My Getaways: Islands & Beaches

Last week was spring break for the student's of Texas State, and while I did have to work, it was nice having a slower week before the craziness that is registration ensues. I do have to admit that I was a little bit jealous of those that had the chance to get out of town for a bit. I need to get away too.

I know that I've blogged about traveling in the past, but seeing the world is one of the goals that I'm really adamant about, and I feel that it's is a pretty obtainable one. The only things standing in my way of being a globletrotter are my lack of funds, time, and travel buddies. If I had all three I'd be writing this entry from a beach somewhere. C'est la vie.

While I may not have to resources to travel the world right at my fingertips, I do have the drive to do it sooner than later because I don't want to have any regrets. Ten years from now I don't want to say, "I wish I had seen ______ when I had the chance". Money's starting to collect in the bank, the excitement levels are rising, and now I just need to spin the globe and pick a place.

My top destinations are pretty standard compared to the well-traveled's point-of-view, but it's all new to me. Italy is very high on my list, and while I'd like to do the standard stuff like see Rome, Venice, etc., I've heard nothing but good things about Cinque Terre. It's like some mythical place based on all of the hype that I've been told. I just need to see it for myself.

Second on my list is Greece. I don't think I'd be all that into Athens, but one of the smaller islands would probably blow my mind. I've said it before, and I'll say it until it happens, I will never come back if I ever make it to Greece

Speaking of islands, I've just jumped on the Majorca bandwagon. I really don't know much about the Spanish island except for the fact that I want to go there. I think it's because it is an island, which means water, which is a must in my book. That's reason enough for me. I'm sure I'd enjoy mainland Spain as well. Apparently, Barcelona is the place  to be, but I wouldn't be opposed to making a stop in Madrid either.

Hmm, where else? Australia is also very high on my list. Of course big cities like Sydney and Melbourne would be must-sees, but I'd like to spend as much time on the beaches like Surf Coast and on the Great Ocean Road. See why I want to pick up surfing?

I wouldn't say no to Hawaii or Mexico either. As you can tell, there's a theme going on here. Give me the three Ses (sun, sand, and surf), and I'm a happy man. Sounds reasonable, right?

My New Goal

For some reason, I've never been one for hobbies outside of dabbling in writing from time to time, but there is one thing that I'd like to learn and master: surfing.

About a year ago, I was in Hawaii visiting family, and while on Maui we checked out the little town of Pāʻia, which is famous for its windsurfing. While looking out at the water, I couldn't help but feel like I belonged there, which sparked my interest in picking up surfing.

My trip to Hawaii not only made me want to learn a new sport, but it also made me realize how much I love being by the water, and how the beach bum lifestyle would suit me.

I used to joke about running off to Mexico to sell t-shirts on the beach to tourists, but the more I think about, the more appealing that vocation sounds. Hawaii has plenty of tourists that need t-shirts, and I could earn some cash to pay for surfing lessons. It's all coming together...

My Tumbling Tumbleweed

Once again, I find myself going back on something that I thought I wanted.  A few posts ago, I talked about how seeing my nieces made me realize that I want to start settling down and yadda, yadda, yadda.  After a couple of days, I'm not so sure that's the case anymore.

The thought of being cemented to one place has always been unnerving to me.  Maybe I'm just not the settling type, and I'm the kind of person that needs to shake things up from time to time, even if the act of constant change is a pattern unto itself (ironic, right?).

I'm bringing this up because one day I had this idea that was kind of exciting, and I could not remember the last time I was excited.  I told myself how cool it would be if I set a goal for myself that involved me living in ten different cities throughout the country.  At the time it sounded like an admirable target to hit.

What's even more encouraging is the fact that I'm almost half way there since I've spent time in Midland, San Antonio, Portland, and now San Marcos.  My sights are now set on Austin, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Boulder or Ft. Collins, and Hawaii.  Sounds do-able?

I know that this is a lofty goal, and I'd be lucky to get to one or two of these cities, but it's good to be ambitious (or delusional).  And I know that I need to figure out what I'm chasing after before I end up without a true home because maybe it's just around the corner instead of half-way across the country.

My Change of Events

So, apparently I'm still in the running for the job I applied for at the University of Hawaii. I had a second interview with the school, and I felt that it went relatively well. Unfortunately, I don't know where I personally stand when it comes to this position.

After I didn't hear from the school for months, I made peace with the fact that it was probably a no-go. I started looking for other jobs in other states, and that's when I came across the job at the University of San Francisco. The USF job really excited me, and it almost made me forget about the UH job.

Now, I haven't heard back from San Francisco, and UH comes calling again, so I'm in a predicament. Do I continue on in the UH process knowing that I'd prefer USF, or do I take my chances and just focus on the job in California? The thing is, I have the chance at getting a job rather than sitting and waiting for something that may never happen.

For some reason things are never easy.

My Job Hunt - Update 3

Still no word from the University of Hawaii, which usually isn't a good sign. The job prospects are pretty slim in California as well, so I'm close to just throwing in the towel and focusing just on Texas. Unfortunately, the pickings are pretty slim in Austin as well. There's always the Metroplex, but I feel dirty just thinking about it...

My Job Hunt - Update 2

The end of my masters education is getting closer and closer, and I haven't really started to sweat it just yet (despite the fact that I haven't started working on my final paper), but the job search is getting pretty slim.

I applied for a job at the University of Hawaii, and I was able to get a phone interview. It went well for the most part, and now I'll just have to wait and see. The idea of living in Hawaii is exciting, but it has drawbacks too. It's really expensive to live on the islands, and it would be so far away from home.

I also applied for two jobs in San Diego, one at the University of San Diego and one at the University of California at San Diego. Unfortunately, both of the jobs fell through, which sucks because living in San Diego would have trumped living in Hawaii.

The other night I came across an orientation at Texas State, and I couldn't help but get excited. I've always wanted to get back into orientation, and San Marcos is close enough to both Austin and San Antonio, so it sounds perfect...too perfect. Of course I applied for the job, but I'm not letting myself get too worked up because I don't want the potential rejection to sting too much.

So, that's where I'm at. I have a little over a month left to go before I officially become over educated and unemployed. Yippie!

My Job Hunt - Update

The job hunt has been hectic, but far from life consuming, which I guess is a good thing. I've applied for a variety of student affairs jobs in Oregon, Hawaii, California, and Texas, but I really haven't gotten too many nibbles. Right now, I'd say my best bet is the job I applied for at the University of Hawaii, but it's still way too early to tell.

I have received a few rejections, which are never easy to swallow, but I'm taking them in stride. I figure it wasn't meant to be, so it's nothing personal, and I'm probably better off not being there to begin with. It's easy to have that attitude now because it's still somewhat early. I doubt I'll be so nonchalant if I'm still unemployed in a few months, which could be possible.

I keep telling myself that the right job is out there, but the pessimist in me is afraid that I'll officially be over-educated in about two months. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

My Last Straw

The other day, I received an e-mail from Portland Community College letting me know that I'm not longer in the running for the position that I applied for. I was a little bummed at first, but then I quickly realized that it was a blessing.

In all reality, that job application was the only thing that would have kept me in Portland. Now, I'm free to move on and do something else. Right now, I have applications pending at the University of San Diego and the University of Hawaii...maybe one of those will work out for me.

My Calling

My recent trip to Hawaii taught me a lot about myself. For example, my true calling in life involves selling t-shirts to tourists on the beach...or being a pirate off the coast of Belize.

My Local Motion

So, I'm finally back from my trip to Hawaii, and it was amazing. First off, I was in Hawaii so it doesn't get better than that, but it was also nice to be away from Portland for a little while. For those who are interested, here's an abbreviated version of my trip:

Monday, March 23
After a five hour flight to Maui, I was pretty spent so I had dinner with my mom and grandfather. We went to this place called Zippy's, which I guess is the Hawaiian version of Denny's, because my mom insisted that I get their ramen. It was good, way better than Top Ramen, that's for sure.

Tuesday, March 24
We took a little trip to Lahaina, Maui, which is a former whaling village that has become one of the top tourist spots on the island. Going to Lahaina is always fun because it's been able to remain quaint while being touristy at the same time. We were lucky because there weren't too many people in Lahaina, so it was pretty chill. We had lunch at Bubba Gump's (yes, it's a restaurant based on the movie), and it was good food albeit pretty commercial.

Wednesday, March 25
This time around we hit up Paia, Maui which is located up country on the Northshore of the island. I really dug Paia because it was nice, quaint, and had a chill atmosphere. We had lunch at a place called Milagro's which was some kind of Mexican-Hawaiian fusion type place. Pretty tasty stuff. After lunch we headed over to Hookipa Beach where all of the windsurfers play. There weren't many windsurfers, but plenty of regular surfers that day. I didn't try either, but it was nice being on the coast and seeing the ocean.


Thursday, March 26
We left Maui for a bit, and headed over to O'ahu to visit my uncle and aunt. I really love hanging out with those two, and it's a shame that I don't get to see them that often. I was also able to see my cousin and her new baby, and he was adorable. Usually, I don't get gaa gaa over babies, but this kid won me over. My uncle also drove us around the University of Hawaii campus, the Chaminade University campus, and a local community college because part of my trip was to see if I'd like to live and work in Hawaii. Lunch was at some Chinese place, and the food was OK but not great, and later that night we watched a UH baseball game. The Rainbows lost, but the opposing pitcher did throw a no-hitter so that was exciting.

Friday, March 27
I spent most of the day on the UH campus to get a feel for the environment. It's a pretty decent campus from the looks of it. It's not the most amazing campus I've ever been on, but it's far from the worst. Plus, I had to but some UH gear for the trip home. After walking around UH for a while, my cousin picked me up and we went to this nice Japanese restaurant to meet up with the rest of the family. Before I knew it, my mom and I were on a plane back to Maui.

Saturday, March 28
This was a busy day because we had a memorial service for my grandmother, who passed away four years ago. We went to evening mass with some close relatives before meeting up with others at this local hotel for dinner. It was nice seeing some of my extended family, even though I didn't quite know everyone there.

Sunday, March 29
Headed back to Portland :(

Overall, it was a great trip. I had a blast hanging out with my mom and grandpa, and seeing my uncle and aunt is always a plus. I also realized that being in Hawaii feels like home. I could definitely see myself living there in the future.

My Spring Break

One of the few upsides to being in grad school is I still get a Spring Break, so I'll be on a plane to Hawaii in less than 24 hours! It's been a while since I've been back to Hawaii, and I'm really excited. It'll be nice to see some family, relax on the beach, and not have to worry about stupid school stuff for a whole week. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts...

My Here or There

The one common theme that can be seen throughout my blogs is indecision. Apparently, I have trouble picking a life path and sticking to it. For example, I was positive that I would be headed back to Texas when I was done with graduate school. It only made sense since my family is there, and I would like to start settling down sooner than later. Then I started questioning if that is the right next step for me.

Before I made this decision to move back home, I always envisioned myself making one more stop before heading back to Texas. Places like Colorado and Hawaii have always been appealing to me, and I would love to have the chance to spend some time there. I've even tossed around the idea of sticking around Portland for a few more years, but it seems like I'm at either one extreme or the other when it comes to this place. When the sun is out, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. When it's cloudy and rainy, I cannot understand why I stick around. Too bad it's cloudy and rainy half of the year. Maybe I just need to buy one of those UV headlamps.

So here I am again...trying to figure out what I want to do and where I want to live, and I'm not coming up with many answers. The only thing I know for sure is I don't know anything when it comes to what I want out of life.