Life of Larisa or LOL

new:   adjective already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time "her new bike" or in my case "her new scooter" A full term pregnancy...that's where I am in terms of my fifty-two new things---week forty!  My latest new thing?  Riding an electric scooter.  The "lazy scooter rider" is an incredibly perfect title for me.  This "new thing" got the boys out in the neighborhood and scooter riding with me at a local park.  Initially, I just wanted to rent electric scooters and go for a couple of joy rides.  There is even a company in town that with the swipe of your credit card allows you to take a spin or two---as long as you are eighteen.  Since I fit that description, I thought an afternoon weaving in and out of pedestrians and traffic in Honolulu sounded like a good way to spend a Sunday.  And then Isom had to take it a million steps extra . He bought, not one, but TWO electric scooters.  Yep.  We...

In three short months I will have completed this 52 New Things Journey/Project/Resolution/Adventure.  It has been eye-opening, sprit rejuvenating, health beneficial, filled with growth and learning, comfort zone pushing, and taste buds expanding.  I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.  Today I completed my thirty-ninth new thing.  It was a moms morning out at a new cafe on the windward side of O'ahu.  New dining out experience at Cafe Kopi was this weeks new thing. Have you ever tried a new restaurant or cafe and walked away thinking it felt like home?  That was my experience at Cafe Kopi.  It was a breath of fresh air.  It was a romantic cup of coffee.  It was a whimsical morning treat.  It was all the things I want in that first sip of morning.  It was literally a rainbow in a cup.  New cafe, new style of coffee, new experience, new place to hang out on a rainy Thursday morning. Did you know that Kopi means coffee?...

  Rounding out the thirties of my fifty-two new things with an amazing event I attended yesterday.  A mini-retreat was the perfect way to bring September to a close and start off the new Autumn season.  I found out about the mini-retreat on my favorite informative platform---Instagram.  I experienced several new things at the retreat, so the thirty-eighth item on my new things list is Meditative Spiritual Wellness Retreat. The retreat was held at a new meditation center in Kaimuki.  Mana Aura Hale is a sacred space in town with the purpose of enhancing well being, community, culture, wellness, education and supporting women, women of color, and locally owned and operated business.  I am here for all of that good stuff.  As soon as I learned about their Autumn Equinox Self Care Retreat, I knew I wanted to try this new to me event. The focus of the retreat was meditation and the changing of seasons.  Through a Yin Yoga practice, a healing Sound Ba...