Unexpected love. There have been places that I thought might not live up to the hype, but that actually ended up blowing me away. Hawai'i was one of them. 

In the month I had between jobs, I spent every minute traveling. Atif and I stopped in Phoenix on our way back to NYC from a weekend in Vegas. I had no work and we were on the West coast, so we figured we'd seize the opportunity! Hawai'i seemed like a pretty fabulous idea. Booked flights on Tuesday morning and flew out directly from Phoenix to Hawaii the next day. With only the clothes I had for Vegas. Talk about spontaneity. 

A short but worthy trip. The landscapes are breathtaking and the culture is so warm. The Aloha spirit is beautiful. We did 2 islands over barely 5 days, but we made the most of it.

Kaua'i, the Garden Island, is aptly named. I felt like I was on the scene of a Jurassic Park movie and it was awesome. You can drive the circumference of this island in a matter of hours, and you do definitely need a car. Come here if you want calm and relaxing. The weather was a bit gloomy when we were there- it was amazing how one side of the island was sunny but on the other it would be pouring. But the rain allowed me to witness the MOST beautiful full double rainbow I have ever seen. It was magical. The island still seems relatively untouched. Not somewhere you want to be if you're looking for urban nightlife/shopping etc. I'd love to go back and unwind before the spirit of this island is destroyed. Something we always do is talk to the locals. They tell stories and we learn things we never would have otherwise.

After 2 days in Kaua'i, I felt like I might have made a mistake booking the last 2 days in O'ahu. I felt like I wasn't ready to leave. But O'ahu is its own beauty! Urban, touristy, bustling. There's tons of development, but there's also lots of nature which makes it so amazing. I'm enthralled with Japanese culture so I was in heaven. It's interesting because it's America but it still feels foreign.

Some highlights if you're planning a visit:

Kaua'i

• Mark's Place is a really great local food spot. Two picnic tables outside, you'll have to fight off the roosters.
• Halalie Beach is beautiful. Water sports! 
• Anini Beach is super low key, but beautiful. Rainbow sighting.
• The Alakai swamp trail is the best hike I've been on. It's a true hike- wear your hiking shoes and bring lots of water. It can lead you to the other side of the island so it's an all day thing. It takes you through the mountains, over a board walk in the swamp, through a creek, to a river and beyond.
• Weimea Canyon is especially beautiful on a partly cloudy day when the sunshine beams through and creates shadows.
• Kountry Kitchen brunch.
• Eat some delicious poi and seafood burritos and bowls at the hole-in-the-wall Koloa Fish Market. 
• Get shrimp whatever way you want at The Shrimp Station.
• Kalapaki Beach
• Kilauea Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge is a good place to check out lots of birds and ocean views.
• Always engage with the locals!

O'ahu

• Hanauma Bay is a must. Amazing snorkeling. I literally swam in schools of fish. 
• Marukame Udon is amazing. Worth the wait.
• Ono Hawaiian Foods is real home-style food. Sweet little hole-in-the-wall.
• Goma Tei Ramen is great. Unassuming spot in the strip mall. Sit at the bar and order. 
• Sushi ii
• Dole Plantation is touristy but I'd still recommend because pineapple whip. Good for kids.
• Masaladas at Leonards. The best kind of sugar.
• There is Japanese food court at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Lots of options and I'd go back multiple times if I had enough time. The sweet mocha balls and octopus balls are dope. Yama Chan Get dessert at kulu kulu downstairs on your way out.
• Lanikai Beach is pristine. 
• Grab dinner at Lucky Belly. Amazing night out.
• Alternative hot dogs at Hula Dog in Haleiwa. Many flavors.
• Nu'uana Pali Lookout
• Makapu'u Lookout
• Iolani Palace is a great piece of history.

I'm excited by my job, in an amazing marriage and there's so much to experience in the world. The space I'm in right now feels right. There is so much life to live!

Today marks 2 months at my new job- a little new, a little not. It's been challenging but rewarding. There are highs and lows. Often, I don't have the answers but the process always ends in growth. 

Leaving the corporate world for a startup has been an amazing experience. I always felt a little suffocated at my previous companies, and like I belonged somewhere that better aligned with my personality. Somewhere where people are smiling, happy, curious and innovative.

I'm at a company that believes in staying relevant. We participate in the conversation, collaborate and help solve industry challenges as they arise. We allow our ethos to guide us in our growth.

It's also important to feel loved back. Working at a company that you believe in and believes in you completely changes the game. 

It wasn't easy getting to this place of feeling alive. I've always struggled with finding my way, but I made the decision to allow myself to get here. It's all about your perspective, it's all relative and you can re-frame anything. I believe in being confident, staying positive and working hard. Take some risks and enjoy your time. It isn't always easy or awesome, but that's part of it. 

I've been thinking about how quiet I've been on social media, because I've been so consumed by my new job and settling into a new process. Time to get back to taking photos and exploring the world! And I'm going to be better about sharing my thoughts and adventures here. 

Surround ourselves in love and let's go. It's just the beginning.

It's true, home really is where the heart is. And a huge chunk of my heart is my family. I didn't grow up in Columbus, but have visited often for as long as my parents have lived there. 9 years. That's a long time. 

My father retired on Friday and they're moving to Phoenix next week, so I decided to visit them in Columbus one last time. It was bittersweet. I'm really stoked about my dad getting to spend more time doing whatever his heart desires and that they'll get to spend more time together. I also think it's great that they'll be near my niece and nephew - a great source of happiness.

We were supposed to to help them move but ended up taking it easy, which is sometimes exactly what you need. 

We checked out Old Man's Cave at Hocking Hills State Park- I hadn't been before. I was really not excited but it turned out to be a pretty cool experience since it was foggy and a little eery. Ohio is so pretty in the fall. 

Woke up on Sunday feelin' movie vibes. Usually like to stay in Brooklyn on the weekends but went into the city to watch it in Union Square. Why? Because if you're not watching at Nitehawk you gotta go to the theme park of movie theaters where the snack options are dizzying, the seats are plush and you watch in 3D.

The Martian: A little long but entertaining story and great acting. I felt sad and frightened for Matt, probably because I feel that way anytime there is a pseudo-realistic plot. Also, Space is fascinating and really puts you in your place as a small speck in the bigger picture. There are occasional laughs so it's sort of a light watch. I'll watch anything with Matt Damon in it! 

Oh, Las Vegas. This city is like a bizarre alternate reality- not really my style but interesting to observe. The last time I went was when I was a child and I've never had the desire to go as an adult, but I'm always down to try new things. Since I had just left my job and my husband was working there for a long weekend I tagged along. Checked out Liberty fairs fashion trade show, got our portrait taken, didn't gamble but watched, went to a club despite my better judgement, saw an amazing show called Absinthe, explored downtown, did Mob Museum, and ventured to Hoover Dam.  

...I felt so alive! August 14. It was my last day at a corporate job that I long ago outgrew. I think my personality and drive is better suited in more of a startup environment. I want to feel as if I'm working towards something, and something I believe in. I want to be able to actually make change. So for those reasons I knew, for a long time, that I needed to find a new path. I'm so excited to have joined an ad tech startup that is really impacting the industry in a powerful way. It's an ad analytics company and so far (8 days in) I'm loving it. Although I work longer hours, I have fuller responsibilities and my heart is happy. I spent 3.5 weeks in between jobs traveling and decompressing, and I'm still going to continue to explore my world through photographs. 

Drove into Portland. Did some quick googling to figure out where to eat and ended up at Pok Pok. We got there 5 minutes before it opened to a line. Didn't really expect that and not generally one to stand in line but made the (right) decision to ride it out. The fish sauce wings are bomb. The half bird and the curry are good too. Apparently they have one in NYC too, which makes me really happy.  After lunch, met up with Atif's friend from college and his girl. We perused Powell's Books. Bookstores are so charming and enticing- I could just get lost in them for hours. Had some ice cream at a spot I can't remember then a Blueberry Bourbon Basil donut from Blue Star- perfectly light and not too sweet. Always opt for the more local and low key spots and you probably won't be disappointed. On our way out from Portland we drove through a area that we were told we might enjoy because of it's hipsterness (can't remember what the hood was called but it started with an A) - but it was a lot of coffee shops, barbershops and restaurants. Not really what I was expecting. Went to Cathedral park and then off to Oregon for Cannon Beach. Never seen The Goonies- shocking, I know - but I Googled it and watched the scene with the Haystack Rock in it. This rock is pretty magnificent as it was sitting in shallow water and had hundreds of white seagulls on it. Ate lots of salt water taffy, and indulged in beer and fish and chips at a shore bar. Again with the tasty fish.

A part of this day I won't forget is how it ended. We get on our way out on a windy, mountainous road and then realize we have about 18 miles left in the tank. The closest gas station is who knows how far so we stop at what was luckily a rest station only a few miles down- only a big parking lot and bathrooms. It's 11pm, out in the middle of nowhere, no cell reception (apparently there is no ATT cell reception along the coast. How did no one tell us this?), no map. NO GAS. We ask a bunch of wary strangers if they have gas, find out the nearest gas station is 40 miles away (people think) and have to sleep in our car for the night. Put on my Jetblue eye masks, try not to think about the cold and pass out. It wasn't as bad as I thought though, and it was probably all my fault although I won't admit it. That's how day 3 ends.

Day 2 was pretty nature-filled. The Fremont troll is a gigantic concrete sculpture under a bridge in Seattle. He has a hubcap for an eye and he's clutching an actual VW Beetle. He's ugly and awesome. That was our last stop in Seattle before heading to the ferry. Who knew taking your car on a ferry would be fun. It's amazing to me how ships and planes function- what a feat. To see and be on this huge ferry carrying almost 200 cars was neat. Drop off point was Port Angeles on Olympic Peninsula where we spent the day in the national park: Crescent Lake, Hoh Rainforest for the Hall of Mosses, various beaches and Quinault scenic drive. Grabbed a late bite in Quinault at Salmon House Restaurant, where the Salmon was on point and the locals were nice. Since we didn't plan much for the trip, we totally overlooked the fact that it would be insanely hard to get a hotel on July 4. We set out driving south along the coast for a few hours and found no vacancies. Ended up having to somewhat backtrack about an hour inland. If you know me, you know the planner in me was a little flustered. We stayed at a cracked out Traveler's Inn in Longview, a small town no one has probably ever heard of. But here is a lesson in rolling with the punches. The "hiccup" actually turned out alright because we decided we'd actually make it out to Portland in the morning. Something we weren't originally planning on doing. I really dig the Seattle and Portland vibes.