Aloha!

Just another update from the Big Island. Life is good here in Hawaii. We have officially moved in to our apartment and are finally feeling settled. Our apartment is adorable and works perfectly for us. We've made it ours with pictures of all of you, far too much clothes that we brought and Florida Sea Base decor. (We'll post pictures soon.) We can see the water from our porch and for some reason, sunsets never get old here.

Work was a lot better this past week. We're both feeling a lot more comfortable with the job and what's expected of us and are finding our own flow with how to work with the kids. For those of you who don't know or are still a little confused with what we do....we work at a wilderness therapy program for emotionally troubled/at-risk teens who have been sent there due to drug or alcohol issues/depression/anger issues/internet addictions/etc. It is our job to work with them on the organic farm and help direct reflective conversations and guide them. It can definitely be challenging but has already proved to be so rewarding.

During our off-shifts, we have met some incredible people and been able to explore the island and do some pretty awesome things. Last week we went snorkeling and went on a sunset cruise. We've also found some beautiful beaches and are working on our surfing skills. The key is to stand up which is not as easy it sounds.

Our favorite thing to do though is go to Costco. Holy moly, Tami Parker-i have a new appreciation for your dad and his love for Costco. The Hawaiian Costco is fantastic and hands down the cheapest place to shop on the island. Not to mention, you get an entire meal for free just with the samples alone. Or a surfboard for $130.

Life is good here and we are both feeling really positive about this move. The first few days were a little rough-living out of our 6 suitcases and not having our own kitchen or space...but now we are settled and feeling better than ever. This was a big leap for both of us, but I'm so glad that we took it.

It has been difficult to stay in touch with the major time differences and I apologize that I haven't been able to call as much, but we'll get in to the swing of things soon and find a schedule. We recently got skype so we'd love to video chat if that's easier. Our skype name is 'tommywilley'.

I hope that all is well on the mainland. We'll update again soon. Love and miss you all!

aloha!

Aloha!

Sorry to all of those blog and photo journal addicts out there (maria and joanna) that it's taken me so long to update. things have been pretty non-stop since we got here. as you can probably tell from the pictures we're having a horrible time and hate it here. the weather is perfect. the ocean water is warm. the people are friendly and it seems as if the whole world is on our side. It's simply terrible

alright where to begin? well, we got to Kona on the 30 and immediately got a house and car. We were contacted by a lady who owns a monster house and rents out studio and 1 bedroom aptartments throughout it. We are renting a studio from her that just so happens to be 2 blocks from the beach and has a pool. Bummer. In addition to that, she also has a yoga studio so there are tons of yogis all the time and I am hoping to help her out with teaching some classes on my days off. Saifon (the lady who owns the house) is super nice and the house is incredible. Ocean views, a garden, outdoor shower, amazing decor...need i go on?

We also bought a little truck from our landlady as well. We both learned to drive stick in a mere 20 minutes and bought the truck off of her minutes afterwards. Our little beat up truck is perfect for hauling surfboards and other boring things like that.

We headed to Waiohinu on Wednesday to begin our first week of work. The farm we work at is beautiful. There is so much food. Pineapples, papayas, endless greens and herbs. Oh man, it's delicious. Pacific Quest is very different from Second Nature and Ballet Nouveau so we are both adjusting to the change. Most of the kids who go there are between 14-18 and most are there for drug issues. It has been eye-opening and a little difficult to adjust to but we'll get it. It is definitely going to be a very rewarding job and I have no doubt that we will both grow personally and professionally.

Our work schedule is 8 days on and 6 days off. (Thursday-Thursday). So when we're not working we're usually just hanging out on the beach, exploring the city, watching spectacular sunsets or watching dolphin and sea turtles and making fun of each other about our blog.

We'll keep you posted on all of our travels and hope to see you out here in Hawaii with us soon! Aloha.

Dani & Tommy