Digging In...

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Well...it's been 2 weeks since we stepped foot on the Big Island and let me tell you, it has been a crazy two weeks!  From the beginning...

Hostel in Mt. View
We had no place to stay when we arrived on Big Island.  Ever tried renting an Air BnB for 9 that isn't over $1000 a night?  Good luck with that no matter where you are trying to rent.  So we ended up in a hostel.  Not just any hostel though.  A hostel in which we made friends, no we added to our ohana, we made new family members.  We were there a week.  I haven't slept in a bunk bed in I really can't tell you how long but we bunked it for a week.  All 9 of us, in 2 rooms, in 5 sets of bunk beds...that is some serious bonding.  We made it to the concert I moved the house closing up for.  It was rainy.  Very cold.  And SO amazing!
Mike Love concert!

A week after landing on the Island, we signed the lease on our house.  The former tenant...she didn't clean.  Ever.  Never ever.  We spent days, literally days, cleaning.  With no power.  Running water...yes.  Power...no.  Hawaii time prevented us from getting our power turned on in a timely manner so we did the next best thing...bought another generator (ours is in the shipping crate that hasn't gotten here yet).  At least we could plug our fridge in and we had a lamp to help our camp lanterns.  Oh, we bought a BBQ grill immediately so we could cook.  Power was turned on Tuesday.  Major high five on that one. 
Our little piece of the Big Island (for now anyway)
Surprise email Tuesday night...our vehicles had arrived in Hilo.  Two days early for our cars and a week and a half early for the truck and cargo trailer.  Off to the DMV today to get them registered.  Stood in a line, long line, to get a number so that we could sit and wait for them to call the number.  Thank God we weren't getting our licenses done today because that wait for 3 to 5 hours.  Gotta love Hawaii time. 

It's been exhausting.  Moving the entire family and all of our individual lives is work.  It isn't vacation.  It is flat out work and it takes an enormous amount of patience.  But, it is still SO worth it.  We are digging in, planting roots, cultivating a life on this Island.  And...it is so very amazing.  I wouldn't trade a single night in the bunk beds in the hostel.  This is our journey, our new chapter.  We made it home.

Many mahalos!


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