Previously, on edlyn-izms...

Before Twitter... Before Facebook... Even Before MySpace...

There was Friendster.

And I not only had a Friendster profile, but I also had a BLOG.  (Which I happened to stumble upon earlier today.  Lucky you.)

Now... I wasn't any better at blogging THEN as I am NOW, but looking back at your "old self" is always amusing.

*DISCLAIMER*

The views expressed in the following "Blast from the Past" does not necessarily reflect the current opinions of Yours Truly.  

Thank you, and enjoy the show :)

Life In “Paradise”

June 15th, 2005 by edlyn-izms

I’m usually never one to publish my thoughts for anyone and everyone to read, but I figure that this would serve as my own personal sounding board as well as a good outlet for me… :) 

As many of you know, I have been living in Oahu, Hawaii for the past 4 years.  A common question that everyone tends to ask me is "So how do you like living in Hawaii?"  Like any place, Hawaii has its pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Beautiful weather!
2. Great culture and ethnic pride!
3. Local people are friendly!
4. Always a live band playing somewhere…
5. Beaches are beautiful, & the water is warm!
6. Good Music!
7. Great food!
8. Malasadas!

Cons:

1. Sometimes too damn hot/humid!
2. People don’t know how to friggin’ drive!
3. Cost of living can be high (gallon of milk is $8!)
4. Cockroaches, cane spiders and other tropical bugs…
5. Kinda limited on the shopping scene…
6. No real road trips on an island! 
7. Anytime you wanna travel, a ticket anywhere is @ least $400.
8. I miss my family 

Most people who come to visit only get to experience the "pros" and think I’m crazy when I’m not jumping up and down screaming how much I love it, but once you have to drive in traffic all day, everyday behind people whoDO NOT know how to drive–MAN!  You will understand what I mean!

Who knows… I may or may not move back to the BAY–it depends.  Peter says that he doesn’t mind moving cuz he’s sick of this place anyways, but I wouldn’t want to take him away from his family.  The main thing that I miss about home is my family… my nephews are getting bigger and my other cousins are all pro-creating.  I feel like I’m missing out on everything.  If I could work an extra $400-$500 into my budget for flying home every month, then I would!

Anyways… I’ve rambled on enough!  We’ll see how long I keep this BLOG thing up!  Until next time…

Funny.

It's been over 4 years since that post, and obviously my views have changed.  For the most part.

But I'll leave that for another time...

Haven't Given Up...

...on my dreams.

Trying my best to love what I do, 

while I am doing what is necessary to do what I love... 

freely.

Home is where the <3 is...

...so it's been said.

This week marks 8 years since I left my childhood home in The Bay to brave "independent life" here in Hawai'i.

I'm still alive.

I'm not (completely) broke.

...and I'm actually pretty happy.

Actually, it's been pretty fricken amazing...

This is one of those situations that, in hindsight, baffles me.  I can't believe I did it.  I can't believe that the person that I was at 21yrs old, had the will to make something like this happen.  The person that I am NOW, yes.  But the Eds-of-old??  How the heck??

You don't understand.  I lived a very comfortable life in my childhood home.  I didn't pay rent.  I had a car to drive. Granted, it wasn't my own, and it was never the most luxurious.. but it was still a means of transportation.  My mom cooked.  My brother, affectionately known as [Kuya], paid for school- and everything else that I needed.  I had a job after high school, but it was just for spending money.

Yes, I was spoiled- No... I was VERY BLESSED.

But I was NOT a brat.  I was (and STILL am) thankful for everything I had, especially since we didn't ALWAYS live comfortably.  Yes, there was a dark era.. but I won't talk about that.

So why did I leave my worry-free, laid back life at home?

I needed out.  I needed independence.  I needed to figure out who I really was.  There's the "me" that everyone has always known "me" to be... but maybe I was just slipping into that role?  Because it was comfortable to be what everyone expected you to be.

So I did the most out-of-character thing I could do:  I left.

It wasn't enough to just move out of my childhood home.  Moving out of the Bay Area wasn't enough either.  Staying in California meant that home would only be a drive away.  I couldn't have that temptation within reach.  

It was October 2000, and I was actually sitting at a football game when I decided where I would move.  I used to dance for SJSU, and we had a Home game where we played against UH...  (The sad thing was, the visitor side had WAYYY more fans than our side!)  But as I was sitting there, the thought popped into my mind:

"What if I just picked up and moved to Hawai'i?"

It was probably a few months before ANYONE took me seriously.  It wasn't until I kept telling everyone "I'm leaving in August," that my mom and [Kuya] finally realized, Holy crap, she's really gonna leave!

[Kuya] later confessed that there were bets going... for how long I would last before I packed up and moved back home.  He told me "I have the highest bid.  I gave you 2 years.  Prove me wrong."

8 years later...

I'm married.

I teach something I have a passion for.

I'm an LMT, in the making to become a great L. Ac.

I have friends who have become family.

I'm still inspired.

...and I'm still here.

Blog it out...

Although I normally save this type of occasion for my pen and notebook, I am inspired by the many brave bloggers out there who daily put their hearts, emotions, rants, opinions and aspirations for the universe to indulge in.

I have decided to be brave for a moment, and "blog it out." (Kinda)

This is one of those nights that I wish I was back home in Union City where my [BFF] is only a quick drive away, and all I would need to do is call her and she would jump in her car to come and save me.  Instead, here I am on my couch, looking to [Wally] for comfort, asking him to "please stay." 

The comforting thing is:  I think he understands.