We said yet another goodbye to some dear friends on the island. Logan and Courtney are moving back to the South, and it’s bittersweet. Logan and I go way back to when I first moved here and worked at my snorkel job. Later, I got to work with Courtney at the Sheraton, and we had the best time, usually gossiping about our wild coworkers and their chaotic lives (which we just couldn’t relate to!).
But what we did connect on was faith. We had so many amazing conversations about the Bible, and Courtney even joined my Bible study a few times. She’s one of those people who truly lives the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Before she left, I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon, and I hope she reads it and loves it as much as I do.
We threw a goodbye wakeboarding party at Jess and Nick’s house. The boys put on a show wakeboarding behind Nick’s boat throwing shakas in the air and zipping across the river like it was no big deal. After watching them, I decided to give it a try… Let’s just say I was not as glamorous. I couldn’t even get up on the board! Instead, I rode around on my stomach, screaming like a maniac while the boys did donuts in the water with the boat and watched me fly around. It was hilarious and fun for everyone!
One of the perks I always talk about with my job is getting to do free tours around the island. I was blessed with another opportunity this time, a luxury boat tour along the Nāpali Coast, and I got to bring a plus one! Anita and I had the best time on this massive boat with over 20 tables, hardwood floors, shaded areas, two water slides, a chef baking warm chocolate chip cookies, and a top deck to jump off of. It was a dream!
The only downside? I got so seasick and ended up throwing up over the side of the boat. I felt terrible! The captain wasn’t driving through the rough waters—we were just sitting there rocking back and forth for a while, and I couldn’t help it. Definitely not my brightest moment or the luxury boat ride I was hoping for.
We also had a super fun Halloween painting night with the girls at Anita’s house. I just love my group of friends so much! Everyone added their own twist to the ghost paintings, and it was so fun to see everyone’s creativity. We have been doing a lot of girl get-togethers lately! We had a surprise bag charm birthday party for a new gal, Sarah, who just moved to Kauai.
The highlight of fall for me has definitely been the release of Taylor’s new album, Life of a Showgirl. It’s upbeat, fun, and SO catchy! I had a listening party with my friend Chelsea, and we were just oohing and aahing over the lyrics and beats. This album has been on repeat all month. My favorites change daily, but right now my top three are “Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite,” and “Elizabeth Taylor.” Why is her music so good?! The Swifties really showed up—all 12 tracks hit the top 12 on both the U.S. and global charts. A few days after release, K-pop group Demon Hunters’ “Golden” took spot #12, and fans rallied to stream “Honey” nonstop to reclaim it. By the end of the day, it was back on top! This is why being a swifty is the best. Gavin even got me the Life of a Showgirl cardigan—EEEEEEK!
Speaking of Gavin, he’s been working so hard all year preparing for his Hōʻike. He practices hula every Wednesday with a group of men, and his fall performance was amazing. Getting the costumes ready is a whole process everything has to be handmade. His first project was making his grass skirt. We went to a friend’s house to pick ti leaves, and had to find ones that were nearly perfect—no holes, no discoloration etc. After washing them all, Gavin realized only 30 were long enough… so we started over. I got to watch him debone, scrape, and tie each leaf onto the skirt. He needed 134 leaves total. CRAZY!
Next, he had to make ti leaf lei. We asked Faye to help since she’s the lei po’o queen. We spent an evening with her learning how to make them. Gavin spent the whole week gathering, cutting, and prepping leaves while his family was visiting. In the end, he got everything made and absolutely killed it in his performance! He danced to three different songs, and I could spot him easily he was the only guy with blonde hair! His family came to watch, and it was such a special moment. We love you, Gavin!
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