, sunblock, sandwich, chips and a first aid kit! We were ready to spend the day on the west side!

A girl and her mountain bike posing at the prettiest backdrop! Everything here is breathtakingly beautiful!

After this picture was taken, I wanted to get closer to the arch! What baby wants baby gets! 🙂 Of course, we stopped a long the way for pictures. I love his GoPro! It has captured many good moments for us. 🙂 This picture, we had to hide our bikes on top and hiked down for this picture.

It’s a beautiful arch and it looks so much prettier and bigger in person. Cheese!

Oh no! The arch’s dropping… must…. hold….it….uppp!!!!!

We made it to the other side… just another 3 miles to the beach!!! I can’t believe I made it in a long sleeve. I really didn’t want burnt arms and the sun here is extra harsh!

After making it to the beach, we literally stripped and ran into the water full speed. You have no idea how nice that water was after the 6 mile bike ride up and down rocks, mud, sand and hills. It was the best feeling ever.

Just us fooling around in the water. 🙂

Even being exhausted I still had time to prance around the water hoping Joe would catch a good shot! It’s like a lake out here!

Joe’s GoPro shot!

Kissy moment with my love. I love all the adventures we have. He’s absolutely the best man ever.

Another beautiful shot.

This was when Joe was caught in a little barrel that threw him around for a bit. Overall the trip was over 12 miles long. It was awesome to sweat, sweat and sweat some more. See you soon Ka’ena Point!!! xo

The Trinidad’s Vacation

My sister has arrived and my car arrived shortly after.  Joe and I went to go visit her and while waiting for her, we decided t go down to Lanakai. It’s one of my favorite beaches just because it’s has fine sand and the bluest water on the island.

Earlier that day, the Trinidad family went hiking.   That’s my sister Christine, my brother-in-law Mike and my adorable niece Ariel!   They are here with their cross-fit family. They’ll be staying here for a week!

Here’s my little buttercup and me.  We decided to go to the Aquarium to spend some quality time together. Being around kids is always interesting. They are either in amazing great spirits or they are exhausted and grumpy.  None the less I valued the time I had with my family! After all I won’t see them until December!

The aquarium in honolulu is small and hot but from Ariel’s point of view, she was amazed. I never saw a kid bounced around all over the place! that fast! No wonder they say that the moment you turn your eyes away from your child, they could easily disappear. I have so much to learn as a future mom!

The Trinidad’s made their way to the North Shore. They went to Ted’s Bakery, Macky’s North Shore Sharks Adventure, Matsumoto, Lani’s and Haleiwa Joe’s! It was a well packed day but I’m so glad they saw where I lived and my playground.  I wish they were here longer but I am truly greatful they were here to visit me. Love you guys! See you in December. XO

Bloody Ka’ena Point

I took my mountain bike to a Laguna Beach bike shop to get it taken apart. I needed it taken apart so I can bring it as a carry on with me to Hawaii. I didn’t want to sell it. Plus if I did sell it, I know i wouldn’t have received much for it. It wasn’t a cheap bike to begin with! So like a trooper, I marched in the shop and the guys their took care of me. Laguna Beach Cyclery did a great job! I came back less than a week later and the beauty was dismantled and packed in a box.

Since I’ve been in Hawaii, Joe decided to take up on the sport too! Thank goodness I have a riding partner. His bike is awesome. It’s matte black with a blue stripe.  On a beautiful Saturday afternoon I made us lunch and packed us several snacks and off to Ka’ena Point we went.

It’s such a beautiful spot and its very windy up here. We parked our car several miles back because when you get to a certain point, no cars allowed unless you are off roading. We road for what seem miles and here are the pictures I took along the way. We saw monk seals at the point. They seem to be just relaxing and bathing in the warm sun.

***********DO NOT READ BELOW THIS POINT IF YOU DO NOT LIKE BLOOD OR FLESH!!!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!!!

After reaching the point, we wanted to go further, we wanted to eat lunch on the other side of the point and swim in the water. The water there was much flatter than this side. We made our way up the mountain. I didn’t mention this before but there are loose rocks from the moment we started peddling from our car. It’s a very bumpy ride and definitely  not for the faint of hearts. As we escalated above the path and onto the mountain there was a part that where you had to carry your bike. Being macho as I am, I wanted to carry my own bike but Joe ended up heping me lift it. As we continued biking further, there were more loose rocks. Somehow Joe’s bike slipped on the rock. Joe didn’t fall off it but the bike slipped underneath him and while it was slipping, the gear made it’s imprints in Joe’s shin. Below are pictures of when it first was cut to weeks later.

When this happened I was mortified. I couldn’t believe the gear did that! However I am very good under pressure. I made Joe sit down so we can just relax a moment. I could tell that the slight of the gash put him in shock.  I took off my top and immediately went into my backpack to see if i could use anything. I found hand sanitizer and poured a handful into the wound. I needed to make sure it was at least clean. I then wrapped up his wound with my shirt. How were we going to get out of there? My thoughts were call 911, wobble back or bike back to the car.  After some water, Joe decided he wanted to bike back. I was shock but so thankful he was able to still move. Plus he was probably still in shock and he had adrenaline pumping through his veins.   I figure I’ve got a good 30 minutes before the pain really kicks in and things get worst. Joe was awesome, not only did we get back to the car but we even stopped to each lunch before we got to the car.  My poor baby. I need to find shin guards for the future.  Every morning after making  Joe’s breakfast and lunch, I would tend to his wounds. Prior to this, I also had a harsh cut on my hand so I had antibiotics and grafts for him to use. The wound took about 3 weeks to get to the point where plasma wasn’t oozing out of him.

The lesson I learned in this is dress appropriately! Mountain biking on a trail is easy. The worst thing that happens there are people walking around you. On the mountain however, nature can take over. I’m so happy it didn’t resulted into anything worse. There were no infection and it healed appropriately.

Jen Visits California

First day back in California and I get a welcome home present from my friend Ali. Thanks for the table! Definitely not a bad way to begin my trip. We went to Ten in Newport Beach and danced to horrible music while drinking good booze. Can I just say… holy macaroni… I was exhausted. Mind you I have been on “vacation mode” for the pass 5 months. Vacation modes means that I’ve been in a swimsuit and slippers everyday.  I’m also in bed by like 10pm if not earlier. I had to wear heels the whole night. IF you know me, heels means HIGH heels…. 5 inches!  The old Jen never complained, the old Jen laughed at those girls that took off their heels after a long night. (Don’t worry, my shoes didn’t come off. I thought about it but like a badass, those heels stayed on) … this new beach bum Jen s wondering how the heck did I do it!!! Oh goodness.

After a night of fun, I saw someone that brighten up my day! This little one comes into my room and tries to scare me. I miss her face and her kisses!! I cant’ wait until your in Hawaii Ariel!!

While I was home, I was honored enough to be invited to my little cousin’s graduation! She’s freaken 18 years old!!! I have known Jessica and Jackie their entire lives. I have known her since she was in her mommy’s tummy.  I have burped her, changed her diapers, tortured her and loved her unconditionally. Love you Jessie!!! Also, she’s an amazing… AMAZING pet photographer. She’s already been featured in several magazine! Check her site out! Jessica Trinh Photography

While I’m home, I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my brother. He cares about a few things: working out, food and the Warriors basketball team.  I don’t like the Warriors, but I did once went to a Clippers vs. Warriors game….. Let’s just say he was really happy with the results.  Feeding him daily is expensive, so gym time bonding it is!  Glad we got to spend some time shortie!!!! (I know, he’s not so short anymore)

Landon had his 1st birthday. Mind you I booked my flight to make sure I made it to his birthday.  He’s such a cutie and if I’m popping out babies, he may be a great contender for my girls. (Did I say if??? I meant… WHEN I pop out babies….) It was great to spend some time with him as well as see my friends all together under a roof. As you can see, Vanessa is pregnant! I can’t wait to meet Blake!! See you soon in Hawaii Audrey! (wink)

Oh do I miss you.  My bestie Anna, had Landon a year ago and boy does time flies! I miss Anna dearly. We’ve been friends for over a decade.  We have been through many new chapters in our life! I’m super bummed I couldn’t play a bigger role in Landon’s life now that I’m in Hawaii. But know I miss you madly!! XO

Meet my other bestie…. Bao Liu! I’ve known this gal for 7 years. She’s definitely my other half.  We are too similar it’s insane. We are both Leos and born in the year of the rat. No one gets us better than each other!!! She’s my wine, Vegas, travel and foodie buddy.  I had dinner with Bao and John (her husband) at Taiko. It’s the best sushi restaurant in Irvine.  You got to sit at the bar, buy the chefs a beer and magic happens!  I miss her strength, guidance and love.  The Lius are like my second family. I can’t wait to be there when you renew your vows this year!!! XO

Girls night was great! Thanks Michelle for setting up the bottle service! I love that when we roll, we roll with your “swag” lol.  I appreciate everyone that came out. It wasn’t the same though without the rest of the girlfriends. It’s so odd how things change the older you get.  No one EVER said no to a night out.  A chance to get dolled up, free booze and dancing….. that was practically every weekend!!! Oh the 20’s… you were so fun.  Now everyone has priorities: families, loved ones or even job. I’m not complaining, well maybe just a bit but I do understand we all are at different parts in our lives. I will miss the past. I miss the crazy vegas weekends. I miss the trips to LA and SD. I miss my flights up north. Despite all the “missing” I did while I was back in California, don’t mistake how excited I was to see Joe. Another chapter closes and another one opens. Thank you friends for seeing me regardless of the parties. I had several dinner dates… I wish we took pictures!!! Love you all, come visit me. XO

The last day came and my parents decided to play hookie from work! Haha, I’m so blessed. It was suppose to be a crazy Monday morning but instead it was a crazy morning with my parents. We headed to Long Beach to drop my car off at the docks. My car is being shipped to Hawaii!!! Thank you Joe!! He insisted I bring my car over instead of selling it. His exacts thoughts were “babe, when we have kids, I don’t feel safe with you driving the kids around in a mini cooper”. My heart melted and I told him OK. I’ve been wanting a mini cooper forever and it’s still just a dream. That’s OK. my man told me we’re having kids! haha right…. if you like it baby, put a ring on it!!! XOXO

We drove off to my FAVORITE restaurant in Long Beach. I was back for a week and everyday I had some sort of lunch or dinner plan with SOMEONE… and unfortunately it didn’t result to eating at Open Sesame.  I was happy to share that with my parents. After lunch, we went to LAX and they dropped me off.

I’m thankful my family supports my move.  I still can’t believe I fell for a guy WHILE on vacation in Hawaii!! Best things do happen unexpected!

I land in Oahu after 5.5 hours. Who do I see waiting for me? The love of my life. It’s official, I’m a resident of Hawaii.

Sunset Bunker

Laguna Beach Canyon

Aloha!

Hiking is my all time favorite thing to do. It’s great exercise and it gets me away from the gym. Back in California, I spent the majority of my weekends hiking 1-4 hours a trip.  I loved trying to get away from the noise and enjoy a bit of mother nature. I especially loved hiking by Laguna Beach and Newport; it’s only because it brought me closer to the water. That nice ocean breeze comes in handy when you are trying to climb mountains and hills while sweating up a storm. Now in Oahu, I have a new playground. The biggest difference is that there’s always an amazing view, an ocean breeze is never hard to find, it’s always mother nature and there’s never any noise!

On a peaceful hike, it’s the girls that bring the noise!

My first hike with Joe was Sunset Beach by the school. At first I wasn’t quite sure where Joe was taking me because the trip literally starts at the school’s parking lot. There’s a little path off to the left. The first 15 minutes of the hike is pretty gnarly.  The hike starts off very steep. Fortunately, past hikers left rope on some of the trees. It makes it easier to get down safely. When it rains, the mud sure gets slippery!

A little cave at the end of the long haul up the steep hill.

A view of all the major surf spots!

My love!

This hike is tricky! There are so many paths you can take which leads to everywhere! Looking at a map on google, I notice that if I were to ever get lost, it could get ugly. It goes pretty deep east and could even take you into Pupukea and Waimea! Even though it’s been a while since Joe’s been here, he knew how to get where we wanted to go. I wanted to see the bunker! Bunkers are cement structures that the military use to occupy as a look out. It was their way to see who was coming in from sea.  After WWII, I believe the bunkers became vacant. Now the only visitors they get are from hikers and graffiti artists.

Inside the bunker you can see many local “talents” using this as their canvas.

I can definitely tell you that so far, Hawaii’s awesome. It’s only been a short while but everything is pretty amazing. I have a fantastic boyfriend, who’s family is equally amazing and the adventures keeps coming.

Next Blog: Family or Famiglia!

Snorkeling Adventures

This is one of my favorite water activity.

I live across the street from the beautiful blue ocean. Everyday I look out into that blue water and think how lucky I am to live in such an amazing place with such a wonderful man.  One of my favorite things to do on the island is snorkeling. There are still many places I haven’t snorkeled yet but I’m hooked! I originally used snorkeling to supplement my cardio. Running can get so boring. Also running in Hawaii is unbelievably exhausting. The amount of sweat you get after a few minutes of running isn’t a pretty sight. Joe got me a snorkel set with fins and I started going when he wasn’t around. However I do get extremely paranoid swimming alone. I asked Joe “Honey, what do I do if I’m snorkeling and I run into a reef shark?” He tells me “appear large babe and swim at it.” I looked at him and laughed and said “right”. Now I know the answer is correct however the thought of swimming closer to it and appearing big sounds ridiculous! However I’m sure to remember that.

Every day after work, Joe and I head to the beach. If the water is great, which it usually is, we will go snorkeling. Joe will dive for shells while I attempt at it. What’s amazing is that he can hold his breathe for so long and to think he used to be a smoker too! I definitely plan to continue my water adventures. I hope to learn to surf this summer! Don’t worry, I’ll blog about the efforts.

A sample of Joe and my shell collection. We are saving it for our mini coral reef fish tank!

I love my life. I thank Joe everyday for allowing me this time to just play. I’m still getting use to island life but I can definitely tell you it’s not hard to fall into this lifestyle.

Next Blog: Jen Learns to Cook!!!

My New Norm

Everyone always asks me “what’s life like on the island?”

It’s been about a couple weeks since my arrival. Island living is indeed very simple and slow. What I love about it is that you really get to take in everything around you. I’m so use to moving at such a fast pace, you really don’t get to slow down and just enjoy the simple things. It’s a big adjustment getting used to considering weeks before the move I was working hard tying loose ends before I left. My routine back at home consist of getting up around 6:30am. I would walk Aiko for about 30 minutes. I get ready and leave the house around 7:45am. I head to Nektar to grab my smoothie for the morning and I’m usually in the office around 8:15am-8:30am. Then from 8:30am to about 7pm I manage to run around and manage a bank with a staff of 16-20 people. I head home, walk my dog, make dinner and work out until 10pm. Life was definitely more fast pace and routined. I was constantly moving and I sure as hell didn’t do it in flip flops.

Now I wake up at 5:45am Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I wake up at 3:45am on Mondays. Joe has Tuesdays and Fridays off. We wake up, he makes his coffee while I make breakfast, lunch and snacks for him to bring to work. What do I make for breakfast? He gets pita bread stuff with anything from chicken, turkey or sausages. I’ll change it up with a breakfast burrito. For lunch, he gets a sandwich, burger or a pita sandwich. For snacks I pack him chips, cookies, pistachios, beef jerky or goldfishes. As you can see, Joe has a very good life. He is very well fed. I pack it all up and I send him off to work. I kiss him see ya later and off he goes.

Now what do I while Joe is gone? I do what I want! I get the morning to myself until about 2pm.  I keep the house tidy. Back at home, I hired someone because it’s so much work with a full time life. I can’t believe it but when you have the time, keeping a home clean is very rewarding. There’s a lot of elbow grease involved but it’s definitely satisfying and it’s quiet a work out.  I work out at the beach or on the patio. A gym is about 20 minutes away so it’s difficult to get to without a car. I will bike around the North Shore. I visit Joe on bike or bike around the area to get familiar with it. It’s such a beautiful place. I go snorkeling by the beach across the street. I pretty much take a dive in the ocean every day. I went from a girl who own a couple dozen work suits to owning a couple dozen swim suits. Joe always says life is better in boardshorts…. well life is definitely even better in a bikini.

HIking Sunset

Aligator’s Beach

One of the many beautiful sunsets!

Next Blog: Snorkeling Adventures

Panic Attack

I am moving to the beautiful state of Hawaii! It’s probably the prettiest of all the states too. I couldn’t help but feel like I’m leaving the country though! How many states do we have that you can pack a bunch of beachwear and sunblock?  Hawaii felt so far and I was reminded how far it was when the flight attendance declared the time zone change.  Joe taps me on the shoulder and tells me we are passing Maui! Joe didn’t get much sleep and I was too anxious to get any real rest. I did love having a travel partner. It was great to slip my feet into Joe’s when I got cold or when I needed a shoulder to catch a quick nap, his was right there. He makes me smile. Everything about him is so refreshing. He’s kind, thoughtful and geniune. However he always seems worried though. I wonder what he fears or what he’s thinking sometimes. I on the other hand don’t hide my emotions well, not that I intended to but I would never want to make him worry intentionally.  I looked over and Joe points out Oahu. It was just as pretty as I last remembered when I was on the plane with Cat. I smiled and was excited to land. I really hate long flights. That feeling was quickly over when the flight attendance made an announcement to strap on our seatbelt because we would be landing very shortly.  As we were declining in elevation, Joe took my hand and kissed me. I smiled and squeeze his hand.  Ten, nine, eight…three, two, breathe… and we landed.

The door of the plane opened and a burst of warm air hits me. It felt warmer this time. Only minutes outside and I felt sticky. Joe grabs my hand and we moved through the crowd. We had a lot of luggage to pick up and my fingers were crossed hoping that it all landed safely. We stood by the baggage claim and since majority of my luggage was considered oversize, it didn’t take too long for me to collect everything. We then headed to the parking structure to find Joe’s truck. Joe effortlessly threw the luggage in the bed of his truck and off we went.

As soon as we got on the freeway, a burst of emotions hit me. I starred at the highway and just started to notice the kind of people that were around me. Then I noticed the cars, the homes and the street names. I felt sweaty and thoughts of my family and friends ran through my head and I immediately thought “what have I done!” Joe felt I was off and without saying much, he squeezed my hand and told me his loved me. I didn’t response so he asked me if everything was ok. I replied with a half smile and asked him to give me a few minutes. I needed to recollect my thoughts and more importantly I needed to breathe. Everything at that moment seem so chaotic. The freeway felt small, the air felt hot and nothing looked familiar. I didn’t want to stress Joe out but I couldn’t help but freak out. I was always thought I was adventurous but this really was taking it to a whole different level. I thought about how I left my parents, my siblings, my friends and my job!

To keep myself distracted and to not worry Joe, I talked about Tahoe.  I told him I loved him. I started talking about how we fell in love and asked him if he promised to be honest and faithful to me. He grinned and said ” I love you. I absolutely will be honest and faithful”. Just like that I smiled and I remembered why I decided to take this risk. Love is worth it.  Since my last relationships, I can honestly say that none of them were worth the risk, the heartache or the time. However I don’t regret any of it either. Those relationships made me wiser and more determine that I was close to finding my soul mate.  I can honestly say with Joe, that everything is worth the risk. You can’t pass up this kind of love. This kind of love only happens once in a lifetime and to walk away from it because of fear seems silly.  We got to North Shore and I immediately felt at ease.  Who would have thought the country would put me at ease. I looked to my left as we continued to Haleiwa, I knew everything would be awesome.

Next blog: First Adventure

Aloha Hawaii

Dad drives Joe and me to the airport. I watched Joe and my dad take my luggages out of the car and I watch it sat there on the curb. Without hesitation, I hugged and kissed my dad farewell. I couldn’t help but hold him longer because I knew it would be a while before I got another one. I watch my dad drive off in the LA traffic and turned to Joe. I smiled at him trying desperately to hold back any tears. He knew I needed a hug and he went to embraced me. He kissed me and told me he loved me. His smile was enough for me to move forward. Joe tugged my hands to get going. I watched the baggage man take my luggages. From there Joe and I went to security and then to our terminal after that. I started to get excited and anxious. A 5 hour flight isn’t the shortest but it also isn’t the longest. Joe kept me busy with plans on what would happen for the rest of the day. As he talked, I kept thinking whether Hawaii would be all I remembered it to be. Places have a way of appearing so magical and beautiful. I hoped for the same feelings if not more when I returned. The difference this time was that it wasn’t a vacation. It was to live.  I kissed Joe and held his hand tight. The door of the plane closed and we were getting ready for the runway. There was no more turning back. Bye-bye Cali.

A bike box, a few luggages and a couple carry on. I travel light.

Next Blog: Panic Attack