Yesterday was my birthday. It was one of those weird birthdays. The kind of birthday where you are almost anti-excited....which bums you out...so you try to over compensate and have the best birthday ever. But you just can't have the best birthday ever because those require planning and preparations and when you are anti-excited you just can't muster the motivation to do those things. In general I'd say I'm in a bit of a funk - I'd love to choose a word that sounds less dramatic than 'funk' but I just can't come up with anything else. I think my funk is really just a by product of my productivity. I've been getting a lot done lately...although they haven't necessarily been fun things to get done...then, when I have a free moment I kind of feel idle and slightly lost. My mind and body also know that there are some big things happening very soon (i.e. moving out of my house and taking my exams).....it's almost like I'm relishing in my funk now because if I don't I simply won't have the time to funk later. I realize that many who are reading this will scoff however, this birthday made me a feel a little old. I was on the phone with a friend last night and I expressed this sentiment. He seemed to think it was funny. So, I carried on and tried to explain why I feel so much older....exasperated I finally said, 'listen, doesn't 28 just sound older than 27?!' as soon as I said it I had to laugh. All that being said (or all that being rambled - you choose), I didn't want to let this birthday go by unrecognized. Then I found this quote:

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. Isak Dinesen

How true. So I did what any self respecting Hilo resident would do.....I told my Mom to call in sick and headed over to Kona for a girls only beach day (any DOE employee reading this please note she actually took a personal day - huge difference but it doesn't sound nearly as bad ass as calling in sick).

Here's the day in a nutshell: We woke up early and hit the road by 0715. Brief stop for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Beach by 0930. I talked my Mom into walking into Makalawena. It's my ultimate favorite (but she doesn't like it cause there is no shade) - but seriously, how could she argue....it was my birthday! We took our time on the walk so I could take lots of photos. By about 1130 we saw some big black clouds....I was feeling a little more cautious then usual because I had my camera....so we headed back so we could be a little closer to the car if it started to rain. By the time we were putting things in the car it was drizzling. So we decided to head into Kailua-Kona for a bit to eat and some window shopping. By the time we got to the Kona Brewing Company it was torrential downpouring with crazy thunder and lightning (I should let you all know that this is waaaaay unusual for Kona....maybe Hilo....but to leave the Hilo rain looking for sun and have it be raining in Kona and sunny in Hilo is a little bit of a slap in the face) - of course they seated us outside. I know right?! Why would they do that?! So lunch was an adventure. By the time we were finishing up our lunch the weather had already blown over. So we hit a few more beaches and a few more shops on the way home. Home by dinner time. Then I made dinner and talked on the phone and by the time I hopped into bed I was pooped. Perfect day!