By now, it's no secret that for the third year in a row, I lost the Miss Pacific Islander of San Diego pageant. Does it suck?... YES. Does it hurt?... Of Course! Is it hard to talk about?... Hell yeah! 
But I want to share my honest and most vulnerable thoughts surrounding the event and the outcome. 

Let's back track to last year. I felt humiliated. Never in the history of Miss PIFA has someone ran twice and not won the second time (so imagine how it feels to do this three times! Hey... at least I set a new record). I took the loss way harder than I thought I would last year and wanted to come back stronger and better than ever. My grief and embarrassment is what created Sincerely, Alana. 

This year, just like last, one of the first thoughts that run through your head is "why am I not good enough?" That thought and doubt is one of the most painful feelings and it's one that I've experienced too many times throughout my life. The difference with this year was- that negative thought only lasted for a brief second. I knew at that point that there was nothing more that I could've done and that I did EVERYTHING in my power to be the best version of myself that I could be. I will say that the experience after it was announced was one of the most bizarre moments in my life.

Almost nobody clapped and everyone looked around bewildered. Of course I had friends and family that came up to me, biased, who said I should've won. But then Teini's family and multiple board members started saying the same thing. Everyone looked just as confused as I was feeling. And this is not to take away from Teini's win - this is just my experience. People left and right were literally crying. To hear the immediate out pour of love and support and reassurance was heartwarming but it didn't take away the pain or embarrassment. 

There's this cycle of emotions that you go through when something like this happens. Embarrassment, sadness, anger, rage, humor, and then a sliver of hope and positivity. Then it repeats until you gather enough positivity about the situation that the rest of the cycle dissipates. I had lots of plans for PIFA this year that I know no one will be able to execute the way that I would. And those plans might not happen. But one thing that's helped is that I have a good feeling about Teini and what she can accomplish with the title. People have asked me if I'll run again and my immediate answer and feeling is no... however this isn't a definite and my feelings might change. My plans for PIFA aren't for me or my ego or the title, it's for the community. I keep running for the title because when you have a position of power, it's easier to get certain things done. 

The last part that has helped me move on and stay positive, is Sincerely, Alana (SA). Without failure, this platform would've never been created. When I first began this journey with SA, it made me truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Losing sucked and it still does, but a part of it also makes me excited to see what this reason is. To see what else I can create from this downfall and how I will get back up. It's crazy to think about, but after the pageant it began raining (at the end of June in San Diego). And I just know that was Alex's Grandma Lorraine (aka Grandma Rain) watching. Then there was a double rainbow, and I knew that was my grandma. Both of them were there cheering me on, crying with me, and cleansing me of all the negative thoughts that ran through my mind. 

I guess you can say that over the last year I've grown a lot. A lot of humility, confidence, and personal security. I know that I've contributed so much to the community in such a short amount of time because it's what I love to do. I know I will continue this journey, maybe not as Miss PIFA, but as Alana Godoy. 

Sincerely, 
Alana

​Maxine Alo is a dear friend of mine and an amazing P.I representative in the San Diego community. She's a proud Hawaiian photographer who has an eye for capturing the different and an energy that empowers everyone she comes across. She was a wonderful guest to have on our episode about Pacific Islander Representation and Empowerment  (Season 2) and added such valuable insight. 

We talked about what it feels like to be P.I, how we're treated differently for not being raised on the islands, and how representation can create a world of difference for young P.I boys and girls. Maxine's ability to speak her mind and her willingness to share her experience is phenomenal. 

As a photographer, Max was recently interviewed for an article about her published by SD Voyager. When i saw this article posted on Facebook, I was almost brought to tears. Max was doing the damn thing and being recognized for her talent and story. Talk about being a representative in the PI community.

​One thing that I admire most about Max is her ability to capture insane moments. She has such a creative and artistic ability that you are able to immediately pick up on when you view her portfolio. 

I can't thank Max enough for coming on the show, being such a wonderful friend, and for inspiring so many keikis to follow their dreams. Maxine is someone who is truly paving the way for Pacific Islanders in the industry. 

I love you, Max!
​
Sincerely,
Alana

My next work trip took me to the lively and sinful city of Las Vegas... for some not so sinful activity. My manager Carrie and I went for this year's Cvent CONNECT 2019. Cvent is an event planning tool that is the literal lifesaver for event planners. CONNECT is their annual convention where they offer trainings, product reveals, and other great experiences. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the product, to network and connect with other event planners and hoteliers, and to get some ideas for our own personal events. 

I flew in the day before the event started and was able to have a night to just relax. The first official day was all about the educational sessions and program training. It was a long day of learning that ended with a walk down the strip and dinner at Trattoria Reggiano  in the Venetian hotel. Of course you get to see all the cool architecture in the hotels and all the crazzies on the streets. 

The next day was filled with shorter sessions (thankfully) and an opportunity to explore their Innovation Pavillion, which displayed new tech and features in the company. It's pretty cool to see how the brand is expanding and absorbing smaller companies that are sure to help the one-stop-shop experience of Cvent. I spent the night staying in my room to catch up on some homework and video editing. 

Now the third day was the fun day. It opened with a keynote speech from the one and only Abby Wambach, the all-time men and women's goal scorer and FIFA World Cup Champion! She was a great speaker and definitely a highlight of the trip. The the Tradeshow Hall was opened and I was able to complete my mission of gaining lots of ideas for out National Convention Tradeshow (which will be one of my main projects over the next couple of months). Then I took a tour of the MGM Grand where I got to see the arena and the VIP High Roller Sky Lofts. After that was another keynote speech from Chef and Humanitarian, Jose Andres. He was absolutely hilarious and one of the most genuine people I've ever seen on stage. Then I got the chance to clean up and get ready for a night of fun.
Carrie and I were invited to dinner at Bavette's Steakhouse and Bar by the New York City Convention Bureau. The food was so amazing and definitely something I'll never forget. Then, as part of the convention, Cvent rented out Hakkasan club and we danced the night away. After having a few too many drinks, we all thought it would be a good idea to go to Loser's, a country bar downstairs in the MGM. It was a great time and we met the singers who had some really dreamy voices. But of course, we paid for it the next morning. 

On the last day of my Cvent Vegas trip, we listened to one last keynote, Amy Cuddy, psychologist and renowned TED Talk (power stance) speaker. She was awesome and gave some really great tips on public speaking and owning your power. Then I was off! I went to lunch with Alex's Nina Christina and Nino Eddie (as mentioned in previous blog posts they just recently moved to Vegas) and their two beautiful kids, Sophie and Eddie, at LazyDog. Of course I had to spend some time with them! My trip to Vegas wouldn't have been complete without them! 

After some really delicious salad and heartfelt conversations, they dropped me off at the airport and I was off to San Diego. 

June was an EXTREMELY busy month for me. Between Tahitian competition practices, online summer classes, the pageant, work trips and more, one of the key moments of the entire month was attending APPEAL's SPARC Leadership Program. 

One of the leaders in the PI San Diego community, Uncle Tana Lepule, sent me an email one day asking if I would apply to become a SPARC Fellow and attend this event. I had absolutely no idea what it was and I almost turned down the invitation because of how busy that entire week was. The last day of the conference was also the day of our Kaleo preshow! I told him my scheduling situation and he and the director made an exception for me to leave early. Welp, I couldn't turn down the offer then.

In preparation for the event, I did some trivial research about the program and the organization (of course you can find it in the resources tab). SPARC Leadership Program is an year-long program that increases AANHPI awareness and engagement in tobacco control advocacy. It brings together young adults and community leaders from across California. SPARC is funded by APPEAL (Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy, and Leadership) which is a health justice organization that aims to gain health equality for AANHPI and other under served communities. That was about all I knew before attending the event. 

The first few minutes were of course awkward since I didn't really know anyone (and of course I was the first person there). But as time passed Uncle Tana's daughter, Leiana, walked in. I knew someone! And Leiana and I have grown up in the same circle of people so it was an added benefit. Throughout the day we participated in group activities and learned the basics of the tobacco issues in AANHPI communities and leadership. We concluded the day by going to a Thai restaurant for dinner and then I had to zoom off to practice. 

The second day was very similar but the activities were more intimate and everyone felt comfortable with each other. It was probably my favorite day because we were able to bond with our small groups and understood the issues that we all face on a much deeper level. I think this day sparked a new drive in everyone to continue down their paths of leadership and reminded us of why we decided to become advocates for the AANHPI community in the first place. It was hard for me to leave that day and drag myself to practice because I wanted to continue the conversations. 

On the last day, I only stayed half the time because of the preshow, but I left on  a strong note. As part of our final training, we had to participate in a role play activity where are small groups had to propose a policy to the appropriate board. This policy is essentially what we will be working on over the course of the next 10 months. My group, the I.S.L.A.N.D group, is proposing to implement a smoke and tobacco free policy on all community college campuses in CA. We killed it. I started off with the strong intro and then my team came in with all the facts and appeal to emotion. It was a great way to end my experience for the summit.

I look forward to working with my group over the next few months. I truly believe that we can make an impact on at least one community college campus and that we could start a chain reaction across the state. I'm sure I will share more updates as we continue working on this project! 

Sincerely,
​Alana 

As a lot of you know, I went straight from high school to Southwestern Community College. In the beginning, I wasn't thrilled about the idea of community college- there's still a HUGE stigma surrounding not going to a 4 year university. Community college, trade school, and no school are essentially frowned upon in mainstream media and society. After the first semester, I quickly learned that going to community college was the best decision that I could've made for myself.

There are lots of pros of attending a JC that you can look up on Google. But the following are my personal beliefs for why attending community is way better than going straight into a 4 year. ​

1. You save a TON of money! Most people who attend JC also qualify for the BOG Waiver. Because of the BOG, I didn't need to come out of pocket for tuition or class registration. You're basically only paying for your books/ class materials, and school parking... and even parking rates are discounted!
2. Taking GE classes forces you to find what you like. I went in thinking that I wanted to be a business or psychology major, but taking those classes, I learned that I didn't enjoy those topics as much as I thought I would. It was through GE classes (and not having to choose a major right away) that led me to find my love for anthropology and sociology.
3. Staff members are far more understanding and present. At universities, most of your professors don't have the time to be attentive or personally help you. Community college professors on the other hand only want to see you succeed. In my experience, they've all been extremely caring and take the time to help you if your willing to ask for it.
4. This one is for my P.I's and other family oriented people- you have the ability to stay close to home. Although you might want to move away eventually, attending JC allows you to stay close to home while you and your family get used to the idea of moving away or not having as much time to spend together due to the college load. You still have a lot of homework, but you're within enough proximity that if your family needs you or you need them, it's not hard to see each other. 

Like I said, there are way more pros than what's listed above, but these are the ones I found most important and that have made me so successful. Southwestern has provided me with a stable foundation and over the summer, I graduated with a Double Associates in Anthropology and Sociology with Honors. 

It's been one hell of a journey but it's all been worth it. I'm happy to announce that I will be attending San Diego State University in the fall to earn my double Bachelors. 

I can't wait to bring you all along with me on this new chapter of my life. 

Sincerely, 
​Alana

This past Thanksgiving, my family, Alex and I made a trip to Arizona to celebrate with my Uncle Jimmy and family. Our three days were filled with family, tons of food, and loving on their two dogs. Seeing the kids all together is always a fun experience, but there's a pretty large age gap between me, my sister, and then the rest of our siblings and cousins. 
So when we needed a break from the slight chaos that is small children, Alex and I took my sister around Arizona and showed her how we like to take advantage of travel opportunities. 

Whether you have a couple hours during a layover, you're in a place that you might think is boring, or if you're just driving through somewhere, there are always places to explore in every corner of the world. 
My sister didn't think there would be much in Arizona, but if you look up a list of things to do, quite a few options come up. When I hunt for a quick itinerary, the first thing I do is Google "things to do in____" , then I'll read some personal reviews, and finally I'll Youtube it. When it comes to Youtube videos I look for the ones that say something along the lines of "____ in 72 hours" or watch one of the shorter videos. My favorite on Youtube is also looking up "Best Food Stops in _____". We were way to full from Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers to make some foodie stops in Arizona, but from previous trip experience, it never disappoints. 

Now on to the travel adventures! My family lives in Peoria, AZ where there isn't very much to do, but just a short drive away and you'll end up in Phoenix and some pretty great nature and hiking places. Before getting too far into nature, we made a stop in the Melrose District and checked out some vintage furniture and art deco stores. These places made for some great, Instagram worthy backgrounds which were Alyssa's favorite part.
Then we made our way into the mountains and stopped at Phoenix Mountain Preserve and Papago Park. Also some great backgrounds and what surprised me is that they were very different from each other. Of course it's still desert, but the rock structures were total opposite and the landscape varied significantly as far as sand and plant life. There were hiking trails at both of these locations and even more located all across Arizona. 
Next, before heading back home, we stopped at the State Capital Building, also adjacent to Bolin Memorial Park. In every single trip, I always try to make it a point to learn more about the history of the area and visit a historical location. Even though your destination might not have a history that's known worldwide, every place has an interesting story behind it and I believe that learning about even a little piece of it will take your experience to the next level. Seeing the memorial and capital building gave us a greater appreciation for our trip, and with the full day of stops, visits, and photos under our belts, it was time to go home and eat more leftovers. 
Within a morning and afternoon, literally 9a-3p, we were able to explore some of the best places in Arizona and made memories that we will never forget. After filling our stomachs and spending the last of our stay with our family, we started making our way back west. We stayed overnight with my parents and siblings at a Hilton brand hotel (I want to say a Springfield Suites but I could be wrong) and made a sleepover night ordeal to hang out with the kids to make up for leaving them at the house during the day. And if you're wondering, Alex and I stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn during our stay that was only a few minutes from my Uncle's house. It was a beautiful hotel and had the most amazing pool area. Part of our hotel stay was due to not having enough room in the house, and part of staying with just the two of us was to ensure we wouldn't catch a case of the "I love my family but they're driving me crazy" holiday blues. It worked because if we had to hold one of those sleepover ordeals the every night we were there, we would've lost our minds. 

The next morning we woke up and Alex and I were on our way back home. Like I said, some of the best memories happen when you make stops while driving through. Our first visit, the Ass Kickin' Hot Sauce Store where we bought some hot sauce souvenirs and got to hang out with their mascot... donkeys! We got back in the car and before we crossed the state line, we visited the Yuma Territorial Prison. I was able to see this place with my mom when I was a little girl. We love the paranormal and haunted stories so this was one of our haunted bucket list destinations that we created when I was about 12. However, I didn't tell Alex that it was supposedly haunted until we were already half way through the tour and he couldn't get a refund ;). Ghosts aside, this is a place full of history and one that's inspired many movies. I definitely recommend visiting here if you're in the Yuma area; another stop in Yuma- Ninja Sushi. I know what you're thinking... sushi in the dessert? BUT it really is so good and was a great stop before finishing our road trip back home to sunny San Diego. 

Always look for potential pit stops that you can make while travelling through places and don't be afraid to explore the hidden gems of a city. No matter where you are, there are always wonderful things to see and memories to make. 

Sincerely,
​Alana