Literally Separated by An Ocean

Just like Sophia, the transition from Hawaii to Washington has not been an easy one for me.  The whole "culture shock" was very big for me as well.  Although I was expecting to be home sick to a certain extent, I didn't expect it to be as hard as it was/ is.  Like she mentioned, the handshakes were very unusual for us. In our culture, we always give a hug and/ or a kiss on the cheek when meeting somebody.  Similar to her, my homesickness has not gone away, and is always there.  When I came up in the first week of August for football, it still did not fully sink in that I would be away from home for over four months.  However, when the rest of the students began making their way to campus, it really hit me that I was literally separated from home by an ocean.  Although I have been able to deal a little better with it as time has gone on, there are times when the homesickness weighs me down and all I can think about is my family, friends, and sweet home Hawai'i Nei.  The food is definitely different, back home, we are accustomed to pretty much having rice with every meal. Although we do have rice here at Whitworth, it just isn't the same as the rice we have back home.  The communication with other people is also different.  Although, I do not speak hardcore pidgin, there are many words in my vocabulary or phrases that come out without thinking such as; "pau" (finished), "da kine", "bocha" (take a shower), "shoots", etc.  As hard as it has been for me, I do not regret venturing of the island, it's a great experience to see what lies beyond the islands.