Pineapple wishes and coconut dreams! It's been a long-standing hope that I could go to Hawaii. Well, when work said there was going to be a 4-day weekend for the 4th of July, and when my cousin Elim told us all that she's going to be posted on O'ahu for two years... it all made sense that I go.

What a great place! There's such a Pacific culture there - from the plane ride next to a man from Guam, to people talking about vacationing in Okinawa, to asking which island everyone else was from, it was really neat. The food (all served with rice), the drink (mmm lava pina coladas), the shopping (4 percent sales tax anyone?) and the beaches, did I mention I came back a few shades darker?

There will be more trips there I know!

This is an out-of-order picture in the timeline, but yeah, the beach was too nice to ignore. Me and Elim at Kailua Beach (I think)

Even the plane ride was neat!

 

It's very rare that I fly west from SFO - but little did I know the plane ride was 5 hours, not 4, and the time zone was 3 hours back, not three - but I didn't think I seem to care.

 

On approach!

So Elim lives around the corner from here - now this is not a "around-the-corner" eew, but wow. They put her up at a resort for 2 years... ah the life!

So first things, first, we went to go eat at, Don Ho's (of all places!) and there's Elim...

 

And here I am after 1 colada - but did I mention the first dish I had was curry seafood risotto? All three of my fav things in one dish, with a mai tai to boot!

Yes, the resort has it's own beach and outdoor massage tents...

 

Palms.