From one season of life to the next.
We were 25 years old when we made the leap to move to a tropical island in the middle of the ocean. It was almost 16 years ago that Tyrel and I, along with 16-month-old Zandyr, stepped off the plane. Having never been to Hawaii before, we were hit with a little bit of culture shock, and the first few weeks took some adjustment, but as our family grew, so did our love for our island home.
We moved back to Washington a couple years later and quickly realized that we loved our lives on our island. Once returning back to Maui, we had grand visions of never leaving the rock. We worked hard to purchase our first home and work hard to make our dreams realities. We are so thankful that our kids had the opportunity to grow up in a community that is considerate of others without the threats that other kids experience on the mainland. Tyrel and I also grew up and learned more about ourselves, our hopes and dreams, and how we can support each other through them.
I am thankful that we were able to learn about the culture, the people, and the history that makes up these beautiful islands. I was able to teach students and travel across the state to gain more perspective into this part of the world. We grew professionally and learned more about our goals and what we want out of our lives through these experiences. We both had the opportunity to work alongside people who became more than co-workers and much more a part of our family.
So now, as all good things must end, we are excited to move into another season of our lives. We appreciate all of you that have been a part of our Hawaii journey and have helped us become the people we are today. To make our dreams a reality, we both realized that we would like to work less and play a little more. That the cost of living, the medical care issues, and the long-term goal of retiring early really isn’t a reality on our island. The access to colleges and job opportunities for the boys also played a role in our decision to move. So as we move into the country to start our own sustainable farm, Tyrel to start his own electrical business, and for me to work on writing, we will hold all of you in our hearts. Thank you for all the memories!
A hui hou, Maui.
Escaping Crazy 