How I've Changed Since Becoming a Mom

It's crazy to think about what my life was like before Kalei and Kili...I could leave for a trip on a whim...my house didn't look like a hurricane hit it...I didn't have my business...

Before Kalei and Kili I was teaching and coaching cross country & track. I was twenty-something and had no plans for kids at the time, I knew I was too selfish. I liked traveling. I liked going out. I liked doing whatever I wanted to whenever I wanted to. Having a dog was enough work - to find someone to watch him if we left for a week or two because we felt like going to Vegas.

I was hiking every weekend, sometimes even taking off work to go on a hiking adventure. My IG handle was @extremehiker for the longest time and I had a hard time letting it go but I finally did.

But now I don't want to imagine life without them. I love my kids and the chaos that came with them. I thought when I had Kalei I would be dying to go back to teaching but once he came I wanted to stay home. I did go back to teaching but it always seemed strange that I spent more time with other people's children than my own. And then we had Kili three years later. Going back was harder this time around and the stars aligned and we made the decision for me to stay home with the kids.

It's not a walk in the park. I miss the steady paycheck. I miss hanging out with my lunch bunch in the faculty lounge. I miss joking with my students and watching them succeed.

But now I get to watch the little milestones for my own keiki. I traded in my extreme hikes for keiki friendly hikes. So even though I don't go on my own crazy adventures anymore...and I'll probably never do an extreme hike again...I couldn't be happier sharing first adventures with my keiki. The smile on their face is the best feeling in the world!