Summing up my life in pictures is hard -- especially since I felt compelled to post so so soo many photos, but I've tired to break down my selections into groups of things that matter to me.
1. Family
My family is huge and loud all the time--I have over a dozen cousins and we're spread out all across the country. No matter what though, we've all always been there for each other.
 |
| My dad, my grandparents and me at Thanksgiving dinner. |
 |
| My brother Kekoa, sister Kai, my mom, my stepdad and me being goofy during a family portrait session. |
2. Friends
Especially since moving across the country for university, my friends have been my rock. We rely so heavily on each other for fun and advice and love. Whether it's trying to escape the stress of school, or just kicking it, we're all always ready to do anything together.
 |
| My friend Chris and me at one of Maryville College's best annual events: The Halloween screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. |
 |
| Taylor and me right before going on a weekend road trip to Nashville, TN |
My friends are my lifeblood. (Left): Jordan, Minh, Bethany and I about to go to Boomsday, a big celebration with fireworks in Knoxville. (Right) My best friend Sarah and I in her home city of Chattanooga.
3. Seasons
One of my favorite things about living in Tennessee is how beautiful it is in every season!
 |
| Beautiful cherry blossoms flowering in spring |
Although summer can get really humid and hot it is still gorgeous. (Left: sunflower field in Knoxville. Right: Telico Lake)
 |
| Fall is almost everyone's favorite season; I personally love the crunch of dried, colorful leaves when I walk to class. |
 |
| Winter is probably my favorite. Even though it can get bitter cold, when it snows the mountains look stunning. This is a picture from last year when we had a huge snow storm in late winter, 4. Travel After being on an island for most of my life with no easy way to move around, living on the Continental US has given me the opportunity to travel all over this huge nation, and I try to take advantage of that. |
Last spring I went to New York City for my vacation and it snowed while we were there (Left). At the end of this past summer, I took a day-trip with some friends to see the sights in Chattanooga, TN, including this walking bridge that is the longest in the nation! (Right)
 |
| Hearing one of my favorite performers, Father John Misty, play a show in Asheville, NC. |
5. Home
I can't talk about my life in America without mentioning my incredible home state of Hawaii. I had the amazing privilege of there always being sun, the ocean, and awesome people around me.
 |
| A view of the town Lanikai from the top of a hiking trail. |
 |
| My high school friend Nick and me hanging out at the beach the summer before we both left the state for college. |
 |
| A turtle sunbathing on a North Shore beach. |
 |
| One more ocean picture: the famous Kailua beach. |
6. The Outdoors
Living in paradise, and then the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, I've grown to become enamored with the outdoors. I love to hike, swim, and do anything that lets me get close to nature.
Kayaking and hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains!
 |
| My friend Rachel enjoying the view of a Tennessee lake. |
 |
| Wild blackberries my friends and I picked while hiking; so good! |
 |
| When home for holiday, my dad and I love to hike together. Here's me venturing through a trail that was flooded over by heavy rain the day before. |
No comments:
Post a Comment