As of today, we have been here for forty days. (I counted it twice because it feels like so much longer.) On August 13, we boarded a plane in Houston, Texas after three months of being in-between homes (but enjoying every minute of our visits with family.) About ten hours later, we were standing on Waikiki Beach, totally unable to take it all in...
We spent our first days on the island in a strange jet-lagged limbo of real life and tourist life. One morning Shawn would be dressed in his Alpha's and headed out the door of our hotel-room-home to his job, and the next we'd be flip-flopping it to the beach. It was surreal to say the least. (Oh and p.s. they're not flip-flops here, they're slippers.)
We stayed in Waikiki for a few days (no, a week? two? time lost all meaning...) before moving to a resort on the Windward side of Oahu. The resort had it's perks -beautiful views, a great breakfast on the open-air lanai every morning, and a lovely pool. It also had some drawbacks we didn't see coming such as way too little space for our six-bodied family and no air conditioning (well OK in all fairness it had a small AC unit in one room so if you wanted to sleep standing up next to that particular window you could keep cool.) There were other inconveniences but first world problems-that-aren't-really-problems for sure so we did our best not to complain. We were surrounded by the most amazing scenery, we had time and space to explore, and we were seeing God's provision at every turn. We were just really really ready to not be living out of suitcases anymore.
Shawn and I went into our appointment with military housing knowing what we would hear but still half hoping for better news. A twelve to twenty-four months wait for a home on MCB Kaneohe Bay was the news we expected, not the news we hoped for. We began meeting a lot of other military families in the same boat. We were all in some stage of the long transition process, living in hotels for weeks- some for months, looking at the same listings on Zillow and getting the same "already rented" responses to our inquiries. We were all frustrated and tired and hot and anxious. We were all feeding our toddlers on the floor and wishing for just one home cooked dinner free of french fries and chicken nuggets.
In between our play time and house hunting time, we actually managed to show up on time for our first day of Classical Conversations. We were sweaty and tired and unprepared, but we made it. It was a new group full of new faces but the most familiar and comfortable place we had been to yet. It was a breath of fresh air, a "welcome home" we so badly needed.
Looking back, I realize how short that time really was. About two weeks after arriving on island, we found a furnished town home in a great location ready for us to move in. Seriously great. It's a long drive to work for Shawn (made doubly long by the horrendous Oahu traffic) but it's our own space for a little while and it has beds for everyone and air conditioning and a kitchen where we can cook real food and amazing swimming pools and gorgeous beaches down the street...and did I mention it's great? It is.
There have been so many good things crammed into these weeks.
Donovan is walking, Shawn and I celebrated our fourteenth anniversary, Kenna had her cast removed, our kids have fallen in love with the ocean, Tristan, the one who shed the most tears over leaving Florida, is truly enjoying Hawaii, Katie learned to roller skate, Shawn turned 40(!) we found a great church, and we even had friends come to visit. Our lives have been filled to the brim and overflowing.
Life here is going to be an adventure. I'll do my best to share it with you often so if you're still actually hanging around this little space, mahalo! Be back soon!
