It's official. I have been living in Hawaii for one full year now. I can safely say that I would not have predicted the way things have turned out. I feel I have changed a lot this past year. Looking back on my earlier posts, I was a very angry girl. I think my frustration stemmed from my living situation with the added pressures of being a new graduate student. I was homesick. I missed my friends and family. I missed doing things the exact way I was used to doing them. I was disappointed with my program. I constantly compared Hawaii to Ohio... Now that I have been here for a while, I feel I can say that neither state is better than the other; they are very different. It's like comparing apples to pineapples. I can also say that I am happy, for the most part, that I live on this beautiful island.
I still desperately miss my friends and family back home, but I have met some pretty cool people here too. I am definitely more comfortable here now than several months ago. Although I may not have the same quantity of friends here as I did back in Ohio, I have made a few quality ones in this last year. There are still plenty of times that I think people out here don't quite get me, but I handle it better now. Everyone has a different sense of humor. Surprise! Not everyone is going to find me exactly charming, so fuck 'em.
This next year I will be a seasoned graduate student. I will be trying to finish everything as quickly as possible, and it's going to be difficult. I now have a job in my field. I have cool friends. I live in an awesome house with awesome people. I will probably run into some frustrations along the way, but who doesn't? I can also say that I don't regret moving out here at all. Even during the darkest times, I am thankful for the life experiences I had while living on this island. Whether I move next year or in ten years or never leave at all, I will always have these times to serve as a guide for my future endeavors. They will be pinpoints on the road map of my life. (I am so sorry for the cheesiness of that last line)
I am excited to see what the next year here will bring me, and I am excited to share the experience with my friends (both old and new).
