U.S. Women's soccer player Natasha Kai figures she's still the same person that she was just a few weeks ago.

Except with a gold medal.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, that I won a gold medal," the Kahuku native said. "When I look at it, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I won a gold medal.' Sometimes I'm sitting back, and I'm like, 'I did it.'

"But then I just go on with my life, I'm just the same old me, but with a gold medal."

She arrived back in Hawai'i Monday — checked off pastele stew as the first item to take care of: "I think I inhaled it like a vacuum" — and has since been catching up on much needed rest.

"I'm tired. I'm exhausted, the time difference is bad, I'm getting sick ... but it's OK because I'm doing all of it with a gold medal. It's so worth it," she said.

Her medal is a reminder of all the hard work she's put in, especially in the past four years with the national team, and the dreams she's had since she was 5.

"From being almost cut in January, to coming back and winning a gold medal ... It just tells me that anything can happen and anything is possible," she said.

"I don't think my life has changed. I don't think winning a gold medal should change you or your perspective on life or your attitude," she said.

Kai returned to her old stomping grounds Wednesday night when she went to the University of Hawai'i women's soccer game and was greeted with chants of "USA! USA! USA!" and swarmed with requests for pictures and autographs.

Kai was a three-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the Rainbow Wahine, and left the program with records in points (162), goals (72) and shots (446).

"I was a little embarrassed," Kai said of the reception she received at the soccer game. "It's cool to have that support. I didn't want to take away from the girls, it was their opening night and I felt bad for taking away their spotlight."

Kai brought the medal with her to the game and willingly allowed fans to touch it.

"It is so cool about their reaction to even be able to hold it and touch it, it's so amazing," she said. "It's an awesome feeling."

But now she said, "It's in a case, in a safe."

While at the Olympics, Kai was able to meet several athletes from the women's volleyball and basketball teams and softball team.

She also got to talk to basketball star Kobe Bryant.

"He came to one of our games and wanted to meet (women's Brazilian player) Marta, and then I met him randomly in the village, cause he threw me a shaka," Kai said.

"David Beckham was at one of the NBC parties, so I got to hang out and sat down and we had a long conversation. We talked about our tattoos."

Who has more?

"I don't know, I think I do," said Kai, who has 19 tattoos, including a sleeve down her right arm.

She plans on adding one more to her artwork, of the Olympic rings, but doesn't know where or when.

She acknowledges that she is recognized partly because of her tattoos — during NBC's airing of the closing ceremonies there was a close up and the announcer immediately knew who she was.

She visited the Great Wall — "I finally got to walk/run on the wall. It was hard, but cool" — and the Forbidden City, and went to the finals for women's volleyball, men's basketball and track and field.

"It felt like college, when you're in the same section as the other athletes, and you are cheering as one country," she said. "It was awesome."

But her favorite part of the Olympics was easily standing on the podium with her teammates, singing the National Anthem.

"I was totally crying," Kai said. "Half of us were crying and half of us were smiling, and we were singing the national anthem so loud."

It made it more special that her parents, Benny and Sharon, younger sister Krisha, younger brothers Jalen and Jurrell and friend Ashley Cornelio were there to experience it all with her.

"It helped me a lot, having them be able to live my dream with me; being able to see them and talk to them and see them in person when things went well and didn't go well," Kai said.

She played in all six games for the U.S., and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Canada.

"It's awesome that I had this opportunity and did something with the opportunity," Kai said. "It gives hope to all these little kids who are from all over the United States. It gives them hope that if they believe they can accomplish it, it's possible.

"I dreamt of it since I was 5, and it came true which I never, ever thought it would happen. Everything I went through since I was 5 to 25, it was worth it. Although there are times I didn't think it was worth it, I'm glad I stuck with it."

Kai is in Hawai'i until Sept. 11, when she rejoins the team for games in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Illinois for three games against Ireland.