BYU Hawaii

I actually did it.  I actually made it to BYU Hawaii.  There was times when I thought it would never happen, but my dream/life goal came true!  I'm here!  It wasn't the easiest process though.  Housing for one thing was a nightmare.  BYUH admitted a surplus of freshman(I'm a transfer, so I don't fit into that category) so needless to say the island isn't big enough to house all the students.  I was hoping to get into the dorms, Hales (pronounced hal-ay) but in July I received a letter notifying me I was whopping 131 on the waiting list.  The search for off campus housing began and I could find nothing.  Everyone I talked to said they had been full since April.  I was calling many a Hawaiians and faculty and wasn't getting very comforting answers.  There were many times I thought I wasn't going to be able to come because I couldn't find anywhere to live.  I was getting disappointed thinking the one reason that is holding me back from living my dream is housing.  I thought I had found some and I expedited my deposit to the land lord ($18 bucks to expedite the dang thing) then I received a call from her a few hours after I left the post office letting me know someone else just took the spot.  BUT, I finally received a call from Ken Orton.  (I had spoken with him about some of his housing earlier, but he was full and said he will try to find me a spot).  He told me about an opening he had and I just automatically said "Yes!  I'll take it!" and I sent my deposit and two months rent to him the next day.

After leaping for joy that I finally found housing, I got a little bit of an iffy text from Ken.  It was 5 pages long and he was talking about BYUH putting executives in his housing.  He said that family has the right to live in his housing and he thought I was related to him and he needed my information ASAP, including my mom's maiden name.  I showed it to my parents and my dad is asking me if this Ken is real and is thinking I just got scammed.  He was surprised I didn't check the guy out to make sure he was legit before I sent my deposit, but that thought didn't cross my mind.  Long story short my mom calls BYUH and speaks with someone, finds out everything is okay and that Ken is a legit guy.  She did a little google search on Ken Orton though(feel free to google him yourself) and found a news article about him with a mug shot.  Yeah, no worries my land lord shot his son, didn't kill him, but still I said SHOT.  Sooo I get a little freak out about that, but I just decide to roll with it.  (After getting to his housing I find out it really did happen so I need to pay rent on time or else... :)  I talked to his wife though and I guess he is blind and has a hard time walking.  Maybe he got the gun confused with his hair brush?

So I squeeze all my belongings (actually my dear mother did most of the squeezing for me) I will need for 3 months into 2 suitcases and headed out to catch my flight at 11:40am on Sept 8th.  I got a little teary saying bye to my parents and my niece, but I gave my last wave and headed out to Gate D1.  (Oh I went through really weird security.  I had to stand in this tube thing and put my hands above my head.  I guess it took a picture/or scan.  Who knows.  I felt violated.)  I sat in the window next to this grandpa(early sixties maybe) who was going on vacation with his grandkids.  When he asked if I was alone I almost burst into tears when I had to reply "Yes, I am all alone."  Real sad moment.  The stewardist thought I was his daughter and about complimented him on what a polite girl I was, with big eyes and a pretty smile.  But I had to also tell her I was flying solo and almost started to cry again.  Take off was yucky..like normal--really hot, nausea feelings etc.  After that though it was great!  I had a personal TV and watched Back up Plan, Letters to Juliet, and Just Wright.  I started Robin Hood, but then ended it in the opening seen, I thought I should do it justice and watch in a screen that is bigger than 5 inches.

When I came to Maui with the fam last year, we arrived in paradise after the sun went down so we couldn't see anything we we landed.  This time though I saw everything!  It was gorgeous!  The water looked so pretty and I swear I saw a really big sea urchin, maybe a whale? Shark?  After heaving my luggage off the carousal, I walked outside to Terminal E to find the Coconut Express(BYUH shuttle that picks you up).  I flagged it down and rode with 4 other students.  3 were returning students and the other was a freshman from Utah.  The 3 experienced ones told us about everything and gave us some good pointers.  I felt a lot better after riding with them.  I didn't feel quite so alone like I did on the airplane.