Airplanes took me away for a while

I haven’t posted for about two weeks! Nothing tragic happened; I just wasn’t at home. I went on a trip to California & Oregon. It was a college touring vacation.

My flights were all on United, which provides excellent service, especially to their higher ranking members. I was able to sit in First Class twice because a family member’s seat got upgraded. Also, United (& Star Alliance) provides a club with free snacks, seating, and reading material. For those of age, there’s a bar too. It’s a quiet place to hang out while waiting for your flight. I, however, sometimes preferred shopping at those airport stores with state-specific merch and quirky items.

This is what all my flights consisted of, for the most part. Eating something and listening to my music. My go-to snack is a muffin,  like the low-fat ones from Great Harvest Bread Co. The song that I especially liked listening to was That Girl -All Time Low. It’s so damn catchy!

Here’s an amazing view from my plane window over Portland. Flying above the clouds was so freaking cool. There’s so many pictures that I took on the trip, but I’m not able to post them all on here or on my Facebook, but I’m gonna try to periodically post them when the thought pops up.

What do you do on plane rides?

Capturing moments on film

An epic jump. Pranking your best friend. Dancing at famous landmarks. Singing your version of Call Me Maybe. This is a snapshot of Youtube.

I’ve recently created a new account! This is my third one. My first was when I was young, and it was spammed had a lot of hate comments, so I deleted it. The second one was a collab with my best friend, and that one’s still in use, but we haven’t uploaded anything in ages. Finally, this third one is the real keeper. It’s a non-hate one (unlike the first) and it’ll focused on capturing and sharing the fun moments. I’m not trying to impress anyone or gain a “most watched” award. Youtube is being used as a way of showing people what happens. In a way, it’s like this blog, but the choice of expression is with moving pictures and sound.

The most recent videos are from my day at the beach. This is Sandy’s. It’s between Hawaii Kai and Waimanalo. The shore breaks are rough, so I stayed on the sand.

My friends were on the sand for most of the time as well. Only well experienced people stay in the water for a while. Here’s a video of one of the many sand activities.

Do you use Youtube?

What’s your favorite beach thing to do?

Cold stone ice cream, I mean YOGURT?!

Hot is an understatement for the weather. Bright & humid seems to fit better. Hawaii’s been in the 80*’s and the humidity is gross. I know, there are states in the 100*’s, but when you’re used to a certain temperature, an extreme change is noticeable. Today was one of the few exceptions, because it was rainy during the day. I still was determined to go shopping though. Yesterday was a “browsing day.” Last night, I couldn’t get this one shirt from Hot Topic out of my mind. It was only $9.99! I also got a new Roxy swimsuit because tomorrow is a beach day. :)

Now, I know there are much more hotter days to come…. so to survive, I turn to cold stuff. One of my favorites is Cold Stone Creamery. They’re known for their decadent ice creams (and of course the sans-fat ones), but I’m into their yogurts. I’ve tried chocolate and vanilla, but they usually have just vanilla. My favorite ice cream flavor is Cookies & Cream, so I get Oreos mixed into my yogurt. Thus, the genius creation of Cookies & Cream yogurt! Sweeter than ice cream, and much gentler on the stomach.

There’s always a coupon, 2 for $7, for a “like-it create your own” on the back of the Safeway coupons (redeemable only at the Cold Stone on the same property). My mom & I like to get a sugar buzz before we go grocery shopping. She opts for Coffee, no mix-in.

This past trip, I mixed it up (hehe) and got the Vanilla yogurt with chocolate shavings instead. It’s like a lighter version of chocolate chip ice cream.

When I don’t get yogurt, I like sticking my head in the freezer for a few seconds. Warm weather always translates to light clothes as well. Oh, I forgot to ask, do you have a craving yet? (;

How do you cool off on a hot day?

Walking and working the legs out

Workouts don’t have to be boring. They don’t need to be indoors. For the past couple of days, and the upcoming days, my legs have been getting a workout!

Yesterday I went on a hike with my friends. We’ve known each other since middle school! The hike was at Diamond Head Crater, which is easy, but intense if you’re fast walking up. One of my friends is in great shape and zoomed up the hike because she was “in training.” We made it to the top in 30 minutes.

I couldn’t get a good view picture this time, but this second one is from last year.

Today, I walked around Ala Moana in search of birthday gifts. I only found part of a gift, and I got a new tank top for myself. The sales right now are great! Hot Topic has things as low as $0.99, and Aeropostle has underwear for $3.00 & and some tanks that are $3.99. I’m a major shopper, especially during sales. Tomorrow, I’m walking to the Farmer’s Market, and then on Sunday I’m going to the 50th State Fair. The fair is sooo expensive this year. Rides can be up to 7 dollars… Yikes! I better budget my money, because I have a trip coming up as well…

What’s you way of exercising?

How do you spend your money? Are you a budget-shopper, a saver for big things, or spend on a whim type of person?

A struggling balance…diet talk (tbc)

I’ve put this post off for a while. Today just feels like a good day to explain what my first intents for this blog was. The back-story is necessary so you understand how I got to my current point in time.

In the past, I was a picky kid when it came to food. Nutrition was nowhere to be found. Exercise was another word for torture, even with a PE teacher for a dad. 5th grade is when I started thinking about myself. My diet. By “diet,” I mean the way that I consume, the lifestyle that I choose. At first, externally, but after I got more into “health” in 9th grade, I did it for my precious insides.

9th grade

I started reading nutritional labels. I did internet research. It’s amazing how there are so many articles; they’re so fucking contradicting. “Low carb! Atkins!” “Carbs = weight loss.” I realized that it wasn’t going to be easy to achieve health perfection. That’s what I wanted at the time. Perfection. I removed the shit from my diet, slowly. First, it was snacks that had no more than 10g total fat. That was my naiveness in 5th grade (before research). Then, I cut out fried/oily/breaded food, trans fat (partially hydrogenated oils, lard, shortening, margarine, etc.), red meat, enriched/bleached flour products, white rice, high/full fat things, soda/juice, game/pork meat, candy (excluding chocolate), mayonnaise, etc.

10th grade, baby project

I didn’t intend to lose weight, but I wanted to slim down and prevent things like obesity & stuff. Eventually, I did lose weight. I went from 95 lbs to 75 lbs. In my mind, I think it was fine, but other people got worried. OH, also I’m only 4’7 3/4”, so I wasn’t dying or starving or anything. I was fit because during autumn I was in air rifle, and during spring I was in Judo. I just wasn’t getting enough calories in vs. what I was burning.

I’ve never been diagnosed with anything, but I’ve gained some of the weight back, while still staying active. I’ve kept some most of my restrictions. They’re backed by research and I’m not missing any of it. I get sick from a lot of those things too. Basically, I avoid stuff that make me feel like shit. Trans-fat is a devil to me. Fried food too. An important one is that I don’t consume meats except seafood and poultry (skinless).

I drew this at Romano’s Macaroni Grill

I’ve considered vegetarianism, veganism, raw, etc. Heck, I eat vegan/veg part of the time. It’s for the love of those animals (the cuteness factor). I keep considering completely changing, but I don’t want to have to “come out” about it to people at this time. It’ll be too much too soon for some of the important people in my life right now. I’m sort of slowly converting, but not committing to anything. I get asked a lot if I am a vegetarian though; it’s kinda funny if I happen to not be eating any meat and say “no.”

11th grade junior prom dress

Overall, what I’ve learned is that it’s all about balance. So, that’s why I initially created the blog. There  was going to be a lot of food posts, and recipes. The decision to make it about my whole life was to share my life-in-the-making with the world. Keeping myself together is hard at times, but I want to remember what happened. Good & bad. Blogging is a diary to me: the truth. Like the title says, this is a tbc (to be continued). It’ll definitely be written about again!

What are some of your dietary restrictions? (Medical or self-given)

Father’s day delayed post; it’s special though!

“Fathers, be good to your daughters, daughters will love like you do…” -John Mayer, Daughters

I’m not a huge John Mayer fan, but I really like this song. It’s calm and has a sweet message. Yesterday was Father’s Day and honestly, it was a mixed day. It started with church (I’ll combine the message notes w/ the next one), then a meeting with a phone-TV-internet company, and then a Father’s Day brunch with my mom’s dad’s family. We had a good time at each thing, but there were arguments about the current house-selling situation that my mom & her brother are in. A couple of years ago, I pitched an idea to my mom, and she blew it off. Now, it turns out that it’s the best way to go about with the house. I have no part in this situation though, so all I can do is influence, with no guarantees of anything happening. On a good note, my dad loved his Father’s Day gift!

He says he doesn’t need anything, so I made him something that won’t collect dust. A promise card! He likes massages and getting his back cracked, so his present is me walking on his back whenever he wanted (once). Once, meaning just once a day. I wouldn’t want to do that every 5 minutes :P

I really love my dad. He’s smart, and can outsmart people. Exercise is his thing. “Mr. Aloha” is his self-nickname because he can get along with everyone and likes going out. When he was young, he was a rebel, but changed his ways. So, he has experience and has taught me & my sister good values and life lessons. “Balls to the walls.” When you’re faced with a challenge, stay strong and get through it. Speak up when something’s wrong. He told me to never be a “flake;” stick things out and don’t be a quitter. We understand each other’s mindset. I could go on forever, but I’ll end it with this: My dad is awesome.

How was your Father’s Day? What makes your dad (or anyone else) awesome?

A sun breaking day from the clouds

I was happy today :) It’s a belief of mine that our life balances its self out. I guess I’ve had enough stress for these past couple of days, which is why today was an exceptional day. It actually started at 3 am this morning when I woke up & stayed up for quite a while.

Here’s a part of what I did (before/after). I FINISHED CLEANING! :D I donated a bunch, threw stuff out, and rearranged so that I have much more floor space. I also was guided by feng shui. My room is now a reflection of my mind me. Organized, creative, and fun! When 7:00 am came, I made some oatmeal. Mmmm, I love breakfast. Too bad it made me sleepy and I knocked out until 1 pm.

My dad’s side of the family had an early Father’s Day lunch, so when I woke up, I had to eat again. I was still full from breakfast! Luckily, I was able to focus on the family, and only picked a little from the spread. There were 3 fathers there: my dad, papa, and uncle.

Afterwards, I went with my mom and sister to the mall. Technically, we still have time to figure out a gift for my dad.

We had no ideas of what to get, so we were just wandering the mall. I saw that the Disney Store was newly renovated, so I just had to go and check it out. It was incredible. Here’s me in the princess tower, equipped with pink lights. They also have a video watching “tree” area and a stuffed animal display with a rotating thing at the top. I get into “crazy-distracted-kid” mode when I’m in such an active environment. I live for moments like these. I’ll probably create something for my dad’s gift because every time I can’t think of a gift from someone I think of what I learned from a guy in the Apple Store:

“You can buy them an iPod. But if you don’t want anything from here, the best gift is homemade.”- Apple Store Guy

What is your “go-to” gift when your ideas are blank?

Major changes, many ways

I haven’t been here for a while. Both mentally and literally. During these past couple of days I spent a lot of my time in Facebook drama.

There was this guy who I know from the past. He started talking to me on FB and was dropping hints that he liked me. The hints were weird, like tagging photos that I wasn’t in, and sending me long messages. I confronted him. I don’t like him “like that” and really never got close to begin with. I can tell that his personality is the exact one that is “extremely difficult for me to tolerate.” I have no idea how to explain this. It’s just the type of person that I can’t be real with. It might be because I’m more of a “edged” person, but still have a heart. My favorite humor is twisted..

(begin fun break)

From: http://www.nataliedee.com

(end fun break)

I was completely messed up after this whole situation. I was scared first of all, because the emotion that he put out was so strong, which I’m not used to at all.  Also, I didn’t know how to handle the situation without just saying “fuck off.” I had to consult my best friend (experience), another close friend (guy’s perspective), Yahoo! Answers, and my dreams. In the end, I was able to strengthen my mind again and not crush the soul of the guy. Some good that came out of this are the new perspectives and better understandings I have. Enlightenment is my favorite thing to learn!

In other news, my room is getting cleaner everyday. My mind wasn’t top notch, but I sure could clear out my room! It was like therapy… clear room, clear head. I said that I needed time to get over the situation, so that’s what I did continue to do. Blogging is actually helping, so next time my mind gets messed up, I’m planning to blog. TFAHB is about capturing the moments that add to the balance of my life.

Have you ever emerged enlightened from a bad situation?

Cleaning and church and even more cleaning

Last night I stayed up late till almost 3 am. Why? I was cleaning my room… It’s weird because I can clean my room better at night. A theory I have is because I’m not as alert and detach myself from things more. Another reason would be because I fucked up my sleep schedule where I’m fully awake at night. It’s probably a combination of both.

See all this space? It’s EMPTY! I used to have 2 bins here, but I’ve cleaned them out.

Here’s one of them. They took up so much space that I couldn’t fully take advantage of my spinny chair. Now guess who can make herself dizzy :)

Today, I went through my old Barbies and stuffed animals. I felt this thing in my heart while I was packing up all the donations. I thought I detached myself from these material things already, but there’s always going to be a part of me that loves childhood. It makes me feel better when I tell myself that there are other people who will treat these things right, and that my life will be better when I de-clutter it. Now, I need to figure out what to do with all my storage containers…

Jumping to another subject, let’s look at what I learned in church today.

The new series is about The Story of Nehemiah. Basically, he was a regular civilian that God called to lead the rebuilding of a wall (that was knocked down by the Babylonians) in Israel in 52 days. The amazing thing about this story is that it was impossible to do that amount of work during that time period, without the help from God.

Today was an introduction that taught us that change is possible with the help of God. An important line in my notes is #2. “What God starts in the spirit, we cannot continue in our flesh.” It’s saying that we need to let God do his thing the whole way through. He’s not just there to start us off, so we need to look to him for guidance, well, forever. How? Just pray. Talk to God aloud or in your head. Ask questions and keep an open mind. You’ll get the answers that you need when you have to make a decision in your life.

I have 3 questions today. 1. Do you have a preferred time for cleaning? 2. Where do you need to improve your life? 3. How do you make a big decision?

Another hike day :)

*So, I said in the previous post that I would post about my diet, but I’ve decided to do that on an “off day” where I don’t do anything major. It was going to be on Wednesday, but I got distracted with cleaning my room… I promise the post will be up one day!

Anyways, today (well Thursday) I went on another hike with my friends. This time it was Mariner’s Ridge.

I actually really liked this one. According to the yelp reviews that I’ve read, it’s a total of 3 miles for going up and down. It’s a very diverse hike where it goes from desert looking to foresty. Anyone can do this one, but keep in mind that it’s pretty much a constant uphill with a few open areas to rest (like the picture above). I like listening to my alternative/rock music while hiking because it distracts me from the difficulties. Also, there’s so many ways to take “detours” on this one, and depending on your physical shape, you can go exploring a little. ;)

When we finally reached the top, it was worth it. The view is ah-maz-ing. It’s almost 360 degrees of beauty. A couple of my friends decided to go on an “extended hike” and climbed to go to a higher point. It’s dangerous, but like the detours, possible if you’re careful, adventurous, and fit. Be aware that I zoomed in to capture them in the photo.

I took a lot of pictures at the top, but this one is my favorite.

Afterwards, we wanted some food-ish things, so we headed to a shopping area. My friend and I got some fro-yo and the guys got hot-dogs. Pistachio was especially tasty today. Yum!

What’s your favorite thing to do while on a hike? What about after one?