here's to hawaii.

ten months ago I was a different person..

so naive about what was out in the world and the many opportunities that life presents you.

I was just a 18 year old girl who thought i new everything i needed to know to succeed in life. i was ready to take over the world one step at a time starting with basking in the Hawaiian sun..

not saying I am an expert of life, who I am, or what is out in the world but you could say I have learned a thing or two this past year so here we go:

first and far most important thing hawaii taught me is that service is my highest high it makes me so happy. (just about as happy as when I eat a waffle cone of ice cream from maggie moos with better batter and brownies but times twenty). I am never ever as happy as I am when I am serving. The look on peoples faces as you help a burden lifted off there shoulders is pure bliss. thats what I am basing my life off and will forever because I want my future family to know that happiness I have felt here in hawaii.

I always knew this concept it just was continually taught to me over and over again this past year. With the Lord being the center of your life and your first priority... nothing else will matter. He is the truth to everything and the true secret to happiness

Hawaii truly taught me to be alive. No just be living-- but be alive. We all need to be cured of cracks, mistakes, and weaknesses in our life so surround yourself with people who will heal those wounds because it feels to to be alive again. It doesn't matter whether its the first, second, twentieth, or eightieth time; cure yourself again and again because nothing will ever be better than the feeling of being alive.

You need to keep moving.. never stay in your comfort zones they will slowly lead you to be just living when all we need is to be alive. Before I went to Hawaii my mom bought me a ring- a simple silver band with "love life" engraved into in. The greatest part of this ring though is the inside it simply says "be brave". Whether its jumping out of an airplane with Blondie, moving three thousand miles away from the people you love most, saying goodbye, or opening you heart to something you never have before-- you'll never regret stepping out of that comfort zone simply be brave.

Happiness is most definitely not a destination it is a journey. Find happiness along the way to everywhere you are going because in the end we usually don't end up where we thought we were headed anyways. Surround yourself with the people, places, and ideas that make you happiest. Life is to be enjoyed, not endured - Gordon B. Hinckley.

The world is beautiful. The world not just beautiful its perfect.. so many people are under the impression that the world is a horrible place with horrible people. the world is not just beautiful, it is perfect every tiny single inch of it is perfect. people aren't just beautiful they are perfect. and life isn't just beautiful it is so so perfect. just focus on the beauty of life.

thank you Hawaii for helping me create myself.

you will be missed.

xoxo,

Nichel