this girl

http://cam-hofi.blogspot.com/2013/09/one-heart-two-places.html

I get it. She'll do fine.


Life is hard.  Life is wonderful.  I miss so much.  I have so much.

something GOOD

 Hi,
So I have these friends.
wait- she has friends- I know, that's a shock in and of itself, what is even more shocking is what comes next.  stay tuned.
They're pretty awesome.
They went with HELP International to Uganda this summer and started projects, served people, did HIV and AIDS awareness meetings, provided water filters, built schools and health clinics, took tons of incredible pictures (those are mostly on the first link there).  If you're bored and want to read some incredible stories of my dear friends who save the world, by all means, follow their blogs.

hands down, favorite picture of us.  taken right before they left by Bree

This is where my friend Lex found her calling.  She and one of the girls that went to Uganda decided to start a business.
It looks like this.
This is their facebook page.  Go 'like' it.  Right now.  I'm serious.
Lex is an incredible woman.  She went to byuh.  She taught as an intern at byuh.  She has been to China.  She has lived in Hawaii.  She went to Uganda.  She has taken pictures that she submits to National Geographic.  I remember her talking about needing to find a real job someday, but was at a loss for what she wanted to do.
Well, in this, she found it.  1000 Shillings takes high-quality products that women around the world make, and sells them to make money for these women to start their own small businesses.

1000 Shillings is applying for a grant from GOOD Maker and would appreciate your votes.  You can vote with your facebook account. 

 I don't want to be all "look at these good causes, lets click on something to make a difference".  Ghandi said to "be the difference you wish do see in the world".  I'm skeptical of the promise that clicking something makes life better for someone somewhere.  But as I'm learning more about the mysteries of the internet, I've learned that it can make a difference.  If I didn't blog, I wouldn't know.  If I hadn't come to Cambodia, I wouldn't know.  If I didn't work for the Online Department, I wouldn't believe that the Internet can make such great things available.  Most importantly, I have never seen Lex so happy,- and I'm across the world, I can't even see her- but her excitement was almost tangible.  Filled the room with joy- which was nice since I'm the only one here now.  

ps- i love you

my life is turning into a list of instances where I'm leaving people or they're leaving me.  i don't like either one.

I ditched all responsibility and spent all day at Sunset beach.

Cami, Bree, Lex, and Me-
Blessed day :)

I did not know, when we began, that it was Cami's last day on the island.

The question always is, "Your last day in Hawaii, what are you going to do??"

 

-stop for Poke at the Pupukea Foodland

-walk into the little shops by the shrimp trucks, because you never have   (find really cool and really creepy things in these little stores)

-pack, bequeath food and belongings to people you love

-just sit at the beach

 -smile

-sing in the car on your way home

 -go with your good friends to Opal Thai, and order the same thing you always have (my first Thai food! so good) 

Nothing gigantic and spectacular, like an onlooker would expect. This isn't a vacation spot, we live here, this is home.  When you move you do normal, homey things.  You spend the day doing the normal things that you loved where you live, because that is what you'll miss. 


The cars parted ways, half the goodbyes were done.  

We drove from Haleiwa to the airport.  Matthew bought the car from her, so he drove.  Leena came because there was room in our car and we were down for a much better ride.  I was there to make sure she was taken care of- so she wouldn't forget anything.

We all did a good job of holding ourselves together.  We got to the drop off place and I decided that she could not take three 50lb bags by herself.  She hugged Leena and held Matthew and we walked to Delta's Check-in station. 

Cami shows love by being aware of your personal life.  She talks to you about everything.  She calls you out when something isn't right and talks about it.  She tells you she loves you.
I don't.  I take care of the people I love.  She knows that.  I reminded her about her half-damp clothes in the back of the car.  I took the car ownership document because I will remember to mail it to the DMV.  I remembered where her pen was, and her wallet, and her malaria pills.  I helped her drag her luggage the unexpected 3 blocks to it's destination.  I balanced them while she printed her boarding pass.  I got her into the check-in line, gave her a hug and ran the other way.

I walked slowly along the drop-off line from port 9 to port 4, where we'd been dropped.  Hopefully Matt and Leena would see me if they were still circling.  And they did.

Matthew still doesn't believe that Cami wasn't crying pretty hard when I left her.  I don't think he believes that I didn't cry hard until after I turned away from her.  But that's what happened. 

them

I wish that my last words to her were not lamenting with her about the higher-than-anticipated baggage cost.  I wish that I had the voice to respond to "Aria, you will do so good."  I wish I'd told her that I will keep tabs on them if she will take care of herself. I wish I had been able to tell her---- well, she knows.