Summer Time Chongolian Update

Well last month on May 15 the one anniversary of my move to an island in the South Pacific quietly came and went without much fanfare or hoopla. I did reflect quite a bit on the last year and where the adventure has led and I am still very thankful for getting this chance to experience life on Kauai. There has been plenty of ups and downs as days move forward. I have had lots of graphic design work come my way and have been putting in long hours working at the silkscreen shop. But I am grateful to have work doing something I enjoy (most of the time) and also allows me to meet some interesting people from time to time. I have also been working on getting my art and t-shirt designs together which I hope to start selling in shops and fairs around the island.

There have been times of loneliness and sadness like when I received the news that my friend Geno had passed away and I did not get the chance to say goodbye and I will never see him or play our ukuleles together again. There was also a very scary incident with a friend of mine who I surf with at Kalapaki beach. He was knocked unconscious in the water and nearly drowned right in front of a group of us who surf together frequently. Fortunately we were all there to help in some way or another to save his life. He will be alright but it will be sometime before he is well enough to return to the water because of the amount of water he took into his lungs. He is a great guy and one of the first people I had met when I got here. All his friends and family are very thankful that he is still with us, but nobody really knows exactly what had happen because no one saw it happen and he has no memory of it either.

Some of the holidays can also make me feel very far away from the people I love and can be a little rough too, but I know this is where I choose to be because I really appreciate the beauty and lifestyle that the folks who live here get to enjoy every day. I still try to start my day early on my surfboard or the stand up paddle board before I go into the shop which will always is a fantastic way to begin a workday. Also, I recently bought a new army green 3 speed beach cruiser and have been riding the bike paths and getting into the nooks and crannies of Kapa'a on the weekends and after work. I have been telling myself to try to eating at a new restaurant on each payday but have yet to do it. I actually have been cooking a lot more for myself and have been reading and trying new asian recipes from cookbooks I have been checking out with my new library card.

My housing situation is still on shaky ground because of unsteady roommates. I now have a kid from Missouri living with us until he completes an internship in September. A nice kid but soaking wet behind the ears and I don't think has spent much time away from home. My other roommate,a 23 year old girl who I originally moved in with at the start of the year, continues to keeps going back and forth about moving back to the mainland for one reason or another. At this point I am tired of dealing with the constant search for stable people to live with and the unstability. So I will continue my search for another place to call home where I don't have to deal with two other people, an always present landlord and all their associated poop.

So thats about it for now, For the most part all is good and I am very happy. I am just trying to stay positive when the going get a bit difficult and feel grattitude for all the awesome things that life has given to me. I hope everybody is enjoying and loving their lives as much as I am mine.