#ThisDiva Just Keeps Going...in Seattle!

What?! Two posts in the same week...what?! Just when I thought I wasn't jet-lagged enough after Japan, I flew to Seattle after only being home for two days. I'm pretty sure I have no clue what day it is, but who cares when you're in charming Seattle! 

This is my first time here (and in Washington) and based on all of the recommendations I've received, I apparently have a lot of ground to cover. Unfortunately it's been 33 hours of non-stop rain so the view has been bleak, but #ThisDivaShopsRainSleetOrSnow!...with the help of a lot of Starbucks!

I made my way to the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, UDub and Boeing...what can I say, I'm a little obsessed with planes at the moment. And let's not forget about the shops! Umm...who knew that the best Nordstrom home department EVER would be based in Seattle?! Thank goodness I bought that extra suitcase in Japan!

 

Pike Place Market was nice. I'm sure a local would kill me for saying this, but it was like Brooklyn's Smorgasburg meets New Orleans and Boston. Great seafood, lots of French fare, a whole-lotta pork and bursting with colorful characters. Even though it's within a growing metropolis and literally downtown, it still managed to feel quaint and not nearly as crowded as I had imagined...probably because there was a torrential downpour...but I'll take it! 

   

It was a whirlwind of a trip - shopped and saw as much as a day in Seattle would allow, but now it's time to head home just in time for Easter. I'm looking forward to some sunshine and keeping my feet on the ground...for at least 10 days! 

A hui hou!

#ThisDiva in Japan!

So this week was a week of many firsts. I cooked one of my favorite dishes {tortilla de patatas} for the first time since living in Hawai'i. I went to my first Turbo Kick-boxing class...I'm not so sure I can survive a second. I even took my first island hot tub dip...but what really made my week special was ending it with an impromptu girls' weekend to Japan! My first trip to the country and the continent! 

I consider myself fairly well traveled, but my heart keeps leading me back to some of my greatest loves; Paris, Milan, Vienna...Hawai'i!...so it's time to mix things up! So after a nearly 11-hour flight, I landed in Fukuoka, Japan...consider my mind blown! I knew I would like Japan, but didn't expect to out right LOVE it. Since we only had 26 hours until we needed to catch our flight back, we set our sights in the Hataka city of Fukuoka. Great shopping, wonderful people - a city perfectly mixed with tradition and modernism...and did I mention that the food is awesome?!

It's a city that made me feel right at home and I had no trouble diving in head first. And so what do you do in a city you've never been and time is quickly ticking by?! Shop and eat! I hear Tokyo is a shopper's dream, but let me tell you - Hakata was not short of stores, boutiques and 100 yen shops to help me add to my wardrobe and home. In fact, I had to buy two suitcases to carry everything back...not sure what I was thinking when I only brought a carry-on backpack with me - #ThisDivaWasHopingToStayOnABudget!

Luckily, we also stumbled across a group of Taiko drummers and dancers - stunning and a definite highlight to our day. To see any type of art form in the place of its origin is always something truly special to experience and this was a treat!

But by 9pm, it was time to board the plane back to Honolulu. I was exhausted, my feet were sore and my bank account nearly depleted, but I had the biggest grin from ear to ear because we had thrown caution to the wind and spent a day uncovering this cool little city in Japan. These are the things I'll look back at and know that I've tried to live life as best as I could.

A hui hou!

#ThisDiva in NYC

So this last week has pretty much looked like this picture. After my cowgirl weekend in Kohala, I jumped on a plane to L.A. Unfortunately, I was there on a very gloomy Tuesday and never left the airport so there went that blog post and my first trip to L.A. After a 12-hour turnaround, I was back in the air heading to NYC. 

 

It's amazing how after 3 months of having a complete lifestyle change in Hawai'i being back in the city felt like I had been gone for only a few days. Despite how much constantly changes in this crazy town, it always feels so familiar...and a bit like coming home. I guess #ThisDivaWillAlwaysHaveAPieceOfNYCInHerHeart

I didn't miss the weather, but I do miss the energy, the friends and the shopping!...did I mention that practically no stores ship to Hawai'i?! I visited some of my favorite restaurants like Balthazaar in SoHo, did some damage at Ikea in Brooklyn and had a list of item requests I had to pick up from Trader Joe's...yeah...we don't have that either.

But mostly, I was just able to stroll the streets of NYC and enjoy the people, the architecture, the hustle and bustle of it all and remember how exciting and colorful life here can be. It's still hard to believe that my life is now tucked away on a small island in the middle of the Pacific, but after a week of marathon traveling and 10-hour flights I can come back to this...

...then I realize all is right in the world and I'm happy to be home! 

A hui hou!

#ThisDiva Celebrates Paniolo Style

To celebrate my cousin Jessi's birthday this weekend, we decided to head out to Kohala on the Big Island to have a "Cowgirl" bash! Normally, I would just throw on some overly bedazzled boots, a fringed jacket, a pink hat and call it a day (because after living in NYC I do own these things!), but we wanted to spend this weekend with the real deal. A weekend with bonafide Paniolos - Hawaiian cowboys - riding horses, roping cattle and everything that comes with the territory.

Just about everyone I told about my plan laughed hysterically because #ThisDivaIsAnAbsoluteCityGirl and they were convinced I wouldn't last 2 hours let alone 2 days...considering the term "roughing it" actually doesn't exist in my vocabulary. But not only did I prove them wrong, I also had the most amazing experience learning about the land and the lives of such incredible people. 

And what also made this trip wonderful was being able to see and explore some of the most beautiful land in Hawai'i. Once you venture outside of Kona and start heading up to the mountains, you get to see miles upon miles of untouched coastlines and land. Roads are lined with mounds of lava rock, guava trees or turkeys! It was a great weekend of adventure, fun, laughter and mud...lots and lots of mud! And just what I needed before heading out to Los Angeles for the first time ever...but I'll save that for next time...A Hui Hou!

#ThisDiva in Hilo!

So the pictures in this post aren't of Hilo, but of the islands Moloka'i and O'ahu taken as I was coming back from The Big Island of Hawai'i. I took a short day trip out there to get my driver's license of all things. Living in NYC for nearly 4 years, I was able to let my license expire beyond the point of acceptable and had to revisit my teen years by going through this process. In Honolulu, it takes around 3-4 months to get a scheduled driving test - so when I discovered that I could take the test on another island I decided...let's go to Hilo! 

Hilo is a small town on The Big Island which is actually where my family "Kalaukoa" is originally from. Beaches are gorgeous, people are so "Aloha" here and local "grindz" aka food - will "broke you in da mouth"..,which is local for "it tastes really REALLY good"! 

Surprisingly, I didn't find time to shop (very surprising), but I will leave that for another day and another trip - but it was a wonderful day away from the hustle and bustle of O'ahu and to see the heart of Hawaiiana in a little place called Hilo.

A hui hou!

#ThisDiva is an official resident!

After 31 days, I officially became a Hawai'i resident! Like NYC, finding an apartment can be challenging and when you find something you love, you have to act fast! However, unlike NYC, owners won't even consider you as a potential tenant if you aren't already physically on the island. Makes securing a place a bit difficult when you're moving 4,957 miles and across an ocean...but in the infamous words of Tim Gunn, you "Make It Work"! And so I did. 

I found an amazing condo in the Pearlridge/Aiea area. It's not next to a beach, but I got the next best thing...next to a mall! I still have amazing views of the bay, Pearl Harbor, Aloha Stadium and the mountains...and with only a 10 minute commute to work, it doesn't get better than this! 

Again, like Manhattan, O'ahu is made up of so many little neighborhoods condensed on one island. Finding an area that speaks to your interests and personality is key. If you're an avid surfer or beach bum, then check out North Shore. Kailua has been a key area for transplant mainlanders who love being outdoors. If you like being in the burbs, then Kapolei is totally the place for you. If you love the night-life, then Waikiki it is. For me, I love shopping, simplicity, food and then shopping again! So this little neighborhood with virtually no traces of tourists, a Saturday Farmer's Market and ample shopping makes #thisdivasmile! 

And after work, when I can enjoy a view like this, I remember why moving to Hawai'i was the best decision I could have made!

A hui hou!

#ThisDiva Superbowls!

How does a local girl in Hawai'i who doesn't like watching American football spend Superbowl Sunday?! Well, you're looking at it!

I hit my 1-month anniversary here in Hawai'i this week and you would think that after a month on the island a liitle bit of the novelty would have worn off by now. Nope. No. Not at all. In fact, I find any little excuse to hit the waves and today it's to commemorate the Superbowl. What better day to hit the Waikiki strip for a little bit of shopping, swimming and sun-bathing?! The stores are empty and what is normally a beach locals stay clear of, is scarce of tourists on a day like today.

So while my friends across the nation are sitting in front of the tv cheering on their team of choice and soaking up hysterical ads, I think I'll just sit here and enjoy the view and catch all of the highlights via Facebook!...a hui hou!