Koko Head Hike

I've done many hikes here on Oahu but this one was one for the books...

A few weeks ago my friends and I decided to hike up Koko head which is basically just a very steep mountain with over a thousand stairs to climb up. I had heard about this hike so many times but was honestly super intimidated by it! Our friend Alex was in town and wanted to go on a fun adventure and so we thought, why not? It can't be THAT bad. 

It was raining that day which honestly turned out to be a blessing- I can not imagine doing that hike in the sun! The hike in itself wasn't too long but it was STRAIGHT UP. It seemed like we were climbing a ladder at some parts! I think of myself as being in pretty good shape, but dang, it was a rough hike! It is SO worth it and the top is so beautiful but there were definitely times during it that I wanted to give up. 

If you are ever in Oahu and are up for a challenge, I would definitely recommend doing Koko head! You may be super sore the next day but I promise the view at the top is so breathtaking that it easily makes up for it!

I decided to film the hike which was both challenging and hilarious! I am not the great at "vlogging" but I gave it a try! Please let me know if you like "vlogging" and if you would like me to do more of it!! 

Hope you all have an amazing day!!

-Lo

10 things I am loving right now...

I like most of my blogposts to have some time of educational or informational aspect to them but I just felt inspired tonight to share some of my favorite things that I am currently loving! These things will probably be extremely random but I love reading these types of blogposts and so I hope you enjoy it! 

PS- these photos are pretty much unrelated but they were taken by my extremely talented friend and if you follow any photographer on Oahu, you probably follow her. She's amazing! 

1. THESE sunglasses!!!! (all the heart eyes). I keep trying to justify buying them...Someone tell me I need to! 

2. Riding my bike at sunset. Recently, I've been taking a break from work around 6pm to ride my bike down the bike path near my house. Its such a refreshing time for me to reflect and process the day and enjoy the beautiful sunset. 

3. Thai food. To be honest, there isn't a ton of good food options on the North Shore (unless you want to spend an arm and a leg) but there is so much amazing Thai food! I could eat Thai food everyday if I could. Tofu Larb is my jam.

4. Turquoise oceans. The water has been extra beautiful and clear recently. I am absolutely loving it and trying my hardest not to take it for granted. I don't know how I ever swam in the ocean before moving to Hawaii. Nothing compares! 

5. 12 hour adventure days. The longer I live here, the more I've been learning that a "work-week" in Hawaii basically just means "work unless the weather is good". It's actually been a hard adjustment. I'm used to working hard during the week and playing on the weekends. Last week, though, I spent two days out of the week hard-core adventuring. From waterfalls and five mile hikes to giant swings with friends and swimming with sea turtles, we did so much in two days and it was definitely worth unplugging from work and just enjoying the present! 

6.  Sun Bum Leave-in conditioning spray. I swear, this spray is the only reason why I haven't chopped all my hair off yet! It makes brushing through my hair bearable. And that says a lot. 

7. Rose Tea. When I was in Sedona, Arizona I stumbled upon this amazing little tea shop! They had an amazing tea selection and I came home with a Rose black tea that is an everyday must-have for me now.

8. Plane Tickets. I've lived in Hawaii for only four months and have already gone back to the mainland twice. I also just booked a ticket to another island for next week. I definitely have the travel bug in this season of my life!

9. Face Sunscreen.  Did you know that sun exposure is the #1 skin ager?? It is SO important that you use a face cream with SPF every single day, even in the winter! This one is currently my fave because its light-weight, non greasy, and is SPF 50! 

10. Early Mornings. I am definitely not an early riser but recently I have been going to bed earlier so that I can wake up earlier. I am absolutely loving quiet mornings sipping coffee and getting a head start on my day! 

What are YOU currently loving? Share in the comments below!

Hugs + Kissees,

Lauren

Turtle-ing Around

The past couple of weekends have been spent around the house, organizing, making furniture, and really settling in to our new home. This weekend, we decided to make the most of it and we had such an amazing time exploring the nature right outside our home! We drove 5 minutes away to surf this morning and despite the poor wave forecast, we caught some great waves! I am still a total beginner but I am enjoying learning the process of paddling, waiting, and feeling out the waves. 

After surfing, we headed home to make a quick acai smoothie and then walked to the beach to go snorkeling! We feel so blessed that some of the islands best snorkeling (and sea turtle sightings) is right in our neighborhood! I recently got water housing for my iPhone and so all of these photos are taken from my iPhone 7! How cool is that?! 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I am super excited about all the new content coming to the blog this week and so make sure you keep checking back! 

Hugs + Kissees

Lauren