The Last Three Days

Amber is on her way to Hawaii as we speak and we will spend the next three days doing SO MUCH stuff! My trip has gone at a great pace so far but I want her to see EVERYTHING possible in her short three and a half days with me in Hawaii! She blogged about what we are doing, so I won't bother blogging about it until after. Check her blog out if you want to know what the next three days will entail! It is the 2nd post down, the top one is about how her flight got canceled... she was supposed to come in yesterday. Sad day. :( But she extended her stay so she gets the same amount of time here!

As far as what I have done in Hawaii, here is a update:

Sunday:
We went to the cove by Tiffany and David's house and snorkeled! It was beautiful and I saw a turtle and so many fish. I did not take my camera into the water but here are a few pictures of the view from the beach.


Monday:
Tiffany was gracious enough to take off work so we went on an adventure! We hiked Makapu'u Walk to The Dragon's Nostrils. We hoped to see the Dragon's Nostrils but they are unreliable and as expected the blowholes were not cooperating. So all we saw was a flat piece of rock that looked like a blowhole or two could be present. On the bright side, I was introduced to hiking "off road" which I feel will be much needed for the rest of my journey (the Nostrils are not on the actual paved trail, you have to go down the edge of the rocks to see them).


In the afternoon we went to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling. The wave break was really strong that day so we got thrown around a little but the reef is INSANE. It is about 5 inches below your face in some places. You are not supposed to touch it (it being living and all) and I tried so hard, but a few places were so shallow there was no way through them! I can't believe how many fish there were and again, I got to see a turtle or two!!! :)

Tuesday:
Hiking the Haiku Stairs or the Stairway to Heaven was quite possibly the biggest adventure of my life thus far! I climbed 3,922 stairs up 2,200 feet to see the best view Oahu has to offer! The only catch is the stairs are technically closed so I was not supposed to take the hike. Oops! (They are closed for political reasons and not for safety! The local residents don't like hikers using their streets for parking and lobbied hard enough to get the state to close the stairs. The local homeowners even went as far as to loosen some of the stairs before the state closed the trial... which made the trail dangerous.... Crazy locals with no respect for hikers lives! The state repaired all of the stairs and then closed the trail to appease the homeowners.) If you are in Hawaii (and they ever re-open the stairs for all of you law-abiding citizens) you should definitely take the hike!

Aloha

Tiffany and David are still sound asleep. I managed to sleep until 6:30am local time (which I think is pretty good seeing as it was 11:30am Dallas time) and was a wreck last night but stayed up until around 11:30pm (4:30am/Dallas) so hopefully I will not have much jet-lag. I feel fantastic at the moment so that is good!

My flight was not so uneventful and unfortunately I did not get to sleep on the plane. I did, however watch Catch Me If You Can. I was seated in seat 8A because I love the window seat! I almost always fly with someone I know or have short flights so the window has always been wonderful for me. This flight may change my perspective on longer flights in the future. The door to the plane was right behind row 8. I have never been on a plane like this before but because the door was behind me, there was also a wall behind me. Which means my seat functioned just as the last row in the plane... Wall= not able to recline. My optimism at being able to sleep dropped drastically when I got on the plane and realised there was no going back for me (literally not figuratively) but I remained optimistically hopeful. The second not-so-exciting part about the plane ride was the bathroom to my right. Instead of having 8d-f there was a toilet. Luckily it did not smell bad very often on the flight. Praise Jesus! But there were people in and out constantly.

Once the flight got underway it felt almost like I was the lead character in a movie... Now I know what most of you are thinking... Don't you always live your life that way... Haha! And while I do, this movie was more of a comedy of errors than my normal role... The guy in front of my laid his seat all the way back almost the second the flight was in the air. I handled this pretty well until the couple next to me fell asleep after the movie ended. They ended up leaning left and about 10 minutes after they fell asleep the woman's head was on my shoulder and the man's head was on her shoulder. Now, I have seen this before in movies, but I have never experienced it myself... It is quite claustrophobic, I am not going to lie. I just got out my ipod and listened to some music and they shifted positions after about 45 minutes... But still... It was craziness!

The good news is I FINALLY MADE IT! I landed at about 9:00pm local time and for all intensive purposes I was brain dead. Tiffany gave me a gorgeous lei when she and David picked me up! I felt very welcomed!!! I talked to Tiffany and David for a few minutes last night but I have no idea about what. I also remember unpacking and getting situated but it is kinda a blur. I have my own room and my own bathroom (I will share both with Amber while she is here but otherwise they are mine) and it is fantastic! I could not have asked for a better arrangement! I am so blessed!

My Lei

I have yet to really see the island. It was pitch black when I got here last night and while I saw a few lights here and there I really have no idea what I was looking at. I am ready to go out today and actually see Hawaii! We are going to go to the Ko Olina Lagoons today and get some time in the sun. I am really excited that my first day is going to be a low key one. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be rested, rejuvenated and ready to conquer the island!

The view from my room... which is all of Hawaii I have seen in the daylight. Pretty good start though!

Oh, one last thing... I slept with my window open last night for the first time in a long time. It was fantastic! It must have been around 70 degrees and I slept so peacefully. The weather may end up being my favorite thing about Hawaii! I don't miss the 107 degree weather. Sorry Texas! I love you, but it is too dang hot this summer!

Update up to the Layover

I am in Phoenix on a two over layover and my plane is 45 minutes delayed so I thought I would entertain myself and you all with a few posts. Don't get too used to it... I may not post much over the next two weeks (if at all) but I promise to update you all when I get home! Or on my layover in Phoenix on the way back especially if that flight is delayed again!

I figure the best way to explain my day would be through a pros and cons list. Feel free to read only the pros or cons if you are feeling optimistic or pessimistic. I will give you a equal supply of each (we will call this realism):
Pro: Free wi-fi in the Phoenix airport.
Con: Did I mention my plane is 45 minutes late?
Pro: An electrical outlet so I can charge and use my laptop. Yea!
Con: My plane landed in terminal 3 and my flight takes off from terminal 4. I had to take a bus to terminal 4 and no one was very helpful in directing me to the bus stop. The lady who finally gave me directions told me to go the wrong way. Luckily I figured out I was in the wrong place before boarding a bus headed for terminal 2.
Pro: The man beside me on my plane told me I HAD to try the "crumbly blue cheese salad" from Paradise Grill while in the airport. He said it was the best salad in Phoenix. I ordered one and just finished it... It was good! It had romaine, Cesar dressing, blue cheese, craisins and sunflower seeds.
Con: My blue cheese salad made my bag suspicious and the x-ray tech had to run it twice. Oops. I guess I had less than three ounces of liquid on my salad though because he let me go. Cesar dressing... tricky, tricky!
Pro: I am actually managing to stay awake! I got 3 hours of sleep last night (which is a con) but I am handling it okay and hopefully it will help me acclimate to Hawaii time. I went to bed at 4am which was 11pm in Hawaii. Only problem is I woke up at 7am which is 2am Hawaii time... Oops. Hopefully I will sleep well on the plane (which would be a pro) and adjust to the time change quickly!
Con: When I got to terminal 4 the Departure Board told me to go to A-24. I made it to A-24 (the furthest possible gate in A) to find out that I was actually departing from B-11. There had been a gate change. No biggie... I am headed to Hawaii... I can handle this... So I walked to B-11 (thankfully I did not have to go through security again)... Of course it is the last gate down the terminal too. Haha!
Pro: I got my workout today walking around this airport!
Con: The airplane was SO cold the first hour and a half of my flight. I mean Arctic tundra... I am normally cold so me saying this isn't all that significant... Other than the fact that EVERYONE was cold. I am thinking it was about 50 degrees on the plane. It finally warmed up for the last thirty minutes. Unfortunately the blankets were all gone within the first five minutes of the flight. I am not making the same mistake when I get on this flight. I am going to get a blanket BEFORE I take my seat.
Pro: I had my jacket with me on the plane so I had some protection from the elements.

Alright, that is all I have for now. I am going to watch a movie I rented from I-tunes and wait for my flight. I am getting pretty excited!!! I get to see Tiffany and David tonight and Amber is flying in on Tuesday. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Watz Up Jen-ne-fer

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Jacki, Scott and Michael (two of my cousins and my brother) last night and catching up. I absolutely love my family! I mean we are all crazy and my brother and I butt heads quite passionately at times but I am really blessed to have them. I actually have fun every time I hang out with my cousins and my brother. We have so many inside jokes (we grew up spending every summer together so we are closer than most cousins) and all three of them are hysterical. I was dead tired last night and still I managed to laugh heartily multiple times. They are all together right now celebrating Jacob's first birthday with the rest of my family (Happy birthday Jacob!). I wish I could be there, but I guess I will have to cope by going to Hawaii instead. ;)

Because I could not attend the party this afternoon, I went to Jacki's hotel room this morning and got to see the kids (Jacob and Jessica) before I left for the airport. Jessica is two years and three months old and she could not be cuter! When I walked into their hotel room this morning she ran up to me and said "Watz up Jen-ne-fer?" and I about died it was so cute! (Note: She was not speaking Ebonics, I tried to type it out as she pronounced the words with her two year old enunciation.) It still amazes me how much I can love someone I only get to see at most once a month.

Jacob is getting so big too. He is standing all by himself and walking with your hand. He gives kisses (which entails him slobbering all over your cheek) and high fives. He also has the most adorable smile! I can't believe how fast he is growing!

Done!!!!

I'm done! I'm done! I'm done! I am relieved, exhausted, drained, exhilarated, worried, and proud. Now the waiting begins. I don't get my results until November. But at least it is out of my hands now!

I am having steak tonight with Mel and David, meeting Micah and catching up with Abby tomorrow morning, seeing Mel's wedding dress and shopping with Mel tomorrow afternoon, driving home to Dallas, going to a party at Brian and Elaine's tomorrow night then maybe meeting up with my brother and cousin for a few hours. When I finally get home tomorrow night (or Saturday morning) I am packing for 2 weeks in Hawaii!!!! Then on Saturday I am waking up and seeing Jacki and the kids before I head to the airport (I can sleep on the plane, haha)!!! My schedule is jammed packed with fellowship and fun again!!! I could not be happier!!!

Thanks so much for all of your prayers! I could not have made it without you. The last two days were quite brutal but I did not throw up again, praise Jesus!

The Storm Before The Calm

I don't want to take to much time to blog, but I just wanted to tell you all I am 20% done with the bar exam! I completed the Civil & Criminal Procedure & Evidence Exam and the Multistate Performance Test. I am very glad they are over and I don't want to talk about them! They are over... that is what matters. Now on to the Multistate Bar Exam (200 multiple choice questions) tomorrow and the Texas Essays (12 essays) on Thursday. Be praying guys!

About 100 blogworthy things happened today, but I will only mention three. 1- One of the proctors was yelling at us at the top of his lungs several times throughout the exam. I wanted to tell him to calm down. We should be stressed NOT HIM.
2- A girl taking the exam raised her hand while the exams were being collected after the first test and proceeded to yell at the examiner about how some people were getting up to go to the restroom and he had not told us we could. She mentioned something about how if some people can do it shouldn't we all be able to. I don't really know exactly why she wanted to yell but I felt embarrassed for her... Though I doubt she will appreciate the sentiment because she clearly was not embarrassed for herself.
3- The exam room was crazy cold and the proctors managed to make everything two times more complicated and time consuming then necessary as always (I am glad they are so thorough... I would hate for my exam to be lost, so keep on being diligent examiners! I just may briefly complain about it, if that is alright).... But the good news is ONE DAY DOWN!!!!

Lastly, and this one is where the post got its title... Please be praying for me tonight and tomorrow night that I would sleep well. I tend to have rather severe test anxiety that I can't seem to control in my sleep. During my first semester of law school, I woke up every semester throwing up the morning before a big exam and I did it again last night. I am able to control my anxiety while I am awake and actually am quite calm by the exam itself, but while sleeping is another story. Please pray that I would sleep well the next two nights and not wake up throwing up (gross I know, but at least you are not the one who does it)! I managed to sleep well until 1am and after 2:30am this morning, which is a huge praise! But I did not enjoy 1-2:30 very much. I doubt I will throw up again because I can already tell I am a lot less stressed than I was yesterday, but prayer couldn't hurt! Thanks!

Watermark

Drum roll please... I have decided to join Watermark Community Church and hope to begin leading with the youth group in the Fall! I have been going to Watermark for the past two months and finally checked out the Youth Group this Sunday and it is PHENOMENAL. These kids have no idea how blessed they are. The facilities are AMAZING and the leadership seems grounded in the truth and fun (which is so important for the kids). I am already getting excited about leading! I have missed my girls so much this summer (email and phone calls just aren't the same) and I really would love to be investing in girls lives again! It is going to be nice to have a place to meet people too! I met one of Mel's friends from college (Sarah) and one of my friends from high school's best friend (Lindsay) today. So it is a crazy small world and I already have a few friends! Woohoo!

I am headed to Houston tomorrow to take the bar! I am as ready as I will ever be and just so excited to get it over with. This summer has been a blur of studying that I very much hope I don't have to repeat (God will get me through it if I have to take it again, but I am praying I get it done the first time). I am ready to have a reason to get up and do my hair and make up again. I am ready not to sit down in front of a book and not look up again until five hours later! I am ready to catch up with all of my friends and hear everything about their lives that I have only heard the cliffnotes of. I am ready to go to Hawaii! I am ready not to feel guilty for taking a break. :) Yeah, I am ready for the bar to be over!!! Five days until I have my life back! I can't wait!

Please be praying!!!

My Thoughts and Observations

1. For those of you who have been worried about me, or even better have been praying for me, my productivity has improved since Sunday. Thank you. Several of my soon-to-be-lawyer friends also posted about their lack of motivation on Sunday so there must have been something in the air!
2. A week from now I will be almost half way through the bar. Crazy! I am not ready but I don't think you can ever really be "ready". I know a great deal more than I did seven weeks ago. I pray I know enough! Mainly, I pray that they ask me questions that I do know the answers to!
3. I went to Starbucks on the way into the library today and it was packed! I go to Starbucks a great deal less than most of my friends. I have only been four or five times this summer and always at an "off-peak" hour. The longest line I have ever seen at Starbucks is two or three people. Well, today the drive through line was crowded so I figured I would go inside to beat the rush. Much to my surprise the line inside was just as long. I was in shock (I know you all are thinking clearly I don't go to Starbucks much, haha). I have to get used to this rush hour thing! I have not really done "working hours" before (other than every summer for the last six years) and I have not been to Starbucks in the morning before... I was not prepared for the insane line... Obviously I have a lot to learn! But my venti-iced-soy-green-tea-latte was worth it.
4. The parking lot at the library was also packed today. I got the LAST spot. It is never this crowded. There must be a seminar going on somewhere. I am just glad I got a spot! I would have hated not to be able to study today because the library was full. That would have been a tragedy. ;)

Alright, time to study the day away. Six days to the Bar.

I Hit A Wall

Today I have been almost completely unproductive. I cannot seem to focus. Nothing important or significant has happened, but apparently there is a limit to how many days I can study in a row. The bar is only 9 days away... Which should send me into a panic and cause me to bury my head in a book, not to re-emerge until meal time (I mean, that is what I have done every day recently)... but today... nope.

No panicked studying... just nausea and a lack of motivation. I would freak out except I am fairly confident my body and brain need a break. I still have 8 days to go. I cannot burn out now. Fittingly, today is the Sabbath... apparently I am treating it as such. :P Hopefully by the time you read this I will be back to productivity... But in an effort to fully document my studying process, I was compelled to post about my unproductivity. I don't recommend sitting and half-heartedly studying nine days before the bar, and "vegging" was probably not what I would have chosen if I had planned in advance to take the day off, but it is what it is.

In other and more exciting news, my mother is making me gingerbread tonight to spur on my productivity. I LOVE gingerbread. It is my FAVORITE. Christmas in July! Woohoo! My mom is the best! Please pray for my productivity for the next week plus. I hope to finish strong!

Change of Scenery

For the last four days I have been studying in the basement of the Richardson Public Library in group study rooms with a few of my friends. It has worked quite well for me and we have only taken a few "conversation" breaks. Today, however I needed my cell phone to function (it does not work in the basement) in case my parents call me. They are coming back from Vegas today (which means I am no longer in charge of watching the dog) and they may or may not need me to pick them up from the airport. My brother is supposed to pick them up but apparently he blew out a tire on the way home from Houston yesterday and there is something wrong with some air system or something in his car. Thus, I need to be by my phone in case he cannot get them and as a result I cannot live in the basement/dungeon today.

I decided to try studying at a table on the third floor and so far, I like it! I can see outside. There is a window! I forgot what the world looked like over the last few days and it is kinda nice to see it in between my studying. I don't know how well it is going to work long term because there are people moving around constantly and there is a loud and constant screeching noise (I am thinking it is the air conditioner) but for the last 25 minutes my spirits have been lifted by the presence of light and the glimpse of the world outside! I missed you sun! It is good to see you again.