When you’re at the end, you think of the beginning. Excitement, nervousness, a wide eyed dreamer. It feels like you’re seeing the world for the first time, your first breathe, first kiss, the world is colorful, full of flavor and life. There are moments where time really does stop, all of a sudden you “get” what it is all about. Those are the moments that inspire you to keep dreaming, to keep wanting.

The freezing train stations, the day old bread (stale but 1/2 off), sore necks, sleepless nights, hurt feelings, loneliness…these get you from one happy snapshot to the next.

So…was it worth it? Everything beautiful that I experienced was matched with the darkness and faults of human nature. I just tried to revel in the good so that I could make it through the bad. I think that if you fill your heart and thoughts with beauty you seem to float along through the muck untouched.

I leave this experience still feeling grateful for the opportunity. I didn’t find myself here…I already knew who I was. I did learn to trust that person and to be proud of myself. Realizing that life is about learning as much as you can about the places, people, culture, history around you and to never stop reaching out. I leave here with such an enormous awareness of how much I love and appreciate my family and friends back home. People that are there for you to no end. I realized how lucky I am to have a husband who can comfort me with his words and even silence from across the globe. Somehow…it felt like he was holding my hand throughout the low points.

I learned to always seek out the moments that take your breathe away and to stop and pause for the simple joys of life along the way. Never stop seeking the feeling of being alive and to be eternally grateful for the blessings in life!

That I can sleep anywhere!

Auriel, Melissa and I went to Neuschwanstein castle and the Christmas Market in Nernburg for my last weekend in Europe. The castle was beautiful (Walt Disney used it as the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s home) and the snow covered grounds and trees were a true winter wonderland. We hiked around for a while crossing gated trails with warning signs and made our way on to a 400 foot high bridge over a rocky gourge and waterfall. The views from up there were incredible!
We had so much fun exploring the Christmas market. Everything smelled delicious and was perfectly festive. I bought an adorable Christmas tree music box and lots of small goodies to share when I get home. Yum…German candy!!!
It was great to have such a nice weekend to end my trip with. The s and I had a lot of laughs and even held a dance party at 3am in the train station

You might be making fun of my hat in this picture but I was warm for once!

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Heather laughed as I told her I was FREEZING back here in California. “Only 50 degrees? Ha! It hasn’t been that warm here since September” she jested. Cold or not, I can’t take much more of this 50 degree weather! You always hear California referred to as the golden state — yet I think I’ve only seen the sun twice in the three weeks that I’ve been in town. Even sunny San Diego was cold, dark and windy with the occasional rain shower. Sitting here on the couch, dressed in jeans, moccasins, a long sleeve shirt, and a jacket, and still uncomfortably cold, I can’t help but dream of the warm waves and weather back in Hawaii. (Sure it’s been raining a lot over there, but it is still over 80 degrees!) Dreaming of the waves back home, I remembered about some photos Bobby and I took of our last surf session, that I had forgotten to put on the blog. With only one week left till Heather is on her flight back home, it’s finally safe to throw them on the site. Putting them up any earlier would have been pure torture on my part:

Although shortboarding was never too kind to Bobby, he mastered longboarding in his month and a half long stay. Here he is dropping in on a wave on the outskirts of Waikiki…

I don’t think I’ve seen a single person looking this relaxed since I left the islands…

One of the three (only!) other guys surfing this peak with us that evening…

Look inviting? How’s 82 degree water sound? Sure as hell beats a wetsuit in cold-ass dirty water with fifty guys out and no spirit of aloha…

Bobby taking the drop on another set wave. The sets on this day were averaging a little over head high, in packs of three or four, and coming every few minutes. Keep in mind this is a good ways into winter and the south shore generally doesn’t have many waves at this time of the year…

Here’s what it looks like when you’re riding one of them…

… and so, if I’m ever acting a bit grumpy, just smack me and remind me I’ll be back out there shortly. One more week till Heather gets home and only three more weeks till we’re back on the islands!!!

Look at those muscles! The crazy thing about this picture is how clear Dobber’s face came out while everything else in the shot blurred.

Bobby trying out the flow rider…

It’s called “the half pipe” and if you go down backwards with your eyes closed it’s the best slide in the park…

Even you can go for a ride! (Ladies will have to try to picture it without the hairy legs…)

Dobber stuck in a traffic jam…

I love my job but sometimes I just feel used!

Military living: