A Day of Firsts

October 1st, 2010 wasn’t just the first day of October… it was also:

The first time I flew alone.

The first time I got both of my contact lenses in on the first try.  (Cut me some slack; I’ve only had them for two weeks.)

The first time I experienced jet lag.

The first time I’d been to Hawaii.

The first time I bought a car.

The first time I was 4000 miles away from my family.

The first time I lost my wallet.

To explain this blog a bit for those of you who haven’t heard what I’ve been up to recently, I got a dream job as a super-rich-guy’s personal assistant/writer/editor.  I worked remotely for two months before meeting him in New York City, and then he flew me out to paradise for 45 days to work on some more specific projects.  I’ll fly home November 18th for my roommate’s wedding (shout-out to Julie!) and stay home for the holidays, and then I’ll potentially move back to Hawaii in January. 

My flights went smoothly… I went from Pittsburgh to Phoenix, then from Phoenix to Hawaii.  My suitcase was 14 pounds overweight (I couldn’t lift it myself) and cost me $50 to check.  When I was boarding my first flight, I ended up having to also check my carryon because they ran out of overhead compartment space.  I was annoyed at first, but it was actually nice not having to lug it around while catching my connecting flight.  And I fit everything I desperately needed for the flights into my computer case, which I took as my personal item. 

On my first flight, I was seated between a man (who must have been Tim Barnes’ clone) and his wife who were on their way to a business conference in Maui. I networked with the husband a bit… proofread his business proposal and took his business card, promising to email him some of the writing I do while in Hawaii.  Eventually the lady traded seats with me so she could sit by her husband… which gave me the window seat. :)  They seemed so individualistic when I spoke to each of them one-on-one… each had their own separate professional goals and private hobbies.  But they were cute once they sat beside one another… laughing and talking animatedly and holding hands.  I made some observations about successful relationships and marriages during this interaction… but I’ll share those another time.

The second flight was looooooong.  Almost 7 hours in air (on top of the previous 4-hour flight).  By the time that flight was done, I was feeling all sorts of cramped and stiff.  As we were landing I had a nice chat with the young couple in my row, who on their way to visit parents for the millionth time.  They gave me all sorts of tips and places to see that are beautiful but not touristy.  The girl gave me her email address, and there might be potential for a future beach hang-out with her and her island friends… we’ll see.  It would be nice to make friends here!  Though I’m not going to push it… I’m a loner. 

So yes, after I had been picked up at the airport and was taken to the dealership to close on my car, I realized my wallet was missing.  I frantically called the airport to see if it had been left on the plane, and after ten a-g-o-n-i-z-i-n-g minutes, they found it under my seat in the plane.  So I went back to the airport and retrieved my wallet from a fat, motherly Hawaiian who laughed at me and said, “Don’t ever do that again!”  Then I went back to the dealership, and just a few minutes later I was making the 45-minute drive (in my brand new [to me] dark grey ’96 Nissan Maxima) to my house (*cough* mansion.)

Ok… I’m getting tired, so here’s a bullet list of what I’ve done since arriving in Hawaii. 

*  My employer gave me a tour of the house… gorgeous!  The view is… breathtaking and completely indescribable.  I’ll be posting a mini photo-tour soon.  I probably won’t be talking much about my actual job or the house in which I’m staying… privacy is important for my employer, and some information isn’t mine to divulge.  But for now, here's a photograph of the patio off of my bedroom: 

*  Went to bed at 8:00 pm Hawaiian time.  Jetlag. 

*  Woke up at 6:00 am Hawaiian time and photographed the sunrise (the house faces east.)  Here are some photographs taken from my patio:

*  My employer took me along while he ran an errand in the little town just outside of our gated community.  The town is… little.  But cute.  A few fruit stands, a post office, a Subway… what else could I need?  

*  Well, I could need groceries. I had to go to Princeville for this, which is about 10 minutes away.  (Walmart and other chain stores are in a town about ½ hour away.)  The grocery store is called “Foodland,” and it’s about 1/8 the size of Giant Eagle and twice as expensive. I also walked around the little plaza with little touristy shops and a little art gallery.  (All the businesses here are little… although I love this place, I think it’s likely that I’ll have a mild case of island fever by the time I come home.)  Here's a picture of the mountains from the parking lot behind a little bait shop.  It's rainy season, so it rains about once a day here, though sometimes for just 15 minutes or so.  This was right before one such rainstorm.  

  

*  Had a very satisfying moment while I was poking around a cozy little homemade soap store.  The cashier (a cute boy… irrelevant…) asked if I lived here or was just visiting.  I said, “Well, both, sortof…” and briefly explained.  Then he said, “Huh… I just couldn’t tell, because you carry yourself like a local.”  So evidently, I fit in here. :)

*  My employer showed me the “Lookout Point,” which is a 20 minute walk from the house, up a hill in our gated community.  It’s a big grassy area looking over the west bay and a lighthouse.  We timed it perfectly to see the sunset, which was a gorgeous array of pinks and purples.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have my (JC’s) camera for this. 

In closing, here’s a short disclaimer… I tend to be long-winded in writing.  Sorry.  I’m hoping that blogging will break me of this habit and condition me to be more concise.  But until I’m broken and conditioned… brace yourselves.

Goodnight family and friends… love and miss you!