Back from Paradise :)

In this case, Paradise also goes by the name of Hawaii, but it was amazing. I did almost everything on my to do list, including lots of hiking and waterfalls, even a volcanoe. I am so grateful to have been able to go there, and recommend it for everyone to see at least once in their lives. A new acting goal of mine is now to film something on location in Hawaii. So, if there are any more Lost-like tv shows casting, let me know 😉

I haven’t been gallivanting on a beautiful island for all of this time though. Before I left, I won NANOWRIMO, meaning I wrote at least 50 000 words of my book. I still have two more chapters to write to really be done the book, but that will be done by December 31st. Then I will have next year to edit the book and decide if it is something that I might actually be able to publish. Writing it all in a month like that means I haven’t really reread it much, so I hope the whole thing isn’t horrible.

We also had two Christmas Parties at my grandparent’s, themed parties where I was the waitress, not a guest, although we did have quite a lot of fun at the karaoke after-party, and it is always nice to see family 🙂

While in Hawaii, I also took some time to learn some new skills. Thanks to workshops at the cultural center and hotel activities, I can now make a lei, throw a lance, make Tahitian coconut bread, open a coconut and extract its milk, properly cut a pineapple, hula dance…and I climbed a few trees. I think if I had grown up in Hawaii, I would have spent my childhood climbing trees, because they are all so easily climbable.

Unfortunately, the day I flew back from hawaii, I got strep throat. I often come up with excuses not to do things that scare me, such as social events with people I don’t know, or am intimidated by, but since I have been back, I have had to bail on Christmas Parties, Launch Parties, Rehearsals…because did I mention I will be on stage this May? I still don’t know my part, and it’s not so much a play as a skits between singing acts, but I do need to face my stage fears. So many of these things I have been missing, were things I have been looking forward to for such a long time, so much so that if it was just a killer headache or something, I would have gone anyway, but having strep throat, I would absolutely hate myself if I accidentally gave it to other actors. Or singers. Because it sucks when you have a sore throat no matter who you are, but if you rely on your voice in auditions and work…let’s just say I decided to stay home. Which has given me a lot of time to plan for next year, and all the interesting things I will be able to do once I am cured 🙂

“Hawaii is paradise. It sounds cheesy to say it, but there’s magic in the air there.”

-Bruno Mars