>best friends came to hawaii.

so remember how excited i was for my friends to come? yeah, it was basically wonderful. i made a video of some of our trip together. it was so nice to have them here. i miss them all already. sorry that the quality isn't the greatest. the video was too big to upload in HD on vimeo. but enjoy!

>a walk to beautiful.

i had the chance to watch a documentary today called, a walk to beautiful. if you have a free hour, i recommend it. the documentary followed the lives of 5 ethiopian women who are sick and trying to get better. these women are forced to get married at a young age and then they get pregnant. many times when they give birth, they are not healthy enough because they are so young and work so hard. therefore, they will sit in labor for a week and eventually have a stillborn. after removing the dead child from them, they are often left with a "leak"
basically, these women are left with damaged bladders and have zero control over their urinary track. the women are shunned from their community and forced to leave. they are abandoned. however, the documentary focuses on the hope of a hospital that will offer free medical treatment and surgery to cure them. the only problem is getting to the hospital which is often a long journey for many of these women.
i was very intrigued by the entire documentary mainly because it's a situation that i've never heard of before. it's estimated that over 2 million women suffer from obstetric fistula. seeing the pain and suffering these women go through, not only physically but psychologically was heartbreaking. it's refreshing though to know that there are some kind people that are trying to help these women at the fistula hospital in ethiopia. if you want to know more you can visit their site here.

>junk of the heart.

the beaches in georgia and florida are packed with seashells. hawaii on the other hand. none. not really sure why that is. but one of my favorite things is to snorkel and search for any type of seashell i can find. i started a collection last fall, but kind of forgot about it. so today when i was at sunset beach, i decided to give it another go. my favorite shells to collect are the odd ones, the ones that aren't smooth and perfect. i think there's more to them. 

goodness, sometimes i wish i was a mermaid, because the feeling of being underwater is so much more peaceful than everything that's going on above. while i was diving i was a little startled to feel two taps on my shoulder. to my surprise a huge polynesian man held his hand out and gave me two shells he had found. one of the nicest little things that have happened. it's always refreshing to see people sharing the aloha. happy day.

>memorial day.

memorial day was yesterday and normally it's filled with cookouts and sparklers outside on a hot summer night in the lovely south. this year however, was my first away from georgia and it was spent where else but the beach. it was brittany and grace's last day here so we soaked in the rays and spent some time snorkeling before they packed their bags and we headed to town. before the airport though we made a stop to watch the floating lantern festival down at ala moana beach park. if you're okay with big crowds and willing to shimmy your way through the crowd for a good sight, then i say it is definitely worth it. everyone had a chance to grab a lantern and write their remembrances on the lanterns and then light them and float them in the ocean. the pictures don't do it justice. i was up to my knees in water trying to snatch pictures but it really was just so packed that it made it tough. a big thank you to all those men and women out there who serve our country. i don't think they ever get a big enough thank you for all that they do for us. 

x

L

>so incase you're wondering.

this is the expression i've had all day, because tomorrow my best friends come

>play day.

sometimes you just need to put the studying, phone calls, and responsibilities on hold

and just go to the beach.

of course first making a stop at the local fruit stand to pick up some mango and pineapple.

and maybe even throw a paddle board on your car too. first time i've ever tried.

definitely not an expert, but i did indeed have quite the lovely day.

xxx
L

>moments from the canal.

i go in these phases where i kind of disappear from the blogging world.
i think it's just because sometimes you need a break from the web.

a lot has changed lately. new semester. new home. new roommates.
new job. new friends. new responsibilities. new opportunities. new.
i have this love/hate relationship with change. but so far it's turned out to
be all good.
life in hawaii has infinite possibilities. infinite possibilities for change.
infinite possibilities for hope. that's kind of how i'm feeling lately.
so much of what i've always known is changing and i'm not exactly sure
what the future holds. i just know that if i keep living and loving this
blessed life i've been given, the wonders are infinite.