December Happened

A December reset, island brain, and why my laptop never stood a chance.

A Christmas Lei

I went to Hawaiʻi fully convinced I would keep up with work, so I packed my laptop and turned on my notifications. I had big plans.

Well, that plan lasted about half a day.

Between my first cup of coffee and staring at the ocean for longer than necessary, my brain quietly clocked out. It just stopped believing anything was urgent. Hawaiʻi did not care about my calendar, and The Sweet Leis Co was not going anywhere without me.

December in Hawaiʻi is never slow for us. We were there to celebrate my son’s birthday, which falls right before Christmas and always gets swallowed by the holidays. At some point, he casually mentioned that he has had about eight birthdays at Dave and Buster’s, which I apparently accepted as normal parenting without ever questioning it. Once he said it out loud, I felt the impact. We kept it simple again this year, but I made a mental note that on his next birthday, we go big. He is due for a proper celebration that does not compete with wrapping paper, grocery lines, or a stack of arcade tickets.

Christmas itself was full in the best way. My in-laws celebrated with us, and my mother-in-law was in her element, cooking nonstop for her grandkids. Pots were going, and the plates were stacking. In the midst of it all, the kids were hovering and asking what’s next. She loves cooking for them, and you can feel it in the food. That kind of care doesn’t need an explanation.

Right after Christmas, my husband and I squeezed in our anniversary. It was just us and a proper night out. We dressed up and went to Hy’s Steak House in Waikīkī, then caught Tumua's show live at the Blaisdell. We stayed the night at Moana Surfrider, ate well, laughed a lot, and had a quiet moment where you remember you actually like each other after all these years.

A few days later the new year rolled in. We island hopped to Maui to visit family after celebrating NYE in O'ahu.

By the way, December is always expensive. My husband reminds me every single year: birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, and travel. He says it like it’s new information. I laugh while he sighs. Tradition is tradition.

All the while, I kept telling myself I would answer emails later. After breakfast. After a walk. After a quick mall stop for something I definitely “needed.” After one more look at the water. Hawaiʻi has a way of calling your bluff. The island won every time.

What I was really looking forward to was not rest. It was a reset. I wanted to see what parts of The Sweet Leis Co still felt good when I stopped forcing momentum. The answer was clear. The pieces built with care held up. The rushed ideas did not.

Being Filipino, I grew up around hands-on work. You finish what you start. You do it right. Hawaiʻi adds patience to that mindset. California adds structure and deadlines. Somewhere in the middle of all three, The Sweet Leis Co clicks back into place.

Fast forward to the mainland.

I’m back in my 9 to 5. Alarm set. Coffee in a travel mug. Sitting in traffic like a real person again. Except now there’s a company merger, a new office, and a lot of new faces. I actually love the new space. The vibe is good, and the people are great. Still, there’s a lot of polite nodding, a lot of smiling, and a lot of repeating names in my head because if I don’t, they’re gone instantly. Faces, I’ve got. Names? Still working on it.

There is also the exchange of new business cards, which still feels a little ancient to me. We all have phones. We are standing right there. We can scan, tap, AirDrop, or text contacts in seconds. Yet here we are, carefully handing over cardstock like it is 2003. That said, I do appreciate a good card. If the design is eye-catching, thoughtful, and a little cute, I notice. I know someone put real care into it, and I respect that. I smile, accept them, and will still manage to lose at least one, if not all, by Friday.

Then there is the new cubicle with a very clean desk. A blank slate with no personality...yet. I keep thinking about the knickknacks just sitting there in my old office. Some photos, small familiar things. Maybe I should bring them in sooner rather than later, because I am moving in and showing up.

That feels right for this season.

Sweet Leis is still moving. I'm still building, just with better pacing and clearer boundaries. I toggle between spreadsheets by day and leis by night, which feels very on brand for a Filipino woman raised to make it work no matter the setting.

Also worth mentioning, my horoscope keeps insisting this is my year. Apparently, I am supposed to be handed the gold nugget. I don't have to chase it; I don't have to grind. Just winning without trying. I want to believe it. Is it astrology or timing or coincidence? Who knows! But between a fresh cubicle, a new office, a merger, and The Sweet Leis Co finding its rhythm again, I’m not mad at the message.

So yes, I’m back. Mainland mode.

I’ve been sketching ideas and working through a few new The Sweet Leis Co pieces again. Slowly and with care. More soon.

I’ll bring the knickknacks tomorrow.