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I dropped my suitcases on the floor of my empty bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief. I was home at last.

It was Saturday afternoon, and I was at University of Hawaii finishing up another TFA session. After living out of a suitcase and on hotel beds and couches for the past week, I was tired and my clothes were dirty. But I couldn’t wait to get back up to the North Shore, because the tenant of our house was finally leaving and we could move in. Myself and Crista and Amanda (my two roommates) made a stop at Costco (I bought a new boogie board along with a ton of essential food) and then headed North. It took a lot of work to get all our bags up the stairs and into the house, but it didn’t matter. We were home.

I love the house. It’s only a year old, and it’s a duplex but the house below us is still being constructed. It sits across from an identical duplex and there’s a lawn in the middle. The yard is still bare but should be finished within a month. We’re surrounded by banana trees and have an incredible view of the mountains. It’s very tropical. We’re about a 15 minute walk away from the beach, but we’re right on this bike trail that goes along a large part of the North Shore coast, so my main priority right now is to get a bike.

I’m definitely still adjusting to the change of setting and missing home, but I have to say that I love it up here. After seeing all the other parts of the island, I know that the North Shore is my place. It still has this simple, small town feel and you can’t beat the scenery- that one-two combo of mountains and sea is unbelievable. Waialua is a tiny town just a few minutes down the road that captures the simple life: there’s an old sugar mill, a town park, a tiny library, a gas station, and a few other stores. On Saturdays there’s a small farmer’s market, and on some weekends there’s a little concert at the center of town. Haleiwa is a legendary surfer’s town, with a bunch of surf and art shops and nice little restaurants. Today I went to an arts festival and mingled with some of the local artists and checked out their paintings and photos of the area.

The best thing about living on the North Shore is that I’m surrounded by adventure. I could head west and go to Kaena Point, the northernmost tip of the island that gives you a view down the Wainae coast and is a perfect place for hidden beaches, monk seals, wild birds, whales, and sunsets. I could go east and hit up some of the nicest beaches in the world- Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, etc. In the winter, I will be able to watch pro surfers carve up 30 foot waves and see migrating humpback whales in the distance. And that’s only a small part of what this area has to offer.

But don’t get me wrong- from all of my training and courses, I’m well aware that about eight days out of my week will be dedicated to my job as a teacher. I will be extremely busy. But it’s nice to know that when I do get those slivers of free time, I have plenty of options on how to use them. And all the adventures waiting in the distance will give me something to look forward to when times are rough. So as you read this, chances are that I miss you, but know that where I am, it’s nice and warm, and there’s nothing but good things (and a spectacular sunset) on the horizon.