Jaeda And cousins swim meet!

A day at the beach

Sea weed in the daily menu

Coming attractions.

Well good news, I am making friends haha. With friends comes a lot of plans and fun things to do.
One thing I love about Hawaii is-- there is always something to do.. something that is fun to do none the less.
Tomorrow Sam (one of the teachers at school.. she is from connecticut.) and I are going to Hula. it should be interesting.
Wednesday two students spend the night at my house and it is life group at Sam's house with people from Elevate.
Thursday My co-op it taking me to the Volcano! it is about 20 minutes down the road. I am so pumped to be up close and personal with a volcano. I can check that off my bucket list! I am sure ill have pictures.
and then who knows what the weekend will bring.

Another coming attraction is OAHU! I am going to another Island to spend thanksgiving with some family that lives in Hawaii. I am really excited. Each island is so much different... The big island is industry which is where I am living and the OAHU(where i am going)-- tourism and shopping. It should be a nice visit (0:

acclimate: –verb (used with object), verb (used without object), -mat·ed, -mat·ing. to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate or environment

Wow! its again monday already! Today was a great day at school, i am acclimated for sure. I love what I am doing but most importantly, the people I am working alongside. Just a really quick recap of what I have been up to. Last week we went on a field trip to UH of Hilo to see a man play a harp and tell stories. The WHOLE school went! It was really fun. I also got to experience getting caught in a Hawaiian rain storm with all of my students and no where to go but under a tarp that my co-op brought. Hey we are making memories. This is a picture of some of the kids at the theater.

This weekend I went to a Church called Elevate(http://www.elevatemovement.com/) it was so great, there are lots of young people to connect with. They have some really great things happening there (and if you know me at all youll understand this next statement) the airport is right next door so the planes literally fly directly over head. You feel like you could reach out and touch them! I could most certainly be there all day to watch Hawaiian airlines take off and land. (0:

Yesterday i went to the sound of Music with the principal of the school i am working at. That was REALLY fun. It was at the palace Theater in town. Afterward.. we went to rainbow falls. Just another beautiful asset of Hawaii. I have never seen so many rainbows in my life. Almost everyday, i wake up to a rainbow. What a beautiful signal of God's promise.

KUMU

Here's a little story for you... In Hawaii, they do in fact speak Hawaiian. However most people speak a mix of both Hawaiian and English (or Pidgin) I have been catching on a lot this past week because of living with two little boys and being immersed all day long at school. Many kids call me Auntie at school but today I was called Kumu. I had no clue what I was being called and after working at Beaver Falls high school I wanted to know immediately what i was being referred to as.
Kumu is the hawaiian word for teacher. It was a really great moment for me to be recognized as not only an adult or teacher but I am 11 students' Kumu and i could not be more happy. Then i came home today to find out that all of my Praxis scores are FINALLY in and recorded with passing scores may i add. I am now officially a Kumu.

update. Hawaiian life isn't too bad.

so im absolutely loving Hawaii. My family is great, my teacher is amazing, the school is AWESOME, and my students...i already love them. I have been here a whole week! It feels like so much longer I am completely acclimated to the time (i think) and the culture is something that I could definitely live with.
One thing that they eat a lot here ...that i could live without, is Spam musubi. its not terrible and I do eat it but it will never be a favorite i can promise that ha. the black on the outside is seaweed, the inside is rice and yes.... spam.


I have pictures to put up but the beauty of Hawaii can not be captured with even film. It is the most beautiful place on earth for sure. Here is one picture that Katharina, the german foreign exchange student took. I am really enjoying getting to know her she reminds me a lot of Luisa and makes me miss her even more.

Aloha!

Wellll im here, jet lag and all! I was welcomed by my host father, the principal of my school, and another teacher last night at about 2 Am. I received my first real flower lei! the family i am staying with is great! They are housing a lot of different people right now. I am living with two foreign exchange students.. one from japan and one from Germany. They are both in High school. Then they just got two brothers from foster care the are 6 and 7. The one has a birthday tomorrow... we will be celebrating at the beach! So needless to say i have a very generous and loving family but also VERY busy. They are encouraging in the way they love and reach out to everyone. The beauty of Hawaii cannot even be captured on film.. Where i live.. they grow all their own fruits and veggies. Everything is so new to me. There isnt a huge language barrier yet, but my two little brothers will be teaching me pidgin pretty quickly from what i understand. (0:
I am sorry that this is so random but i am very tired and this post is definitely a picture of the scattered feelings right now!

Pictures soon i promise!

TWO

i dont want to talk about it. I have talked about Hawaii enough. I am enjoying now. "all i have is all of me and thats all that i can give." i want this to be my motto, im going to make an effort to be present where ever i may be.

3 dayyys

the goodbyes have started. its a bummer but at the same time so exciting. I am packed and ready for this challenge. Its funny one of my favorite places to be is in an airport. I love watching people coming and going just guessing where they are headed. I hope i have some great airport stories to share soon!
This is roughly my flight itinerary so you can follow along with me on Thursday:

depart from pittsburgh: 11:15am (four hour flight)
arrive in Phoenix, AZ: 12:44 pm two hour time difference (2:44pm in PA)
Depart from AZ: 1:55pm (4:55pm in PA)
arrive in Honolulu: 5:28pm six hour time difference (11:28pm in PA)
Depart from Honolulu: 7:03pm (1:03AM in PA)
Arrive in HILO: 7:54pm (1:54AM in PA)


Ahh looking at it like that makes me tired.. please shoot my texts and such throughout the day, it will be a long one!
But this is what i have to look forward to when at my final touch down...

"Hawaii, that is such a Kaylee thing to do"

Welll im back.. summer was crazy busy and my first placement of student teaching was amazing! I miss Watson lots but i am home preparing for my time in Hawaii. This time next week, i will be en route to Hilo, HI. This is crazy but as a friend just recently said... "It is such a Kaylee thing to do." (0: If this kind of life is predictable, I dont mind being predictable at all. I am going to try to keep everyone updated on here while im away. Ill be there until the middle of December. See you all soon.