December Arrives.

Aloha!

I have now been here for exactly one month.

Before arriving many people had given me advice about things to be aware of out here on the big island. The list includes crazy local girls who will want to beat me up, sharks, the yearning to fall in love and have children, staff infections, falling into lava, flat feet, wild boars and an addiction to coffee. Except for the last one (Kona coffee has been good to me so far), I have not experienced any of the things that people warned me about before arriving. Hopefully the dangerous animals and infections will keep their distance, I'll keep you posted.

The company Christmas party was this weekend. The evening was filled with hilarious dancing, ridiculous conversations, drinking to a point of embarrassing dance moves and fabulous gifts for every employee. This crew of people (all departments were present) kept me on my toes all night long. They are hilarious, kind-hearted and surprisingly great dancers. I did dig out a bit early though due to a long work day and overall exhaustion.

I am going into my second week of waterfront lifeguard training, which is making my days extra long. The swim tests have been easy and the crew is small so we have been having a good time with it. Next week I will hopefully be a beach lifeguard and will get a pay raise!

And now for a quick list of random facts:

$5 footlongs on the mainland= $7 footlongs on the islands...

just sayin'

There are geckos in the house. They are the Cali equivalent of daddy long legs.

Whale watching season has begun! Our trips are going out every day and sightings have been trickling in every trip. I cannot wait to see one up close.

I have my first lifeguard exam tomorrow, so I am hitting the books (I thought I was done with book studying for a while...?)

Sending love,

M.