Figuring it out (in Hawaii) and choosing happy

Aloha Friends and Family,

It was a year of love lost and lessons learned and most importantly healing. Prior to my move in December of 2016 I had no idea what Hawaii had in store for me. To borrow someone else's analogy it was like "chicken noodle soup" for my heart and soul. After ten years almost to the day in San Diego I needed a change. I had run the course through the different roles in my job in San Diego and knew the ins and outs of the area as good as anyone but it was time for a change.

I made some of the most incredible friends during my time there and cherish the relationships made. I needed a place where I could go and think and really understand myself a little more. My job was consuming most of my time and the struggles from the end of my marriage told me a change was needed. It's interesting how time seems to heal everything and yet when things are going good they never last long enough and when times are bad it can never seem to end soon enough.

There is a book that I read over the course of the year in Hawaii and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to dig a little deeper into their soul. While I love to write I don't read that much and this is one book that I have shared with so many people and they have passed on and shared as well. The book titled The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer has helped change the way I think and how I look at life. It made me realize there is much more to me than can be defined. I have tried to be a more conscious person and realize there is so much more than I ever imagined. Through this process I learned I really have no tangible needs in life anymore. I am fortunate to "just be" and realize that happiness is a choice. The maturation process I experienced during this time and journey in Hawaii has forever made me a better person. Dare I say i left Hawaii as John two point zero?

This was the second move in my life where I would relocate to a place where I knew nobody. I guess it was the third if I consider my time in the military. However, this was the second time I had no real reason to move because my life was going well but I needed a change. It was hard on a relationship I developed but I needed to get myself to a better place. I found and lost love and it was something that really seemed to think about often. If I was ever going to move past some of my own personal issues I needed a place to regroup and rethink about what is truly important to me and in my life. Needless to say Hawaii is exactly what I needed and as I heard many people say "It's a place for healing and growth. There is something very special about it that just can't be explained" and I have to agree.

Yes, the "Aloha, Ohana and Mahalo" spirit are alive and special in their own ways however the special part of Hawaii comes from the experiences and the people I was fortunate enough to share them with. My time in Hungary brought me many amazing memories and introduced me to some very special life long friends. I feel as though Hawaii did the same exact things for me and in a time in which I needed to take step back and give myself a reality check. I believe everything in life happens for a reason and this year was a testament to that statement. While I may not fully understand some of those things now I know they are going to play a much larger role as I continue to mature and grow.

I grew up in Texas and lived there for eighteen years. I traveled and lived in a few other places including Hungary (which I still have a strong affinity towards) and loved my ten years in San Diego. I always thought of those places as "home" or something that I could relate too. However, Hawaii is a place that will forever remain in my heart and something that is special to me. The people I met there and the lessons I learned are life changers for me. I learned so much about myself and what is really important and what's not. Hawaii taught me some lessons about slowing down and taking life for what it brings. Enjoying the journey and forgetting about the destination. I was fortunate enough to share this with a few friends and I think their appreciation and perspective changed as well. I met a few people there (both in and out of work) I will know for the rest of my life. Truly such a wonderful group! I am not sure if it's because the people that live there without extended family feel more connected but the reality is the people I met and was able to spend time with are truly like family to me.

I did not write as much as I would have liked in the past year but I did get to see some amazing places and shared some incredible memories. I have a feeling I am going to look back at this one year as a true life changing experience. It is exactly what I needed after my time in San Diego. It gave me the chance to stop, breathe and understand myself a lot more. I knocked off some rough edges and gained an appreciation for things in a way I may have never done had I not had the opportunity to come here.

While I was only able to touch the tip of the volcano on this beautiful jewel in the middle of the pacific I know I will be back, but for now I need to make the much delayed journey to the East Coast. In January I started a new position at headquarters based out of Washington D.C. in a job working in the international realm that has been in the wings for quite some time. I know going into it that I will be there for only a limited amount of time but if I was ever going to make the move now is the time. I will be switching gears professionally on so many levels that it's going to be a big change for me. I am fortunate enough to have a few friends that live there so it will be somewhat different from my last major moves but it will be a new city a new adventure a new beginning nonetheless.

I am so thankful and fortunate for my time in Hawaii and realize it has changed me for the better. Regardless of what you do or where you are enjoy your time and make the most of it and choose happy!