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  • Imagine @_anbruton_ and I fully unprepared and inexperienced hikers scaling down a mountain for these tide pools. Please like my photos because we almost died.
  • that golden light ✨
  • If only 5th grade pukashell necklace wearing, aquamarine obsessed Rachel knew when she was 24 she’d live in Hawaii ~been manifesting this move my whole life
  • “What if I just moved back to Orlando? I wouldn’t have to worry about shipping my car, jumping through holes to move my dog Maui here, finding a relatively affordable apartment alone that allows dogs... I wouldn’t be a 12 hour flight from my family and I’d be on the same mainland as my friends. It’d be so much easier.” Sometimes when dreams get challenging we tend to romanticize the past and want to revert back to old seasons of life. Chapters that are conquered and closed for a reason. I’ve had those thoughts every now and then after doubles and doubles of serving tables and nights where home feels so far away. But a mantra I keep close to my heart when I want to give up on this Hawaii dream and fly back to the east coast has kept me motivated —> SHORT TERM SACRIFICE FOR THE LONG TERM GOAL <— I’m typically the type of person that feels the itch to make a huge life decision every four or five months. Whether that be moving states, apartments or countries. Getting a new job, building a business, adopting a dog.. etc. In the past that’s helped me gain a lot of life experience and personal growth but hasn’t left me with much of a secure financial foundation. I tend to lose sight of the bigger picture and get impatient when it comes down to putting in the monotonous hard work when it comes to laying the foundation for everything I aspire to achieve. This year is all about giving myself the space to actually THINK a little more before just jumping. Finding that balance of responsibility and recklessness. Putting in the hard ass work to set myself up to actually thrive here in Hawaii. The things we want most in life aren’t always easy, but they’re always worth it. We’re worth it.
  • It’s not only about rejecting one use plastics, animal based diets, products tested on animals and fast fashion. It’s about rejecting the “all or nothing” mindset. It’s about rejecting the convenient way out. It’s about changing the hearts and minds of others through love and education. It’s about rejecting shame and hate towards those who aren’t as environmentally aware as you. It’s about continually trying and failing. For the past few years I’ve been opening my mind and have been working to align my lifestyle to match my passion for the ocean and our planet overall. Eliminating your footprint on our earth can be a pretty overwhelming undertaking. For most of us it includes becoming conscious of our every single purchase and every meal we eat. In a society that thrives off of convenience and instant gratification it’s much more appealing to turn a blind eye. But the unfortunate reality is no matter how naive we hope to be, the negative effects are as visible as ever. By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. The average American throws away over 82 pounds of textile waste a year. Fashion is the number 2 polluting industry in the world. Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gasses than all the worlds transportation systems combined. My hope for Earth Day is that everyone of us commits to the continual education of our impact on the planet as we actively take steps, whether big or small, to give our Earth a longer lifespan. You don’t have to completely do a 180 and become a zero-waste vegan tomorrow. By eating LESS animal products. Using LESS plastic. Thrifting MORE. Educating MORE. And loving way way MORE. You will be doing our planet and yourself a big favor 💙🌍💚 Netflix list: - One Strange Rock - Forks over Knives - What the Health - Cowspiracy - The True Cost #earthday #saveouroceans #oneoceandiving #oneoceanconservation #plasticfree #plasticfreehawaii #luckylivehawaii
  • Most of the time when you make a huge leap towards the life of your dreams you have to give up a level of comfort and make sacrifices. Moving to Hawaii has been my ultimate dream since I was a kid and honestly it’s still so surreal that this is now my home. This move so far has really stretched me and forced me to find comfort in accepting help from other people. I’d say most of my life I’ve been fiercely independent, never wanting to impose or burden anyone with my needs. And considering Hawaii is one of the hardest places to get settled into I would be an idiot for dismissing opportunities of assistance because of my pride. I am grateful for my family here in Hawaii opening their home to me. I am grateful for my parents and friends for watching Maui until I can get him to the island. I am grateful for all of the phone calls with @mys0ultokeep and @michaelalusk for giving me that sense of home when I’m oceans away. Ever since last July I’ve been really humbled and reminded of how important community is and how insanely lucky I am to have the community of people I do supporting me. Some days like today I really wish I was in the comfort of my own apartment in Altamonte Springs Florida, with my dog Maui, making açaí bowls and watching Netflix. But then I remind myself I’m in the process of putting in the hard ass work to set myself up for a life way beyond one I’d ever have in Florida. If you made it to the end of this post I just want to say as much as Instagram can make it look like it’s paradise 100% of the time, that’s not the reality. Most of the time I’ve been here working my ass off to pay off debt, pay bills, get my car here, get my dog here, save money to find a place to live, etc. Hell, my laptop crashed the two months ago now and that’s so far down on my list of priorities. I have times of missing my parents. Wishing I could sleep with my dog. And having friends close by that know me for who I really am. But in my heart I know all the hard work will be worth it because I’ve never lived somewhere that I felt so connected to and so challenged. I am so grateful.
  • Not bad for a Monday 🦖🤙🏻
  • 🌺🌺🌺
  • Grateful for another birthday. Grateful to be spending it in paradise. Grateful for all the people in my life that make me feel like the most loved and appreciated human on the planet. 🌺🌺🌺

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Copyright, 2015