Aloha! My name is Keri and since I am the writer of this blog I thought that I would give our readers a brief background history on how I came to live in Hawaii. I was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona and while I have lived in several other places there are only two places that I have ever called "home:" Arizona and the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. My husband and I moved to Hawaii in November of 2005. As he is in the Army, we were given the choice of moving onto Schofield Barracks (the base here) or finding a home off post. After exploring the Island we fell in love with the slow-paced agricultural town of Waialua. It's proximity to the historical surfing capital of the world, Haleiwa, certainly helped to seal our decision. Between the pristine and unpopulated beaches to the lush volcanic mountain formations, we were in heaven. The beauty and people of the North Shore are truly unique. I felt welcome on the very first day we came here although there were certainly some minor cultural adjustments to make. (Before you come, buy a Pidgin dictionary, and then you won't have to say "What?" so often during conversations with the locals.)

After settling into our new surroundings, I began looking for a position that was not only close to home but a position that I could really appreciate as more than a "job." I was lucky enough to be offered a position at Oils of Aloha as a customer service and accounting representative. I have worked here for almost a year, and in October I'll be taking maternity leave. Our first child, a son, will be born sometime in late October and I couldn't be happier. I am looking forward to my child's earliest memories being those of the North Shore of Oahu and its sunsets, beaches, people and culture. During my leave and after I will be responsible for our web-based customer relations via this blog and our future message board on our website. I have always enjoyed speaking with our customers here in Hawaii and on the Mainland and I look forward to utilizing our website to do that.