Hi I’m Katie Smith! I was born on Oahu raised on the Big Island. Never in my life did I think I would ever be living on the mainland. Hawaii was just too comfortable a place. I loved camping and surfing and all my friends and most of my relatives lived there.

Then I met a guy at my sisters wedding in Ohio. He changed my whole life for the better! After one year (and a couple months), we got married and I decided to move to Ohio since I knew living in Hawaii would be crazy expensive. I was amazed at all the food and gas prices in the stores on the mainland. I’m sure people thought I was crazy when I would pick out items and just explain how cheap everything was.

Once I got a job, I realized that I had to change the way that I spoke since I apparently had a strange accent.  I had to learn how to drive on an actual highway, how to follow street signs and not landmarks, and all while trying to get used to the seasons. Did I mention I moved in the dead of winter? Yeah, driving in snowy conditions is frightful.
But I soon realized that I was beginning to fall in love with this new atmosphere. Then my husband joined the army and now I need to adjust to very different climates ha! Don’t you just love it when life throws you some curve balls? Definitely keeps things interesting. Stay tuned for more about life away from Hilo.