Hawaiian Finale Part 2

 
I still remember the heavy feeling that surrounded me as our last full day came to an end. We didn’t want to leave…none of us. I wanted to freeze time, hold it prisoner in a bottle and bury deep in the sand. I wanted to stay on that stretch of beach forever—to breathe in the salty sea air, bask in the sunlight, and drink in every ounce of goodness that this island has to offer.

We stayed on the beach until the sun began to set and our shadows grew longer. Oh how I wished this trip, this adventure, and this continuous high didn’t have to come to an end. Rudely, I’ve been reminded of the saying “nothing lasts forever”. Clearly that isn’t completely true—yes, the geography changes, but the feelings, the experiences, the memories….well, they’ll last forever.

love her faces

This is a picture of pure happiness.

We swam until our fingers and toes turned to prunes, then we swam a bit more. We wanted to draw out every minute of the day and pack it full of fun times.

 Mission accomplished. So many great moments were captured that evening-- moments that I want to harvest and save for days when I want to relive our experience.

Swimming at sunset was fantastic. I wish we did it more often. Seeing the sun deep, turning blue skies into shades of pink, and the water mirroring the sky, altering from turquoise to a deep shade of purple. So beautiful and tranquil. 

 she has gotten so brave

 my guppy 

 final sunset

We awoke early on the morning of our departure. We all dreaded this day, but we made the most of it. Since our flight was a red-eye, we loaded up the car with beach chairs, towels, and sand buckets and dashed down to Waikiki for one last beach day.

Bubbles on the beach? Who can argue with that?

My mom and I sat wedged in our chairs, drinking Starbucks coffee and eating fresh fruit with our toes in the sand, while the kids played in the early morning light. It was so relaxing-- a perfect way to spend our final hours.

So much of Oahu now lives within us. We’ve stashed Hawaii's way of life, their happiness, their gentle dispositions, and their charisma into pockets of our hearts. I’m eternally grateful for this amazing experience—it was beyond healing; it was life changing, and exactly what we needed to get through this deployment. As silly as it may sound, I left having fresh eyes, a brighter outlook, and a greater sense of self-worth. My children left having more confidence, cherished moments with their Mimi, and numerous happy-go-lucky island memories.

 

Aloha,

Em

Down in Waikiki

My to-do list for today is full of design projects, heaps and heaps of laundry, and DIY projects. So, I’m coming in for a short and to the point blog post. Please bare with me as I catch-up on the past few months… 

We set out early before the busy streets and city sidewalks awoke. It was nice to get an early start to exploring—to see the beach in different light, new colors and hues.  A lavender and soft turquoise reflected peacefully off of the Waikiki seascape as waves elegantly curled among the sand. It was quit tranquil—like a Japanese garden level of tranquility.

We ate our Starbuck’s breakfast on the Waikiki wall, watching the quiet city grow louder and louder as bikers, walkers, and city buses quickly passed by to their destinations. Street performers pulled out their guitars and set out their hats as tourists formed circles to soak in the entertainment. A girl could get use to this lifestyle. 

As the sun grew more intense, we walked down the Waikiki shoreline to the Waikiki Aquarium.

We became face-to-fin with a variety of tropical fish, coral, and jellies. William was completely mesmerized and we loved seeing all of the vibrant colors.

The Honolulu Zoo was right down the road, so we happily took advantage of our day and ventured in. It was a zoo like all the rest, except for the overabundance lush tropical foliage at every turn. Beautiful.

Happy Hump Day! I hope you all are having a good week so far...if not, you still have 1/2 of the week left to make it into what you want.

Have less. Do more. Be more.

Em

North Shore

Throughout our Hawaiian Getaway, we took several Saturday day trips through the country and across the island.

Destination: The Famous North Shore.

one of my favorite pictures of the local wildlife from our trip

On the way, we drove directly through The Dole Plantation –the world’s headquarters for pineapple production—which meant an automatic oh hey, lets park over there and take a look around.

We hit the muthaload of pineapple. As soon as we walked through the doors, the juicy sweetness filled the air. Pineapples were growing out the wahzoo-- acres upon acres of ripened fruit…and that was just on the outside. Inside there were walls –ceiling to floor—stocked with all things pineapple. You could buy anything from chocolate covered pineapple, to pineapple gummy bears, to dried pineapple chips.

We were instantly sucked in. We rode the Pineapple Express, toured the Pineapple Gardens, and filled a bag full of pineapple goodies. When we loaded back into the car, my mom and I looked at each other and said, “Did we really spend half the day stocking up on pineapple merch?” Yes, yes we did.

 pineapple fields

North Shore was everything it’s talked up to be—nice beaches, good food, the BEST shaved iced, and friendly locals. It was nice to trade the crowded city, for a day of slow walks through local shops and art galleries in the small town of Hale’iwa.

the famous Rainbow Bridge

As always, I soaked up every ounce of the local beauty. The lime green foliage, the peacocks, and the little chickens that were freely running around-- every small moment left such a lasting impression.

 sweet bark!

 up close and personal with the wildlife

free range chickens

Krysta’s absolute favorite part of the day was stopping at Matsumoto for their famous shaved ice. They have the best shaved ice on the island. 9 out of 10 tourists agree.

This one minute video best represents how we spent our day: 
Video

It was a nice change of pace. A day that was full of memory making where we can look back and say, “Remember that day when we….”.

Em