Portmanteau Suitcase

Not that the first part of the trip was a hardship, but I definitely had a lot of fun during my last three days in Hawaii.

I went to the airport and picked up the Turo car rental. It was a little old car and I took a ton of pictures in case there were any issues with “damages” at the end of the rental (there were not!). Then, I went to Mitch’s Sushi for lunch which was amazing. There were a few foodies at the conference who recommended the place and they were not lying! The fish was so fresh. I know for the true sushi connoisseur, it’s all about the rice. I don’t know a lot about rice but it was also good! Mitch’s was not cheap, but it was delicious.

Then, I went to check in at the cabanas of Kaneohe Bay. It ended up being a bare bones unit that looked like it was 1/4 of an elongated shed. There was noisy AC and shared bathrooms. Basically, think of it as glamping and it’s amazing. Think of it as a hotel and you’ll be disappointed. I thought of it as the former and it was great! The room was about 20 feet from the beach on Kaneohe Bay. It was beautiful. One of the activities I really wanted to do was kayak out to the sandbar but during my visit, it was too windy to allow rentals so I was out of luck.

That evening, I met up with a med school classmate for dinner with her wife at Senia. They specialize in “regional cuisine focusing on Hawaii’s abundance.” We started with fun cocktails. I had The Freddie (wild turkey bourbon, chestnut, vanilla, blood orange, smoke). We ordered a bottle of wine recommended by the sommelier as a lesser known but excellent French wine (Faury, Saint-Joseph).

The dishes were absolutely amazing. We shared several, which was such a good plan. We had a bone marrow dish that was excellent, although St Germain in Norfolk (RIP) still has the best I’ve had. We had smoked ahi “cigars” (bric pastry, yuzu kosho aioli, chive) that were innovative. Senia, in general, is a big fan of the smoke. The hamachi tataki (cucumber, tomatillo, poha berry) was super refreshing. We shared two larger dishes: the triple smoked salmon (lemon & chive waffles, maple butter glaze) and duck three ways (breast, crispy leg confit, foie gras, orange, port wine gel).

For dessert, we split two. One was a panna cotta and the other was amazing. Hahaha, I can’t remember the name and it doesn’t seem to be on the website menu. One looked like a uni-don, which was very clever and cute.

The bill was pretty crazy and, even crazier, my friend picked it up. WHAT?!?! That was unexpected and overly generous. I am definitely taking them out to someplace great in the Bay Area when they come to visit. My friend works a few per diem days at a nearby university so I definitely want to return the treat!

The next morning, I went to Cafe Kalawe where I had a delicious pancake. Next, I picked up a malasada from Leonard’s mobile stand before heading over to Bellows Beach. The weather was sun-rain-sun accompanied by a lot of wind, but it is so beautiful there. I read my Kindle, so I didn’t have to worry about the wind turning the pages. Over the vacation, I read The Love Letters of W.E.B DuBois, which isn’t exactly a beach read but it is a good book. I recommend it, but it’s pretty heavy. The rest of the day was pretty mellow and I was very excited for my next day’s plans.

I had been wanting to go to the Shangri-La for the longest time. It’s Doris Duke’s former home in Honolulu that was inspired by her honeymoon tour that included tours of the Taj Mahal and other Islamic Art exemplars. I didn’t know about it during my medical student rotation, but I think I knew about it by the late 2000s. But on my various trips, I was never able to make it on a day that it was open as the schedule is pretty limited. This time, I had booked tickets two months in advance and I was ready!

First, I went to Guieb Cafe for breakfast where I had a delicious bao bun egg benedict and fried rice. At this point, if you are wondering if I lost weight on this vacation, I would have to say no. No, I did not. But, you know, vacation!!!

After breakfast, I toured the Honolulu Museum of Art while waiting for the shuttle. The museum is amazing! There are incredible permanent collections of Polynesian art, as well as two temporary exhibits that were breath-taking.

I’m starting to realize this post is getting a little long, so I’ll write about the Honolulu Museum of Art and Shangri-La separately. After the museum and house tour, I went back to Waikiki and had a shave ice at the Island Vintage kiosk. Then I went to the beach for a few hours that included a lot of time in the water. I never went surfing, but I was glad to get in the ocean for an extended swim. After the swim, I decided to have a final shave ice at Ululani’s. I meant to go to Wailoa, but Ululani’s was excellent.

Then I headed back to Kailua, where Brandi and I met up for another, more low-key dinner at Buzz’s. I’m so glad I got to see a friend while in Hawaii. Although she and I weren’t in the same close friend groups at USUHS, we always liked each other so it’s great to still be in touch.

The next day, it was time to go. I had a longer-than-expected-to-pour-over pour-over at Tradition coffee, dropped off the Turo in the airport, went to my gate, and left. I was a little sad but excited to see SMS. I had a wonderful week in Hawaii and I know I’ll be back! Aloha!

I had so many plans to blog the trip, but here we are, more than month later so I’ll divide it into two parts: work and fun.

I arrived on Friday evening. I travel light with my roll aboard and tote. It was a little tough to manage a work wardrobe and fun clothes, but since it was warm weather attire, it worked. Not sure if I would have been as successful with Winter clothes. After deplaning, I walked to Big Kahuna pizza right outside the airport. I first went here during my medical school rotation so that was awhile ago. I got the garlic cheese balls- they were a little less delicious than I remembered but I’m glad I got to go. Then, I took the $3 bus to Waikiki. I guess I was reliving my student days! I checked into the Moana Surfrider and went to bed.

The next day was the conference start. We had a half-day agenda that started early. Overall, I really enjoyed hearing my colleagues lectures. I learn best from lectures, so it was a great refresh. I went to Murakame Udon for lunch, which was delicious. SMS and I found it during our honeymoon so it has good memories for me!

That evening, I went to the Halekulani for a drink and dinner. I sat at the bar and had a mai tai and poke appetizers. It was really lovely. I walked through the lobby to look at their main floral arrangement, which is always spectacular.

The next day was another morning meeting, adjourning at lunch. I had previously made a brunch reservation for the Orchids at the Halekulani. My chairman and his wife took me up on my invite and we had the best time. The conversation was great, but the food was the star of the show. Oh my gosh, so many mini-stations offering a variety of food: mini-ramen bar; carving stations with turkey, prime rib, and whole suckling pig; sushi, traditional breakfast items; omelet bar; raw bar; and dessert table. At the table, we could order fresh juices and we ordered fresh guava juice, which is so good. It’s not as sweet as canned guava juice, but it tastes so much richer. New favorite, must go back! I also ordered a half-order of Egg Benedict, which had delicious Hollandaise sauce.

Although I was full, I had been pretty good about taking small amounts so it was more of a tasting menu experience rather than “I’m so full I want to die” experience, which is much more pleasant.

That evening, the chairman hosted an evening cocktail party in his suite. The views from his balcony were amazing. I also had a really nice conversation with some of the guest lecturers. It was nice to talk to them outside of the conference.

The next day, I had two of my talks. I had practiced and felt pretty good about both the content and delivery. Like I said in the overview blog post, I hope I get invited back! That evening, there was an evening reception where there was more socializing and I saw a physical therapist I knew when I was a resident! It was so great to see her and her husband.

Finally, we got to the last day of the conference. I delivered my last two talks and then, by noon, that was it! I really enjoyed the conference. It was a pretty laidback introduction to lecturing as a University faculty, which I appreciated. After a late checkout, I headed to the airport. But not to hop on a plane! Instead, I was going to pick up my Turo car rental to have the second half of my Hawaii trip: (more) fun!

1. What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?

I separated from the Navy! Saw the Grand Canyon! Had a whole month off, where I did a lot of traveling! Started a new job at a major academic center!

2.  Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I make a lot of New Year’s Resolutions, which are not always the SMARTest goals (Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant-Time-bound). Some of them are more like guideposts, directions I’d like to aim for when living my life. But actually, I just reviewed my list and I did pretty well last year!

This year, I’ll focus on making morning and evening routines since I’d like to use my time more efficiently and I’ve had some difficulties due to my commute, some leftover work, and, yes, too much phone scrolling.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! My friend and former training partner had her second baby. Here comes Auntie Caroline!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No

5. What countries did you visit?

3.  England, Germany, and Switzerland as part of my last-minute trip during my month off. It was a real delight to have that flexibility and the trip itself was fantastic.

I also had an amazing amount of domestic travel and visited so many national parks.

6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?

Relating to my resolutions, a more consistent approach to wellness and exercise in the form of a morning routine.  There was a lot of flux last year so now that things are steadier, I really want to maximize my early mornings.  Doesn’t work for everyone but it’s a great time for me!

7. What dates from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

31 March: Accepted my new job

17 June: Last day at work and Hail & Farewell

June-July: Amazing trips and sights in National Parks and abroad

1 Aug: First day at work

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

Getting my new job! The job hunt was a little stressful, since my search was so geographically limited. Although I had turned in my resignation papers to the Navy last September (’21), the job hunting process really accelerated in Jan-Mar ’22. I am very proud of myself for finally understanding the interview process and how to prepare for behavioral questions (STAR acronym works great). I felt like I belonged and if it didn’t work out, then it was just a suboptimal fit rather than an interview bobble or mistake. As it turns out, I had two top choices. One was perfect and is where I am today (love!). And the other just wasn’t a great fit even though there were some great moments during that interview process as well.

Also, I negotiated certain aspects really well, which made me feel very competent. I did slightly bobble a verbal offer phone call, where I could have hammered out terms a little earlier and saved a revision step on the written offer, but it wasn’t a big deal. I just wasn’t sure how to handle negotiations without an actual written starting point in front of me.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Well, SMS and I really wanted a house. A lot of factors went against us, starting with my job hunt since the bank knew that I could potentially have a gap in employment. Of course, I wouldn’t have since I could have done locums work, but it caused us to miss late ‘21/early ’22 buying opportunities. Then, Spring ’22 had an absolutely ridiculous run-up in prices and then interest rates eroded our purchasing power in a major way. This is a huge macro trend that impacted so many people, but on the micro, self-centered level, the crazy market of ’22 left us cold on buying a house. Plus, the houses around here in our price range tend to be really expensive piles that need a lot of work.  Boo!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really. I got COVID in June 2022 and missed my 20^th college reunion, which I was bummed about. I also decided to do the Couch-to-5-K training program at the end of the year so I could get back into a more consistent running habit without hurting myself in the process. #40s.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

SMS and I bought a king-sized bed! It’s so comfortable. And although I’ve always loved them in hotel rooms, it feels almost too big as a daily sleeper.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Savings, vacations, rent. I’m starting to think this question should go away.  It’s a little silly. I mean, I feel the answer is boring unless I answer hookers and blow.

13. What did you get really excited about?

Hookers and blow.  Hahaha.

I really love my job and I’m excited about my mid-career transition. I feel like I have at least 20 more years in me so it’s nice to have that large of a timeline to do great things!

14. What song will always remind you of 2022?

Anti-Hero, since it was everywhere the last month of the year!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier.

– thinner or fatter? Fatter, but I will give myself a little grace that there were a lot of things in flux this year. Also, our new apartment complex has a gym so I’m excited to have consistent healthy habits as a goal this year.

– richer or poorer? Richer, although $LCID has not really helped with that.

16. What’s one thing you wish you had done more of?

I sort of wish that I had taken more time off between jobs but I had plenty of travel in June and July to feel like I had a great break. The month off was enough time given that no paycheck was coming in and we were spending money on vacations. Also, I really wanted to get started at my new job.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Phone-scrolling. I’m going to establish more of an evening routine that involves no phone! [Verbatim from last year]

18. How did you spend Christmas?

With SMS’ family with a Christmas dinner of Turducken! I also had an early “Christmas” with my family minus my resident physician sister 😦 in Navarre, FL. 

19. What was your favorite TV program?

White Lotus, hopped on the bandwagon late for that one! I also enjoyed Hacks. Next up is Wednesday, I think, based on recs from several people.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

Fiction: Great Circle by Shipstead, Black Cake by Wilkerson, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Doerr, Nightcrawling by Mottley, Lessons in Chemistry by Garnus

Non-fiction: Mindset by Dweck, Undoing Project by Lewis, Hammerhead 6 by Frye, The Power of Regret by Pink, Medical Apartheid by Washington, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Lewis

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

I enjoyed Harry’s House. I listened to Brothers Osborne Skeletons album, which was released in 2020. And ok, ok, I liked Taylor Swift and I even scored two tickets for next Summer. (I really wished I maxed out on six tickets and gently scalped them. Missed opportunity!). I really want to be cooler than mentioning Taylor Swift twice in a yearly wrap-up yet here we are.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

Knives Out: Glass Onion. I really didn’t watch a lot of movies, but will keep better track this year!

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

42. I went to the spa in the afternoon and then SMS & I went out to a charcoal grill yakitori restaurant. Pretty mellow since SMS felt a little under the weather.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Having a magic wand to separate keep/trash items when it comes to moving and unpacking.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?

A little slobby in my off-hours but this is the year I finally gave in to high-waisted jeans. Ugh, so unflattering but so on trend.

26. What kept you sane?

Maintaining a mindset of appreciation and gratitude for all the wonderful things in my life, maybe mixed in with a dash of the St Francis and Serenity prayers.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022.

I am not an “everything happens for a reason” person, but being adaptable and appreciative helps me through uncertain times.

After a great extended weekend in San Diego, SMS and I were sitting outside with his parents eating lunch. We knew our flight was slightly delayed, but were enjoying some extra sunshine. Until SMS looked down at his phone, looked up, and said, “Our flight’s cancelled.” Within the next 15 minutes or so, we figured out that Southwest had a massive spate of cancellations and that a simple rebook would not be the answer to our problems.

We briefly considered driving back, but SMS gave it a swift veto. I looked up ticket prices on other airlines, which were not cheap. SMS decided that he would stay in San Diego for a few more days. I “had” to get back to work so started to search for alternatives. I put “had” in quotes because I don’t think I’m the center of the universe. I wanted to fulfill my work obligations, but I felt I could figure out some colleague cross-coverage. But still, I had a shift at the hospital, a planned surgery, and a few days of clinic during a lightly staffed week.

I figured LAX would be my best bet and after a few false starts, I booked a 10p flight on United. Although Rip was super-generous in offering to drive me to LAX, I didn’t want him to suffer in post-holiday traffic due to my workaholic tendencies. I booked a ticket on FlixBus to LA.

Flixbus picked up a load of passengers in Old Town San Diego. I was a little worried that there were too many people for the bus, but we managed to all fit. It took about 20 minutes since people were throwing hissy fits about not having their assigned seat. The main problem was the bus we were on did not match the layout of the seat reservation diagram. But people had paid $1.99 for their reservation and weren’t backing down so the poor driver tried to get everyone off the bus and back on. I was in the back and a guy yelled out, “We’re fine back here” so several of us hung back while the troublemakers in the front shuffled seats.

We were on our way! Traffic moved well. I sat next to a woman with a small baby who, miraculously, slept the whole time. Angel! Union Station in LA is a very beautiful Art Deco-style building that was decorated for the holidays.

I had thought about going to Little Tokyo for dinner, but I decided that I could get similar food in the Bay Area. Plus, I wanted to see a new-to-me part of town. I went to the Arts District for dinner at Wurstküche. Although I have very good intentions for eating well in the New Year, it’s not 2023 yet! And I know, should good habits start today rather than some New Year? Obviously…not! So, I had a vegetarian Mexican Chipotle sausage, Belgian-style fries that were incredible, and a beer. So tasty!

Then, I took the LAFlyer to LAX. Man, buses are really a good deal! The traffic outside the airport was crazy, but inside the terminal wasn’t bad at all. I pretty much just walked up to the TSA Security officer and was behind the gates in no time. I tried to get on an earlier flight, but it was full. I only had an hour to wait and, in the interim, got bumped up to first class!

The flight was uneventful apart from some mild turbulence. My seat was right at the front, which was great for disembarking. I decided to continue the theme of Trains, Planes, and Automobiles. I took the BART to Caltrain on the last trains of the night. I walked home in the rain and was so happy to be in the our beautiful apartment building. I felt less at peace inside the apartment where it looks like a hoarder’s paradise. However, I have a pre-New Year’s resolution to make a significant dent in the clutter so hopefully, our apartment will be a serene oasis for 2023!

After several months of back-and-forth on what to do (rent vs buy), SMS and I have moved to a brand-new rental apartment. It’s very freeing to have made a decision and it makes me feel a little more established in my post-Navy, mid-career transition life. I’m also excited to have my stuff but before I get ahead of myself…

After a few weeks of back-and-forth with the leasing office, SMS and I signed a lease for a top-floor, 2B/2B apartment. It’s a beautiful, brand-new place and though the staff is slightly disorganized, we were able to get most things sorted out. Enough that we felt comfortable signing the lease, so that was a great relief.

We moved out of the old apartment last weekend. We were completely out, cleaned, and inspected by late Sunday afternoon and it felt great. The cleaning is always a chore. The deep clean stuff that I always put off until the move? Yes, we had some of that. I have a half-hearted resolution to deep clean the stovetop every 2 months or so. And by “or so,” I mean the next time we move. We do wipe the crumbs up- we’re not savages. But over time, the burners get a little grimy and that’s the part that neither one of us are that great at noticing/caring.

Also, the hero of the move was the little dolly that we borrowed from our old place’s property manager. OMG. Total lifesaver. Runner-up with the bellhop style trolley at our new place.

The anti-hero of the move was the cargo van. Even though I felt indestructible driving it, I wish I had ordered the small truck instead so we could have done one trip instead of three. We didn’t have a lot of furniture, but the loading was a little awkward due to the wheel wells. I did like the back up camera, which I didn’t notice until 2/3 of the way through the move.

There was one tragic accident among the houseplants.

So, yes, the old apartment was cleaned out and all the stuff was in our new apartment. It was a little cluttered and messy, but the impending wave of doom was looming.

Yes, the delivery of my household goods shipment. I knew it would be a lot to fit in the apartment and this was 100% correct. Our movers were great- really nice, efficient, careful, and down-to-earth. We also got lucky in that they came relatively early, which meant they were done by 2:30. This was great because we had scheduled a flight to San Diego that evening for Christmas weekend.

So, yes, a Christmas weekend away in beautiful San Diego. This will be followed by a short workweek and significant dedication to decluttering and organizing the apartment. I have a (terrible) idea for decluttering- give SMS and I ten minutes each to throw out as much of the other person’s stuff as possible. I came up with this since it’s so easy to identify what is “extra” among the other person’s stuff while it’s so difficult to part with “memories” of my own. Don’t worry- we’re not actually going to do that. But it is a viable alternative to the “just burn the rest” mindset I usually reach at some point in the packing/unpacking process.