Well first off, I live in Hawaii right now and have been for about a year now, although I wasn’t born here. I was born and raised in San Diego, California. When I was little, I was typically known as the red head.

I grew up in a small town within San Diego called Coronado. It was a small little rich community where everyone knew each other. I moved all over the place around the San Diego area, though I went to Coronado Elementary there where I attended till first grade. My mom is a teacher and had been working at a school called CCPAA [Children’s Creative and Performing Arts Academy of San Diego] and had been teaching there for a little over 2 years now. It was a small small small little private performing arts school. I went to that school in second grade. I had been dancing ever since I was 2 years old so I guess this school was a perfect match for me. There I got into drama and music and everything. My class was about a size of 15 kids. I had attended that school every single year till about 7th grade. I was dancing every single day there for 6 years as well as taking classes on the sides. I was doing plays and choir and even gymnastics, which I have been doing since I was 2 as well. My class was like my family. We were all so close. They are still my best friends.

You’re probably wondering about how I got to Hawaii. Kinda far off from California huh? Well my mom grew up with the islands. She’s loved them ever since I could remember. I actually lived in Maui for about 2 years when I was 2 years old to the time I about 4 years old and my mom lived in Oahu for 15 years when she was about in her 20’s. She thought about relocating to the islands from the time I was about in 5th grade even though we would visit every single year for spring break. My mom had been trying to get a teaching job at a specific school in Maui for about 3 years and the person who was expecting to drop out just never did. They kinda just left my mom kinda just wondering about what was happening. They let her know although she was disappointed, they had sent her resume to the all the Montessori schools [it’s just a different type of learning more about basic life]. She had got offered 4 job interviews from 4 of the best schools on the island over spring break in 7th grade. We had gone over to Maui but I had actually brought my best friend with me. This time, we were visiting our friend who had moved there. While we were staying with them, my mom for 2 days went over to the big island while we were on Maui and interviewed for all the schools. She had got offered all 4 jobs. We were so happy for her. We returned back to California after a nice long vacation. My mom needed to decide which school she was going to choose. She finally picked one and accepted it. I was at my friend’s house. When she picked me up from a sleepover and told me ‘I bought the plane tickets last night,’ my first initial reaction was shock. I couldn’t believe I didn’t actually realize till the the day I left everything I left behind. At first, I resented the idea of moving and I hated it; oh, I had also got accepted to this school called Parker. It was pretty expensive it was about $17000 per year.

July 20 was the day we left at 9 in the morning. I remember that day like it was yesterday. My two best friends had come to the airport to say goodbye and I couldn’t think of an even sadder moment than leaving your two best friends right then and there. I was off but first to Maui for my friend’s mom’s wedding. I was the ring bearer in that wedding. It was so great and we were there for about 5 days I think. Then off to the big island, we were. It was so weird I was actually there. I would be counting down the days till I moved and then it was actually there, staring at me blankly in the face. My uncle lived in Kona and we stayed with him for about a week till we got our house up in Waimea. I remember thinking how cool it was, thinking about how my life was going to be there. It was a really small cute country community and down in Kona is more the beachy tropical side. We moved into our little place and just a month later, school started.

My first day sucked. I didn’t know anyone. I was scared what people would think of me. Second day was good. I made friends. I am actually a really sociable person so it was good but I was in the loser group at first but at least I had friends. The more school progressed, the popular group got to know me and I was actually considered one of the most popular girls in the class, our class had only about 25 students, the whole school only about 350 students if not less. That school actually turned out to be crap. I was failing every single class. I had homework till about 2 o’clock in the morning. I was only in 8th grade and we were taking chemistry in science and taking 11th grade math and history. My mom decided to transfer me halfway through the school year to the public school actually just like a street and over down the way. I was really scared at first because I had never been to a big public school like that and was scared about all the local girls.

My first day was good. I had already known one of the people from there and hung out with her and a few of her friends. They weren’t really popular but on myspace, all the popular girls and guys started talking to me on there and getting to know me and realized how cool I really was. Next day, I was in the popular crew and there was about 190 students in my grade and I was one of the most popular girls in the class. It was great. I fell in love with that school but I was changing. I was getting more into the partying and drinking scene but I really liked it. When all my California friends heard about the stories, I would tell them about me making out with boys and freak dancing with boys and girls at dances and parties and drinking and stuff. They were really shocked. Some of even my best friends called me a slut behind there back but honestly, I don’t go around having sex with every single guy in the school and I’m still a virgin. Its just they don’t really realize that this is how most teenagers are in the ‘real world.’ They just don’t really know what its like because they are so separated from the world. They are in a class of 12 kids with no parties whatsoever, no really BIG social life.

I love the way I am now. It’s so much fun. I don’t really do anything I know I won’t regret because I don’t want to end up screwing up my life in any big way. I am still really close to all my California friends as we were from the very start. <333333