HistoryChicks

DeAnne Writes about The History Chicks and TikTok

I am so excited! I am at the airport waiting to board a plane to Boston where I will be joining the The History Chicks Field Trip on a tour of sites they have previously discussed on their podcast.  I am fan girling out to meet hosts Susan Vollenweider and Beckett Graham. I usually travel solo and this will be the first time I have ever done a tour with complete strangers. But, the reason I usually travel solo is my family gets irritated with me having to stop at every historical marker and read every plaque I come across.  My husband’s most dreaded words to hear from me are, “Did you know……” I have a feeling the people on this trip will understand the inclination to learn all I can about where I am. 

I received my first not so nice comment on TikTok this morning.  The woman said my hashtags had nothing to do with one another (and that my hair looked bad but she was right about that).  The hashtags were, #soberlife #alcoholfree #alcoholicsanonymous and #danceteacher.  Granted they appear to be random. But, to the contrary- with out those first hashtags there is no dance teacher, or mother, wife, writer or daily bathing.   If I don’t have sobriety I risk losing everything and everyone I love.  When you understand it through that lens it is not at all random.

I am putting myself out there and not everyone is going to like what I have to say.  I guess I will learn to deal.  Haters gotta hate.  

Just now I was thinking how hip I was to be quoting Taylor Swift and posting on TikTok  and then I remembered I was going on a history tour.  Oh my God that woman was right!  I am so random.

DeAnne Writes About Hawaii

I am changing the name of my Blog. My Not So Empty Nest is a Fairly Empty Nest and that’s not a good title for anything. Welcome to “DeAnne Writes About Herself”.  I have decided to own the fact that all I really want you to do is tell you stuff so no more false advertising. 

I am joining the History Chicks Podcast on a tour of the Boston area in October.  I had a credit with American Airlines so when I went to book the ticket two days ago I was going to use it but it was expiring this week! So, I did the only logical thing and booked a ticket to Hawaii on a flight leaving in sixteen hours.  I know the logic is weak.  I am spending more money than I would if I just let the ticket go but I didn’t want American Airlines to have it.  Which brings us to todays post.

I love Hawaii.  I feel a deep spiritual connection here.  I even had a dream one time that I was flying around Honolulu and all the buildings and sidewalk were made of wood and old fashioned looking.  I could hear Pele calling me saying, “Come.  Be a warrior.”  And when Pele calls Sister, you listen.  

I have been fortunate enough (through a friend with a connection at the Sheraton Waikiki) to be able to come here several times.  I’ve always had a canoe full of children and their friends with me and I would dream about how wonderful it would be to travel here alone someday. I would imagine what it would feel like to not spend the day making sure no one wanders off, get sun burned or drowns.   Children are not conducive to relaxation.  That is why when I found out my ticket was expiring I said, “I must go to Hawaii!”, and started to pack.  I still haven’t lost the thirty pounds I gained during Covid so my “resort wear” didn’t fit- at all.  I had no time to worry about it, or even care, so I threw a couple of floral California King bed sheets and some safety pins in my suitcase and figured I’d just make do. 

Not to sound overly dramatic but when I arrived in my hotel room and realized I had a view of Diamond Head and no children I fell to my knees and began to weep.  It’s a little cheesy to love Waikiki so much when there are so many more beautiful and peaceful places here on the Islands.  But, I do.  If you face one direction you see the beautiful ocean.  If you turn around and face the other way you see a Mall. Paradise.

In my haste to get here I forgot to pack a much needed hat.  After my cry in the room I scraped myself off the floor and immediately went to the hat store conveniently located in the hotel lobby.  The sales clerk looked at me and her eyes grew wide. “You are so white!”, she said.  “Promise me you won’t go outside!” ‘As if’, I thought to myself, ‘this skin hasn’t seen the sun since 1984.’ 

I am so happy to be here. The irony is I really miss my family but I will get over it. I can do whatever I want and I look adorable in my Bed Sheet MuMu. Mahalo nui au.