Kauai 2013

While I like to make resolutions at the beginning of every year, I also keep two other resolution lists. The first is a list of life resolutions. These are things that I want to accomplish all the time. This list includes things that have been year-long resolutions before, like traveling more and drinking more water. The other list is sort of a mini-bucket list. It is a list of activities that I'd like to do in life that are achievable. Things that I checked off from this list in 2012 included, canning peaches and Ride the Duck in Seattle.

To update my life list I need to write a little something about my recent trip to Kauai, Hawaii. Kauai in January is a great place to be.... especially if you come from a region that is cold and grey during the month of January. Brian also wrote a great blog post about his experience in Kauai with my family.

My favorite part of visiting somewhere tropical has to be.... just laying in the sun with a good book!!

I've been to Hawaii several time and for some unknown reason have NEVER tried shaved ice before. I was only living half a life before!!! That stuff is amazing! If you are saying to yourself right now that it looks like a snow cone.... Well stop right there! The only similarity is that it is indeed made of ice and flavored with syrup (OK, same ingredients....) but the TEXTURE! It is something heavenly. As well as addictive.

The view from our condo. Heaven on Earth.

It was great to spend 12 days with some of my favorite people... including my cute little nephew! Soon I will have two cute little nephews so it was wonderful to get some quality time with my #1.

Football season also came to an end while we were in Hawaii.... If the Seahawks aren't in the Superbowl... then football season is over. Don't argue with me... and don't tell me you are a 49ers fan.

Two well fought games.... one terrible heartbreak!

If you know my family at all... then you know we are crazy Seahawks fans.... So of course we all packed our jerseys and other superstitious lucky items.

Brian, Joe, and I also had the chance to go ziplining!!!! Last year, Carly and I had a great time so Joe wanted to try it out. This time we tried out the longer course with different ziplines. The longest was 1800 feet long and 350 feet in the air. I still can't believe I did it without much fear!

When you are traveling with a 2 1/2 year old and there is a train anywhere within a 20 mile radius... you will be riding said train.

One of the last nights of our trip we went to a luau. The first time I went to a luau I was 15 years old and the luau itself was not very traditional. Not knowing any different we still had a good time but never really felt the need to have the luau experience on any other trips to Hawaii. Since this was Brian's first time on the islands, since he learned to walk, we decided to try one of the local luaus. We ended up at the Smith's Tropical Paradise. While this was also not quite the traditional experience I imagined, it was still a great time.... and I might have had a little better of a time since I was over 21 this go around.

I love Kauai and while January is the best time to go to a tropical location.... January is the WORST time to come back home!!!

Book Updates: 
Here is what I enjoyed while in paradise.

1. Dreamers of the Day-Mary Doria Russell
I'm attempting to make a dent in my bookshelves. It has been hard to do since lately I haven't been in the mood to read much and have been doing some of my reading on my NOOK. So there are literally hundreds of books that are staring at me from my bookshelves. When I travel I like to read... pre-NOOK I would usually pack AT LEAST 4 books for even the shortest of journeys. You just never know what could happen. And I always lugged those books, read or not, back home with me to sit on my shelf either as a trophy or as a reminder. So the NOOK has been great, I can pack a couple more pairs of shoes instead of a couple of books while keeping under the airline's weight restriction. The biggest problem I have though is the 20-40 minutes of total time when you are taking off and landing that they ask you to turn off these devises. It is always at the best moment in a book when you have to shut it off and focus your attention on the fact that you are now hurtling towards the ground in a man-made cylinder. So, I choose to bring at least one paperback to avoid this fear-filled time. 

One of my favorite genres is historical fiction. I love it when I can learn some details about the past while also being caught up in an intriguing story. Dreamers of the Day is a very interesting tale. I'm not sure exactly how to give a synopsis without giving away too many details. I will say it is the story of Agnus, an old maid (age 39) in the 1920's who is left without family after the influenza outbreak. The story tells of her time in Egypt during the Cairo Peace Conference. There she encounters people who we definitely would recognize from our history books such as, Lawrence of Arabia and Winston Churchill.

This was a fun novel that painted a very vivid picture of what that time in history was like. There were parts towards the end of the novel that I felt were a bit rambling (who am I to talk) but besides that I enjoyed this book very much.

2. Where We Belong-Emily Giffin
Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors. I'm not sure why... all of her books seem to include some sort of adultery, betrayal or lie. But they are all great reads. They are compelling stories that make you glad you've lived your life the way you have. While sometimes predictable, Where We Belong is a page turner and an easy read.... two of my current favorite qualities in a novel.

3. Hopeless-Colleen Hoover
This book was NOT at all what I was expecting. Even while I was still half-way through I thought that I knew where this book was going.... then BOOM flipped upside down. I began the book thinking this was yet another young adult romance novel.... reminiscent of Twilight. But, it definitely makes a turn. This book was unsettling and at times I found it to be hard to read. The content is very adult and even as an adult I found it to be difficult to get through. Hopeless deals with the issue of sexual abuse. While I think this was a well written novel and handled the issue well, it is not something I would choose to read again.

4. The Next Always- Nora Roberts
Oh, Nora. You did it again. You sucked me into a predictable trilogy.... and I love you for it. The Next Always is predictable and cute. I already know how the next two books will end and I'm still going to read them.... and enjoy every minute of it!