10/22

I celebrated my 30th birthday on the island, it was perhaps, a perfect day.  

Denver and I surfed for a few hours in the morning then headed to the northern most point of the island to check out the sights and eat some Tropical Dreams ice cream. The views and the ice cream were just as awesome as I had been led to believe.  While up north and feeling festive, I picked out a handmade mug from a local artisan (Denver grabbed one for himself as well, he knows how to get the most out of any situation) which I'm quite certain has made my morning coffee even better tasting and more eagerly anticipated then before. 

The celebrations started before we left Oregon though (meaning I've stretched out the birthday celebration for almost a entire month now), with a homemade layered cake of my choosing, food and wine pairings at a vineyard in Ashland, and a hand-crafted birthday card being the highlights that come to mind. Everything was simple and so thoughtfully pulled together, I couldn't be more grateful.

So far, being thirty is just fine by me.

     

 

The Big Island

 

The island is beautiful, more beautiful then I expected. We found a great place to rent up at about 2000ft elevation, just high enough to stay cool but only a ten minute drive downhill to the beach or to Kona. It's on the leeward side of the island but high enough to be under the clouds on the hot afternoons.  

Our friends graciously went through the hassle of purchasing a vehicle for us before our arrival, an '88 Toyota Land Cruiser that I had spotted on Craigslist and begged them to take a look at. The truck is a beast that seems to love cruising the island. Denver has been scheming all sorts of restoration plans since day one.    

It's starting to make a little sense around here. The roads, the names, the weather patterns, the waves. After struggling on my surfboard for the last few days (I was so frustrated and ready to throw in the towel on the whole endeavor yesterday) something clicked this morning (thankfully) and I had the best three hour surf session I've had for the last two years.  

This time, here in Hawaii surfing as much as possible, is something Denver and I have wanted to do for years. We wanted to leave responsibly though, not just check-out on life. Is leaving responsibly an oxymoron? Is it even possible? If so, we've given it our best shot. It's taken alot of work and brain-drain to transplant ourselves, yet again, but it's also been a dream come true.

New horizons

Ready or not. Off we go.

Summer's Afterglow