I walked into our home office yesterday after a day of buzzing about, updating technology, writing and baking and noticed that the wall calendar still displayed the vintage corn advertisement artwork for the month of OCTOBER. Yes, I am a nerd and I have a whole calendar dedicated to vintage advertising, but more importantly where the heck did November go?!

Maybe it is the fact that I am still running around in shorts and tank tops (I did not get to wear this combo enough in Colorado!), or that the weather is FINALLY cooling down to really enjoyable temps and humidity levels, or maybe it’s that R and I are guilty of being busy and letting time get away from us, but in no way does it feel like today is Thanksgiving.

First a quick update, November was very good to R and I, and most of this post is to recognize that and be thankful. But is being thankful the same as saying thank you? I don’t think there are enough thank you’s floating around out there, so an update, and then a whole lot of THANK YOU is coming your way.

November was a booty kicking month, here’s why:

• An actual marketing job posting came my way, I applied, I interviewed, I interviewed again with a presentation, and then I got it! I was hired by the NTBG (National Tropical Botanical Garden) to be the marketing manager for the south shore gardens on Kauai. This is right up my alley in that it is marketing and communications AND still in an educational field since the NTBG was started by government charter 50 years to protect the biodiversity of the pacific islands. It is a research institute as well as incredible tourist destination, and I get to make it my job to communicate about this place. I know I will learn much more about this incredible organization in the future, but for now, that’s what I know.
• Not to be outdone, R also applied for a position and got it too! Crazy! R was hired by a design/build company on Kauai to be a part-time draftsman for their projects. They are a little firm right now, but have lots of work and are training R in some of the drafting programs he isn’t familiar with. This allows R to keep working on design/build himself AND learn the office side of the field of architecture. I’m proud, ridiculously proud. He may even get to earn hours toward his architectural internship requirement. I know this isn’t the right term, but it’s a good thing. Ask him and he’ll tell you all about it.
• I turned in the first draft of my thesis. It’s almost 70 pages. The good news is that I’m still alive and breathing. Awaiting feedback for a December 4th defense that will be the last thing I do as a grad student. Yippee!
• We went to Polihale. I have no words to describe just how beautiful the experience was. It is very easily the most beautiful place I have ever been. When you visit, we will take you.
• We’re buying another house. Everything is still processing so nothing is final until it’s final, but we’re excited because it is a place that we can really call home. Not a project for Richard to come home to or a construction zone to live in. Fingers crossed!

OK – here’s the good stuff. R and I know there is a heap load of crap going on in the world right now, you know what it is I don’t have to remind you. Why we are able to live the life that we do while that heap of crap is going on I will never understand, but I do think that it is in big part because of you, yes YOU, THANK  YOU!

THANK YOU to our families. We know you have mixed feelings about us picking up and trekking across the pacific to live on a tiny island, but we know you supported us too. Thank you for the care packages and encouragement as we figure out what the heck we are doing out here, slowly but surely we are figuring it out! We miss you!

THANK YOU to our friends back home and new friends on the island. Friends in CO, you pushed us to be brave, to take this chance and know that when we have bad days you’re there on the other end of the phone or screen. We miss you all like crazy! Come out and visit! Thank you to our new friends on the island for helping us figure out this place and how to survive.

THANK YOU to all of our former co-workers and colleagues at the places we have been. It may not have always been fun, but it was always leading us to where we are today and for that we will always be thankful. I know what I know because of the people I’ve worked with and I think R would say the same. Thank you for being teachers and mentors, motivators and reality-checkers.

THANK YOU for reading this and our crazy social media updates about our daily life here and for your kind words and thoughts. We have been completely overwhelmed by the response to our move and adventures out here, and you’re a big part of why we’re still going!

Happy Thanksgiving. Go say thank you for something that you are thankful for too! Maybe saying a few more thank you’s will help that heap of crap going on in the world get a little smaller.

XO
RT