Hawaii | An Overview

Summarizing a two and a half week vacation to Hawaii is a bit difficult. We saw, tasted, & experienced so many different things! I'll share highlights from each island, but for now, here are some overarching thoughts that can serve as a general recap: 

• Long vacations allow time to truly relax & unplug. I highly recommend them!
• Hawaii is so incredibly beautiful!
• The seemingly infinite ocean with amazing fish & boundless skies with countless stars helped remind me that the God of the Bible is truly infinite, boundless, majestic, & powerful. 
• We're glad we visited the islands that we did. Oahu was fun because we got great time with our friend, KT and experienced an insider's take on the city of Honolulu & Waikiki. Kauai has the most stunning lush landscape with some gorgeous beaches. We had our favorite shaved ice here and would fly back for that alone! However, I enjoyed our week on the Big Island the best - a combination of where we stayed, lots of pool time, taking some larger excursions, and of course, seeing lava! 
• Trying to pronounce all the Hawaiian street names while giving directions to Mr. Fleece on our outings provided a daily laugh. 
• I really like spam musubi and mochi. 
• Discontentment, unmet expectations, miscommunication, rainy days, long lines, indecision, locked keys in the car, & a cancelled flight can all still happen while on vacation.
• Our favorite memory was an evening at Uncle Robert's in Pahoa (the Big Island). Picture an outdoor market, with a covered pavilion almost cafeteria like gathering space, run by local Hawaiians with lots of food vendors & an awesome band. We spent several hours just listening to the music & even ended up on the dance floor : )
• We reapplied sunblock like crazy which prevented us from becoming the commonplace lobster-faced/shouldered tourist.
• We spent most of our mornings out snorkeling & boogie boarding - I fell in love with both activities! But more than just seeing Hawaii for the fun activities, beautiful scenery, & luxurious resorts - we got a better sense of the rich culture & history. From Polynesian navigation and the Pearl Harbor attack, to the story of Pele the goddess of fire and the formation of the islands, there's lots to learn. 
• Mr. Fleece, true to his namesake, packed and wore a couple fleeces. 
• We feel like we experienced a lot of different aspects of Hawaii including "hippie" Hawaii by staying on several sustainable farms, the "local" Hawaii by staying with our friend/interaction with one amazing tour guide/the night market I already mentioned, and "tourist" Hawaii because we did indeed go to lots of popular spots & even stayed one night at a fancy hotel!
• Other activities included lots of short hikes with big payoffs, some food tours, & pool time. 
• We saw dolphins, sea turtles, whales, mongoose, wild boar, & many many cook-a-doodle-doo-ing roosters. 
• Mr. Fleece & I have a lot of fun together. He's really great!
• Per my mother's recommendation, I started the book Hawaii by James Mischner - thought it was fitting : )

Rainbow Shave Ice over Macadamia Nut Ice Cream from The Hee Fat General Store in Kaapa on Kauai.

Sporting the faintest of tan lines,

SJW