2013 was....

2013 was incredible. I accomplished more than I ever have in my life, I feel successful and accomplished for the first time -I couldn't be more pleased with everything that happened this year, and all of these big changes were very unexpected.

I got my braces off....

Spent 1 month in Chicago....

Spent a week in St Louis, Kansas City, Savannah and Disney World....

We danced in our second Hula recital...

I started ballet...

I met a Detroit Lion...

My best friend moved to Chile and my sister moved to L.A....

I became 'host' to a student from Russia and another from India....

 

I started volunteering at my church...

I got a job that I genuinely love...

My husband had reconstructive knee surgery...

I rekindled a friendship with a girl I've been looking for for 10 years...

My blog was picked up by 5 major newspapers and quadrupled in readership...

 

We redid our living room...

I was hired as a linguist for a nationwide translation company....

We had Cinderella spend the day with our daughter on her 3rd birthday....

We got a new kitten...

We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary in the ER next to each other with IV's....

I did 4 events out of my house this year...

 

I had loads of other interesting LIFE LIST experiences along the way, many I haven't even had time to write about yet. Each of these adventures and all of the wonderful people I met this past year have changed and enriched my life in many ways. I am unfortunately still having some 'hiccups' with my family but life isn't perfect and other than these disappointments as grand as they may be, my life this year was pretty amazing and I feel very blessed.

36 things to do on the Big Island

Ho’I Hou Ke Aloha

1. The Black Sand Beach 

2. Akaka Falls 

3. South Point 

4. Attend a Luau 

5. Stay at the Kona Village Resort

6. See an active Volcano 

7. Swim with Sea Turtles 

8. Snorkel 

9. Eat at Huggos on the Rocks

10. Drive the King Kamehameha Highway around the entire Island

11. Drink a Mai Thai

12. Drink Kona coffee

The things I WISH I would have done...and will be sure to do next time!

1. Swim with Dolphins
2. Go Horse Back Riding
3. Take a Helicopter Ride over the Island
4. Eat Spam
5. Stay one night at the Volcano Hotel
6. Night Dive with Manta Rays
7. Take a Surf Lesson
8. Write something on the Black Lava
9. Hula Dance on the Beach
10. Hike to the Green Sand Beach
11. Buy a large hand carved turtle
12. Carved Tiki statue
13. Get a lomi lomi massage
14. National Historic Park
15. Botanical Garden
16. Hulihee Palace
17. Mauna Kea Observatory
18. Sea Horse Place
19. Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
20. Kula Kai Taverns
21. Submarine Dinner
22. Go hiking on the volcano
23. Have a picnic on the Black Sand Beach
24. Get a Hennah tattoo

Have you been to Hawaii? What was your favorite thing there?

LIFE LIST: PERFORM IN A HULA DANCE SHOW

"The dance is over, the applause subsided but the joy and feeling will stay with you forever.”

Where: Michigan

When: The first was in June 2012, we also were in the recital this past June 2013.

2012

                                       
Why this is on my list: I had no intention of dancing in the recital the first year we joined the class; my daughter was only 17 months old, we started the class late giving us only had 7 weeks before the recital, and I just had no desire to do this in front of an audience. Then one day 'Auntie', the dance instructor, brought in the smallest hula skirt you've ever seen for my baby. She looked so adorable in it I couldn't say no. We had such a blast doing our 1 song the first year that this year we were in 3 dances. My little girl lives for the stage and did incredibly well during both performances, she's already looking forward to the show in June 2014.

Cost: We do not have to pay to be in the recitals and there is a very reasonable fee to be in the class.

Something I'd recommend? Dancing in the recital initially was not anything I wanted to do but I went for it anyhow and these recitals have created some spectacular memories we'll have forever. This is also inciting my daughter's zest to be in the limelight and she's developing a formidable stage presence while giving us mother/daughter moments beyond compare. I had no idea that Hula would become such a large part of our lives and gives us all so much joy.

Will I do it again? Yes, actually we will be in our 3rd Polynesian Dance recital this June!