rachel renewal

For awhile now you've been carrying around a backpack with some heavy items. Those items could be worry, doubt, low-self esteem, resentment, heartache, loss, disappointment, fear, uncertainty, you name it. Today would be a good day, no the perfect day, to take off that backpack and leave it somewhere you will never return again. "If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."- Mark Houlahan
Today is a good day to see from someone else's perspective, take a trip, kiss passionately, appreciate the small things, eat some ice cream, give your heart a break, conquer a fear, develop a talent, look outside of your own life, and make a list of your strengths. Pamper yourself. Believe in your abilities.
You deserve it.

see here.

hawaii, my sweet love

I went to Hawaii last month and it was the trip of my life. I was there for a total of ten days. Ten wonderful days. I miss it so.... I just want to go back. If you have never gone to Hawaii, then it is a magical place filled with dreams and wonder and you must go there. I guess at only 19, I am pretty lucky to be able to have done it. My best friend Destiny lives and goes to school there and not only did I get to go see her but we were also able to share it with our best friend Nicole and three other great buddies. Hawaii is the kind of place where you can just get disconnected with the world in the best way. Probably 90% of the time I had no clue what time of the day or night it was; and I didn't
care! Haha. My phone was dead half the time but no biggie. I drove with two of my guy friends down to Vegas to catch our flight. I've been to Vegas plenty of times but this time was special. Because I was going to get on a plane! I hadn't ridden a plane in almost 11 years! So as you can imagine, I was pretty stoked. From the plane ride, to the first step out into the humid, delicious air of Oahu, I was definitely in love. Whilest in Hawaii I tried the fresh mango and pineapple. Hawaiian mango and Hawaiian pineapple. Everything sounds like 1000x cooler if you just add Hawaiian to the beginning. From the shores of Waikiki (where I was lucky enough to have Destiny surprise us with a beachside hotel) to the northshores of La'ie and let's not forget Pearl Harbor, that place became apart of me. Everywhere you look is green and beautiful. Palm trees stretch for miles. The people of Hawaii generally are so kind and laid back. Living on the mainland I have gotten so used to my comparatively fast-paced life and not really stopping to take a deep breath. Words can't really adequately describe a place as breathtaking as this. It was paradise.