Funny Hawaiian Memory

   I can't sleep. In fact, I'm wide awake. Instead of tossing and turning, I decided to browse around Pinterest until I felt 'sleepier' (not the wisest choice). But, I came upon a funny pin that lead to a memory that lead to this post.

I wrote on the back of this picture 'me and my pretty body Ala Moana beach'. I can't tell if I was being sarcastic or not but since I'm far from that size (and age) now, I'll say I was full of self confidence and esteem and I really did love my 'pretty body' haha.

 In 1989, the summer before I turned 14, I spent a couple months living with my oldest cousin Michelle and her family in Hawaii. She and her husband Scott had two little girls, Samantha and Christiana. They were the cutest things and I loved doting over them all summer. What brave souls to take on an almost 14 year old teenager all summer. They weren't living in any sort of high Hawaiian neighborhood either. No beach side home, no lush yard, no living room furniture even. It was small and

Samantha, Me, Christiana (on my lap)

We went to the beach almost every day. We walked everywhere. Scott cooked curry. I found roaches in the toaster and a gecko in my bed. I had 'wavy' hair for the first time ever sans perm. I had my first full body sunburn because I swore I didn't need sunscreen (Michelle warned me I was closer to the equator but I wouldn't listen....14 much?). Pineapple caused the worst sores in my mouth because I couldn't stop eating it (ignored more warnings). I tried my first mango and loved it. We went to Pearl Harbor and I've never forgotten the feelings I had there. I just knew I'd love drinking out of a coconut like they did in the movies (yuck, so gross and yes ignored that I was told it would be yucky). We laughed a lot and while I was homesick for a few weeks, I was also sad to leave.

I had the worst time adjusting to the time zone the first couple weeks I was there. I would wake up at 4:30-5am and could. not. get back to sleep. I would quietly sneak out to the living room and try to find something on TV. One morning I started watching a Japanese sumo wrestling tournament on mute. The next morning it was on again and I watched them silently wrestle. Every morning I would get up and watch this crazy tournament. Even though they all sort of looked the same with their hair in a top knot, I could tell them apart. I started remembering who fought who and predicting who was going to win. At first I didn't tell Scott and Michelle I was even up that early but after a few days I couldn't hold back all I knew about sumo wrestlers, ha. I have no idea how long the tournament lasted but it was long enough for me to predict the winner and I was right. Should I be admitting this?? Scott and Michelle still tease me about liking the sumos. We laugh about it every time I see them.

Cue this pin I found on Pinterest tonight-

I cannot stop staring at these cute bowling pins. I'm sure I wouldn't take the time to make/paint them but I think they are pretty cute. They made me laugh at my sumo memories and I'm always up for a laugh. If only I remembered the names of those wrestlers from 24 years ago....