Aloha! TPC trip to Kauai

Aloha! The Lord has just tickled my heart with all the undeserved travel He's blessed me with this year. The year started with a ski trip in Denver (visiting Lauren), mission trip to Belize, cycling trip in the Mediterranean, and now a work-rewards trip with Abbott to the Hawaiian Island of Kauai! The honor of receiving the The President's Council award marked my one year anniversary with the company! The trip consisted of approx 80 top performers in our company plus their guests! I brought my good friend, and an amazing woman, Ashley Johnson. It was quite a change to be conversing on the beach in a bikiniwith a cocktail versus a meeting room in with a powerpoint! One of the things I appreciate most about Abbott is the transparency of leadership. Of course there are politics, but for the most part, our people are just genuine folks who are passionate about their faith, hobbies, families, and work!

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt resort with a room overlooking the ocean and felt like princesses the entire week. All the small details made the trip special for me... little thoughtful gestures such as a welcome gift or the little surprises and notes laid on our beds each evening, and of course the friendliness of the staff. Each day we had pre-scheduled activities, followed by leisure time and an evening group dinner/event. The first day Ashley and I joined a group of an epic raft adventure to Na Pali. It was a fast and bummy ride, adn I'm not going to lie, our butt's were bruised the remainder of the trip from all the bouncing we did. Once we reached the coast, we went on a hike, snorked, and had a shore lunch. The second day we went zip-linning over the jungle tree-tops, and the third day we went ATVing through the jungle. It was pouring rain, which made for a cold, muddy mess! The activities were such a great way to develop authentic bonds and relationships with other Abbott employee's.

Of course, being fitness enthusiasts Ashley and I started each morning with a run and usually snuck in an afternoon swim as well. Ashley's friendship is such a blessing to me. This woman can carry on a conversation with anyone, takes genuine interest in others, has a passion for the Lord, is a stellar and humble athlete, and such an encourager for me. Needless to say, we had many blessed conversations and long walks on the beach :)Oh, and we both had an "on-stage performance." The first night, Ashley decided to help me liveout my dream of being a rockstar by pushing my colleague Erin Summers and I on sage with the rockband for the evening. I can't say it looked our sounded good, but it was memorable! The last night Ashley was pulled on stage for the lual performance where she was surrounded by 5 naked men (in towels) doing an aggressive hula dance around her. Ashley decided to bust out her Baylor Bear college grind moves! VERY NICE! hahah. Oh, what a joyous year this has been.

Lastly, anyone considering a trip to Hawaii should look into the Island of Hawaii! Known as the garden state, the lush beauty was just overwhelming!! It didn't feel touristy and the natives are sweet and friendly! The island has so many great adventures waiting to happen.