This is my 4th Bout with Island Fever!

It's really funny to talk about now, but when I got my first dose of island fever it completely freaked me out.  By the second dose I kinda knew what it was so I was a bit more calm about it.  By the third time it happened I recognized the signs right away and booked a trip to the mainland ASAP.  I am starting to feel it come on , and so am taking the proper steps to ensure that I don't get to the 'fright or flight' mode (I would say more like flight or flight mode- get me off this island NOW cause if I have to see water all around me one more day I am going to loose my marbles- If you are reading this blog and are from my adoption agency, I swear I am completely sane- and am just being a bit dramatic when I say I feel like loosing my marbles :)
I would say that island fever happens to a select few people who choose to move off of a large land mass (i.e. MAINLAND USA) to a small island- which happens to be not only 3000 miles away from any mainland but also the farthest island away from a mainland in the whole world.  I live on an area about the size of the Valley I moved from- What also helps to fuel island fever is when your favorite season is winter and where you live is 24/7/365 summer- it's like being in the movie Ground Hog Day waking up to the same temp. everyday- day after day (my husband LOVES this part of living in Hawaii)

For those of you who have never experienced 'Island Fever' I will do my best to describe it:

1. It starts with a nagging claustrophobic feeling.  You start noticing that everywhere you look is water.
2. The claustrophobic feeling grows with each passing experience- an example of this would be that on my way to drive my kids to school, when I get to the top of our drive way and see the ocean all around I do the 360 head swirl with my head to find an extended amount of land- when I don't see it I get the wild eye, the the feeling of 'I've gotta get out of here and drive'........I need to drive for hours on an interstate (Drove over 12 hours on a little road trip on my last trip to the main land and LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT- sorry mom and sis if I was a driver hog)
3. The mountain's that are on 3 sides of the ranch (the ocean is the 4th side) start closing in on me- It's like they move closer and closer to our house
4. The claustrophobic feeling get's worse and the constant humidity and constant warm temp. mixed with the salt on everything and sand every night in my bed starts getting to me............
5. I sit Matt down and tell him that while I love Hawaii, I've gotta get a change of scenery- He usually thinks I am being a bit wimpy but tells me to do what I need to do........
6. I book a week long trip to the main land
7. I Stare out the window of the airplane just before landing on the main land memorized by all the lights of whatever big city I am landing in (San Fran, Seattle, Portland, etc..)
8. Feel Like kissing the ground when I land
9. Enjoy my week on the mainland- the fever subsides- 
10. I fly back to my little island with a new appreciation for my surroundings and the ocean that was a week earlier closing in on me now looks beautiful- the mountains that before I left seemed to be closing in on my house are back in their rightful place- the overwhelming humidity, salt, and sand everywhere is tuned out once more and life goes on as usual...............UNTIL
11. The cycle starts again.  At this time I battle a bout of island fever about every 4 months.

Nov. was the last time I was on the main land- I've gotta go cause I need to search for airfare!! LOL!

Have a good night everyone and enjoy with me what I will see tomorrow morning.......

A Beautiful Hawaiian Sunrise