Aloha Hawai'i

Aloha Hawai'i

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Officially, it's my last day in Hawai'i and I can't even begin to describe the sadness that overwhelms me.  I truly did not expect one month to fly by so quickly, but it certainly has.

I came here with the purpose of getting healthy mentally and physically.  I leave now realizing I've gained so much more than just that.  Today, I hiked Diamond Head one last time since my flight was in the evening and as I was overlooking the ocean at the top of the peak, I took in the views and felt so thankful for this past month here.  This island and the communities here welcomed me with so much Aloha and for a very persuasive moment, I felt like I belonged here indefinitely.

10 hikes • 25 logged yoga and dance classes • 15+ bike rides • Countless miles ran and walked • Countless songs strummed, sung and danced to • Daily meditations • 1 art gallery, 2 plays, 4 live shows, 3 dance performances watched • 20+ restaurants and eateries • 8 watercolor paintings completed • 20 blog posts written • Weekly visits to Foodland (haha) • Nearly 30 days of eating Poké (gotta lay off fish for awhile now) • 5 beaches • 2 major sunburns • 5 shades tanner • 12 strangers now friends • and reunited with 4 old friends from different parts of my life...

Though these are ways I can quantify my past month here in Hawai’i, more importantly what I leave with is a full heart of that same Aloha (that I know I've always carried in my soul, but was brought out to the maximum being here and all sabbatical) for all the adventures, surprises, self growth, warmth and joy I’ve experienced daily.

I think I'll have to save for a later date / later blog on how I've truly transformed being here, but for now, I'll wallow a bit and try to get over my withdrawals so I can enjoy the weekend to come. 

Talk Story and Aloha Tuesday

Talk Story and Aloha Tuesday

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Oh today was a day for goodbyes.  Feeling so sad right now but thankful for a full day of friendships and laughter and dance.  This studio was my home away from home... I took 25 yoga and various dance classes in my 28 days in Hawai'i and I'm bummed AF to not be going here anymore.

Karen, one of the women from the Still & Moving Center who had really gone out of her way to make sure I was OK throughout this month, had asked me for brunch before my Hula class.  It was incredibly sweet of her... she had said she wanted to send me off and talk story.  For those who don't know, the term "talk story" is a popular phrase in Hawai'i that really means spending time chatting, perhaps gossiping ;) sharing stories and catching up.  She had been so kind to me since I first came, sending me lists of recommendations on things to do and eat, so I was happy to share this time with her.  When we got seated to get our food, the talk story definitely started.  It was so awesome hearing her stories of how she and her husband met, the traveling they got to do all around the world (no wonder she's a book of recommendations!!!), hearing about her two sons, and so much more.  I do believe you can learn so much from our older generations, so I listened earnestly and asked probably one too many questions, but she was happy to share.

I shared with her in return stories of my life, my grandparents, my own parents, my own travels, what I've gained from this past month in Hawai'i and she came back with the fact that I came here already with the spirit of Aloha because of who I am.  She made me feel like I was a part of this place and belonged here (maybe because she was trying to convince me hard to move here permanently, lol) which made me really consider when I could possibly live here.  Hahaha, oh to dream. 

We walked together to Hula where Kumu Malia had our class do "Pua Kiele" for a final ode, if you will, to my last class.  I gave thanks to her, Doris, and Karen for being the women that truly taught me so much and gave them a small token of my appreciation (I had painted them each a watercolor).  We all then said our goodbyes... I didn't cry but I think it's because I just have a gut feeling I'll be back soon 😊

After I rested a bit at home, I went out for my last run around Magic Island.  It was bittersweet because it was such a gloomy day but still so beautiful... such a reflection of my feelings for this whole experience I've had so far in Hawai'i and having to leave it.  I felt a lot of different waves of emotions, much like the waves that continued to roll into the shore.  It was nice reflection time on my solo run but it started to rain a bit, hence I biked home to get home a bit quicker so I could start packing and get ready for dinner.

For the evening, Aaron took me out to dinner at Pig & the Lady and afterwards we walked to Proof to meet up with my gals from the dance studio for a final drink goodbye.  It was nice introducing Aaron to them and just all talking story 😜 about our own experiences here in Hawai'i.  My heart was just so full with love for my old friends and new friends and multiple hugs were exchanged as we promised to meet again in San Francisco.  I do hope that they know they can always call me and will do so when they visit.  Here are some silly photos of us as we ended our night:

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 1, 2018

So I didn't participate in Lent.  In fact, I skipped several services throughout this season all due to laziness or the schedule I had that I preferred over making time to get to church.  Jeff asked me recently if I was religious.  I honestly didn't know how to answer that because a big part of my upbringing was and I grew to resent that.  But was I associating being "religious" with something negative wrongly?  Because when I was explaining to him that I felt more inclined to say I was "spiritual" vs "religious" - he challenged me in what the difference was.

In my mind, being spiritual meant having a deeper relationship with God and being the most intentional in my beliefs than I have been before when I was going through the motions of attending church every Sunday and reciting prayers.  Being religious meant that I associated with a particular denomination (which I don't think I do, really) and lived the most correct path of a Christian (which unfortunately, I struggle with weekly).  However, as I was describing what I do believe and what I do uphold as a believer of Christ, he just stared at me and said... "so you're religious" Lol.  

Well, whatever it is that I am, I got up this morning and looked up services for Easter (perhaps 10% driven by guilt at my lackluster efforts this season).  However, that 90% of truly wanting to celebrate Jesus' rise today instilled in me excitement for trying out a church in Honolulu.  I originally wanted to make the 6AM Sunrise Service at Magic Island, but my inability to wake up early in the mornings + a night out definitely crossed that off my list quickly.  As such, I selected to go to InspireChurch - held at Kaimuki High School - for the 9AM service.  

Throughout it, I felt true comfort in celebrating just life in general.  The blessings that I've been reaping day after day here is all because of this season... because we get to live through His death.  And when I traced it all back to this beautiful celebration of His life, I celebrated my own a bit more fervently.  I'll keep it here, but the gratitude I felt to God for my safety, my health, my free will, everything I've encountered here and throughout my life's journey... woweeeee wow.  Praise Jesus.

After service, I was in a delightful mood (as I actually always feel after church; I really need to remind myself to go more often) and Jeff picked me up to get Poke and a Lei for Aaron's Ho'ike (hula performance).  What was really awesome was listening to Jeff reminiscing about his High School life as we walked through the halls of Mid-Pacific Institute where he and Aaron grew up.  It reminded me of how exactly I feel when I walk through my own halls of West Covina High School.  Growing up is such a bittersweet thing and I feel it all too deeply and hear it in the stories we tell each other when describing those days. 

Aaron's Kumu Hula instructed us that no video taping was allowed (we were essentially getting a sneak peak at their performances before their competition next week - which as Jeff describes it - is the Super Bowl of Hula competitions).  It was also to encourage us to truly be PRESENT and FEEL the emotions that a Hula performance really should exude vs being so caught up in our technologies of trying to capture it  (#HelloSocialMediaGeneration #DamnUsMillenials).  Watching Aaron and his Halau was such a nice local treat; especially because it wasn't for a luau, but a showcase for their competition, their precision and movements were nearly immaculate which was really impressive.  

After it was over, I got to give Aaron a lei and recite the "traditional saying" that goes along with gifting a lei.  I clearly read it terribly (see video above) but Jeff made me do it... mostly because he tricked me into thinking it was the "traditional saying" but really, he just put a bunch of words together to make up a dumb phrase (he told me this much later... Asshole...)  Hahaha.  In return, Aaron gave me his Haku Lei which he handmade himself; all the performers make their own headpieces and outfits - so cool!

Also, here's a selfie I took of my Haku Lei as Jeff made a pit stop to the restroom as we were leaving the High School.   No really, he legit said "I'm going to the restroom" and I said "OK, I'll take a selfie in the meantime."  So here we are:

For dinner, I stopped by Gilbert and Jimmy's place as it's likely the last time I see them before I fly out as well.  They made Easter dinner and we watched Trevor Noah's standup bit on Netflix.  It was really sweet of them to have been such great friends during my stay here.

UGH - I can't believe these last three days are going to just be all filled with saying goodbye.  SO. NOT. READY. 

Saturday Watercolors

Saturday Watercolors

Saturday, March 31, 2018

After a really active morning taking Belly Dancing with Murat + Classic Nia with Kristen, my hips were fucking killing me.  Honestly, that Belly Dancing class is NO JOKE.  Anyway, I was thinking of going shopping after my classes, but the rain came and because I decided to run home, I got back to my studio drenched (lol) only to meet my Airbnb host, Eva, who was painting the doors to the units.  I adore her, so we got to catch up a bit.  But as soon as she got finished and left, I showered and spent the rest of my afternoon painting in my studio.

FYI, it's totally my first time painting with watercolors, so it took a lot of trial and error.  But I REALLY wanted to commit to finishing a few watercolors so that I could give a few special women I've met here a token of my appreciation for being part of my sabbatical journey in Hawai'i.  As such, I legit painted from 3:30PM to 9:30PM when I got a text from Darien, one of the girls from the dance studio, to come meet her out for a bar crawl.  The grandma inside me screamed, "Quyyyynnnnhhhhhh... don't you want to go to beddddddddddd... it's almost 10PM" but the voice that told this was my last Saturday in Honolulu made me change with a speed of light and call an Uber A$AP Rocky.

I don't regret going out.  The beach squad was all present and I had a good time with them, but grandma Q can't hang like she use to.  I was ready to go by 1:30AM so called an Uber while they stayed til the break of dawn (JK, but they def didn't seem ready to leave any time soon... haha).  However, despite my faux-Irish Goodbye,  it was so sweet that the four of us finally got to go out at night and drink.  These women are seriously dope and if I were staying here longer, they legit would me by go-to girl crew.  We did exchange some remorse that it took so long for us to go out together (Darien and I tried multiple time previously but our events always crossed) but spoke of getting everyone to move to the Bay Area.  That idea would be pretty awesome and it made me grateful that I was able to meet such down to earth people that I do see myself maintaining a friendship with post-Hawai'i.  One thing I'm also grateful for though is my ability to say "peace out" when necessary, because upon going home, nothing felt more lit to me than my bed 😌

Last Friday Good Friday

Last Friday Good Friday

Friday, March 30, 2018

Happy Good Friday!

Today was definitely a blessed day.  Hula was especially special.  As I let my Hula sisters know that this was my last week in Hawai'i, I thanked them for such a great experience as many of them lamented that they didn't realize a month had already flown by (me, too).  It was particularly wonderful that my Hula teacher, Malia, specifically asked me what routine I wanted to practice (since I've learned a few in my month here) for the last song of the day given I only had this class and next week's left.

I didn't even have to say it but Malia knows how hard I fell in love with the song / routine to "Pua Kiele" so we got to do that one.  SO special to me because it's the song that can bring tears to my eyes by just listening to it.  Being able to dance it today made Hula really wonderful and I secretly promised that I'd try to nail it down before Tuesday's class so I could do it without having to second guess myself (as I often do when I learn something new).

Anywhoo, the rest of the day was eventful as I got to beach with some of the gals from the studio.  It was actually my first time hanging out OUTSIDE of class / the studio with them so it was really awesome.  At night, met up with Jeff to go to Honolulu's Art After Dark Museum party thing which was super cool... I got to look at all the different art galleries, the music was dope, and the scene was lit.

I don't know if I can make it through any more future blog posts without mentioning how devastated I am that I am already leaving.  The friendships (NEW and OLD) that I've made here are ones I'm not ready to just leave yet and I'm really bummed that I have to.

Countdown begins again...

Countdown begins again...

Thursday, March 29, 2018

It's hitting me that I have less than a week left here.  How did time fly so quickly?  I actually have to stop thinking about it because it makes me so sad that my time is coming to a close.

Knowing the limited time I have, I took today to adventure solo to a hike I have not yet done since most of the hikes so far have been the ones I've done at least twice each already.  Doing Manoa Falls wasn't difficult at all - definitely a family friendly trail that leads to gorgeous rewards all around.  Though the waterfall at the end of it was awesome, it was the lush green mountain and trees itself that left me feeling like I was in a scene from Jurassic Park or Avatar.  The serene feeling of being surrounded by nature while meditating (since it had been awhile since I turned on my Calm app) put me at so much peace.  I was really grateful for the time I spent there and it was a perfect way to start off the countdown for my last week here.

Later on that evening, I decided to do a quick run to my dance studio to take a Twilight Rooftop Nia class + Women's Yoga.  Ugh.  Both were so perfect.  As my class took to the roof of our studio to dance as the Moon and Sun simultaneously rose and set in the sky, I can’t describe the awe, the liberation, the positive energy I felt as I moved to the beat of my soul.  That's just it... how I've felt since I got to Hawai'i has been full of soul, intention, positivity.  I've been the happiest and most relaxed and at peace that I'm just hoping that I will find ways that these feelings will last even after I leave this island. 

As if that class wasn't fulfilling enough, I took Women's Yoga with Lee-Ann whom I actually have not met yet but so glad I got to for this class.  We ended up going 30 minutes past the class' end time because we were so enveloped in talking about everything!  Lee-Ann radiated such great energy and she's ABSOLUTELY rockin' her 40s.  I swear, if I look remotely as young as she does when I'm in my 40s... I will be blessed.  It was definitely a long and active day and I got home late with a lot of energy still.  The only word to describe my first day of my sad AF countdown though... is: perfect.

Tourist days

Tourist days

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

The past week has been crossing off all things to do and eat for Hawaiian tourists (as recommended by Hawaiian locals) as Rain, Tien and Tim were visiting! 💞

Obviously, because the weekend-week was action packed, I didn't have time to really meditate or blog. Definitely missed both but when are my loved ones often in Hawai'i with me? So here's a snapshot of #alltheadventures. Moral of it all? We eat a lot + invest in an iPhoneX for all the beautiful scenic photoshoots you'll have with your travel buddies.

Memorable highlights:

• Makupuu Lighthouse Trail... what happened on this journey, stayed on this journey
• Watching a "Demigods Anonymous" - a play written by my Hula teacher's son 
• Pounding shot after shot at Bar 35 & Manifest even though we said we were going to "take it easy"
• Staying out after Manifest after everyone went back to the room to meet up with Gilbert and Jimmy for another round of rock band live covers!
• It POURING in Honolulu but after we drove out to North Shore, the skies cleared and the sun came out while we were at Turtle Beach
• Going to the West Side of O'ahu to the secluded Makua Beach to catch the best sunset EVER
• When the sun decided to come out in full force the ONE time during the weekend we decided to go hiking in the dead of the afternoon and we were burning up and then it decided to go away the moment we finished our hike and go to Lanikai Beach (LOL... the irony)
• Driving around the East Side of O'ahu and making pit stops just to catch the gorgeous sunset photos we were seeing 
• Pretending we were part of a hotel so we could lay out in the sun by their pool only to get caught and kicked out... but then realizing the water at Waikiki Beach was SO much better than the pool... but ALL OF US getting sick sunburns 
• Kokohead for a 3rd time and though stopped quite a bit, still made it in the fastest time yet!
• FINALLY watching Black Panther #wakandaforever
• Kuliouou Ridge Trail... 3 hours of mud, rocks, lush rainforest-like greenery, never ending steps, but the best view yet!
• Biking Magic Island even after a tiring AF hike (Kuliouou)
• Comparing and contrasting the two Katsu places (see below)
• Bringing all my friend groups together (my local Hi friends from WesCo - shoutout to Gilbert and Jimmy, my local Hi friends from AKPsi - shoutout to Jeff and Aaron, and my Bay Area peeps - shoutout to the guests of honor: Rain, Tien, Tim) for nonstop karaoke from 10:30PM til Goody's closed at 2AM

What we ate:

• Chicken Factory - Must eats: Kalbi
• YogurStory - Must eats: Ube pancakes & Prime rib loco coco
• Helena's - Must eats: Squid luau (for a super local taste of Hawai'i) & Pipikaula short ribs
• Zippy's - OPEN 24 HOURS - Must eat for drunkchieeees: the Zip Pac!
• The Pig & The Lady - Must eats: Pho French Dip & LFC Wings
• Giovanni's Shrimp Truck - Must eats: Shrimp scampi plate
• ANY McDonalds - I'm not kidding, order the Ube Pie... omg
• Sushi Sasabune - Omakase experience that was subpar... read my Yelp! review here
• Cinnamon's - Must eats: Kalbi locomoco with a side of gravy
• Sidestreet Inn - Must eats: Fried rice & korean fried garlic chicken
• Leonard's Bakery - Best Malasada's ANYWHERE, EVER... custard puff ASAP
• Rainbow Drive-in - Must eat: Shoyu chicken plate
• Marakume Udon - Must eat: everything
• Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin - Must eat: Pork tenderloin with their curry sauce
• Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Must eat: I like the above's Katsu more, but Tamafuji had BOMB flavored rice and it was BOMB
• Highway Inn - Must eat: Squid luau (sorry, I'm addicted to this) & KALUA PORK... omg
• Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha - too sweet for my taste, but everyone else liked it
• Moena Cafe - Must eat: Shortrib locomoco 
• Manichi Ramen - I didn't have the ramen, but the soup was good that I tried
• Sweet Creams - Delicious rolled ice cream... yummy!

Breakfast with strangers

Breakfast with strangers

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

While doing my laundry yesterday, I had met a fellow Hawaiian Monarch resident who had moved to Hawai'i a year and a half ago and we ended up spending an hour and 45 minutes just chatting it up.  I mostly learned his story:  Gerry is a Jamaican immigrant who moved to Florida at 16 years old and then traveled the US from state to state until he met his now wife (who lives in Las Vegas with their 5 year old daughter).

At the meat of our conversations, we talked about how he had never before experienced racism until he moved to the mainland - particularly in Florida.  And similar to my Uber driver ROLLN (previous post), he also moved to Hawai'i and felt right at home - saying how the color of his skin didn't seem to matter much (or even at all) here; that locals were friendly with no ulterior motives and everyone treats each other like they would family.  I shared with him that my experience so far in Hawai'i has been just that and telling him about my dance studio with the warm and all the hospitable folks I've met there.  

It was nice having his company for the time as he shared more stories of his upbringing as well as his travels - all super interesting - and he invited me for breakfast the next day at the Cheeseburger Waikiki.  So this morning, I got up, got ready and that's what I did.  Though he was friendly enough, as a female and staying solo at the same place he was at, unfortunately it is in my nature to still be very cautious, so I was glad that it was a pretty public area that was nearby (I'll rant another time about how unfair it is to be female and always having to be extra paranoid).  

Well, it was a peculiar start to the day given I had very much enjoyed our conversation yesterday.  However, things got weird.  He had also invited his friend, Marcus, who he mentioned had changed his life by introducing him to the job he has now (which all I understood it to be was something within the utilities industry).  Marcus, who then joined us for the latter half of our morning meal, arrived in a suit with his laptop and expensive watch on his right wrist.  Already, I felt like I regretted coming out.  Hahaha.  To keep a long story short, Marcus then proceeded to ask me questions regarding what I do for a living and what motivates me in life, only to follow up with a presentation on this "utilities" business that he is a part of... aka *drum roll please* ...pyramid scheme!  I didn't want to have such rude feelings - he was just doing his thang - but I could not help but mentally roll my eyes.  

After his presentation was over, I straight up told him thank you but it's not something I was looking to be a part of.  He tried to rebuttal me but I quickly stopped him in his tracks to let him know that really, I am not the type that has the energy or desire to be part of something like that.  It got real awkward and I could tell Gerry felt horrible for inviting Marcus; he had thought because of my friendly personality, I'd be a good networker and someone interested in this.  I guess I had taken his question too loosely when he had asked me yesterday if I would be interested in hearing more about what he did.  I WAS JUST BEING POLITE!  Anywhoo, what's done was done and now I can say that I have formally been a potential recruit to a pyramid scheme.  Lulz.

The day went on and at least I got to end it on a really nice note with Jeff and Aaron for dinner.  Jeff swung by my dance studio to pick me up after my yoga barre class and we had Pa'ina Cafe where the boys and I reminisced about Alpha Kappa Psi (the co-ed business fraternity we were both in at our respective universities) days and all things during our early twenties.  I told them about how I got recruited for a pyramid scheme and we had a good laugh about it.  I guess it's now a story I can tell 

Yin and yang

Yin and yang

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

So I had my first really sour morning since I've been here.  I went to two of my dance classes today giving probably 25% energy.  My feet were hurting and the blisters that have been on my toes since the previous week weren't feeling any better.  Needless to say, I was in a little bit of a funk and realized that maybe it was because I had skipped my morning meditations since I was running a little behind on schedule.  I honestly haven't been meditating long enough to clearly know if that was why I was in such a mood... but if the art of meditation is as powerful as majority of folks who do it claim, then it might be - which is a pretty cool thing to experience (how different a day can be without giving just a few moments to be still).  In any case, I tried to carry on by accepting what I was feeling and letting it pass.

Later that night, I went over to Take's house to hang with him and his girlfriend, Jessica, for dinner.  I  haven't seen Take in legit 5 years since my days at LinkedIn where we first met, so when he reached out via FB to reconnect given I'm in Hawai'i, I was glad.  I had known he had moved his life here to the islands so it was nice catching up on all the differences between good ol' Silicon Valley and how drastically it differs from the local life here in Hawai'i.  After a few glasses of wine and some bomb carnitas tacos (wraps) that Take and Jessica had cooked up, I was feeling a nice buzz and definitely grateful for people who are so easy to talk to no matter how little (Jessica) or how long (Take) its been.

Simple gifts

Simple gifts

Monday, March 19, 2018

A big part of my sabbatical is to practice putting myself first and reminding myself of the goals I have for the way I want to spend these days in Hawai'i.  I want to be intentional; if I "stray" off schedule, it's because I acknowledge the result of that action or that thought and accept it wholeheartedly with peace of mind and joy.  To simplify that into a cliche - "No regrets, yo"

As such, I've allowed myself to indulge in some fucking delicious Hawaiian food these past few days and thoroughly enjoyed it.  However, as I sat around in my Waikiki studio with a bloated belly, I knew I owed it to myself to run before my 7PM yoga class, and mannnnn... was that a hard call.

When I get bloated, I get into a state of numb laziness - the kind of lazy that perpetuates a cycle of wanting to be even lazier and lazier.  I kid you not, I sat there for 30 minutes with a familiar dialogue in my head (that I've had one too many times) on whether or not to do my run.  I felt gross, I felt tired, I felt like a run wouldn't get rid of my bloat and maybe I should just take a day to sleep it off.

✋Um... that's not even how it works!  But the mind (in this state of lazy) is so so incredibly manipulative and plays some of the most sneeeeeeaky tricks.

This time around though, I did something different as this dialogue debated back and forth in my mind.  I listened to my body.  

These past 10 days, I've felt more in tune with myself spiritually and physically than I have in awhile... maybe even years.  I have my dance studio to thank for that, but being here has truly unlocked my ability to listen beyond my mind and heart (two things I've solely relied on throughout my life).  I thought that was enough.  Nope, nope, nope.  Your body needs some of that TLC as well - how I treat it, what I feed it, how I use it... ALL SO IMPORTANT.

So tonight, I listened to what my body needed and it enabled me to silence that dialogue, put on my running shoes and get out of the apartment.  It was a lot of energy that I had to muster up, sure, but the moment I closed the door behind me, I already felt good.

Deciding to run the Ala Moana beach route to my yoga class, I was completely overwhelmed by what I was blessed with due to listening to my body and giving it what it needed (despite the resistance that I clearly had).  I know this sounds unbelievably cheesy, but when I took a pause to run to the edge of the runway, I actually gasped out loud.  The sunset was stunning.

I took a few photos and a moment later, a woman who was by herself sat on the ledge of the runway.  Her silhouette made for a photo op that I couldn't resist snapping (ya'll know how I am with taking photos!)  I approached her - hopefully in the most uncreepy fashion - and asked her if I could send the picture I had taken, that I was so enamored by the sunset after pushing myself to run when it was so difficult to get out of the house that I was in the most elated mood.  She laughed and entered in her number.  We exchanged little words - she telling me that she was out alone trying to catch the humpback whale that had been spotted so near the ocean shore and my route to yoga - and I then continued on with my run.  Moments later I heard a ding on my phone and she had texted back in return:

I couldn't help but smile thinking that ironically, everything I've experienced these past 10 days has been my gift.  I finished my run and yoga'd into the rest of the night feeling less bloated and with the realization that the choices I make for my body will return in the greatest rewards if I just truly listen.

All the things

All the things

Sunday, March 18, 2018

These past few days have been nothing short of eventful.  To highlight some key moments just for my own memory's sake:

THURSDAY

• Hiked Diamond Head for a second time so that Sheila's first HI experience was not only its infamous poke (which we picked up right before), but a view of the beautiful ocean
• Watching Sheila's expression as she bit into the best Katsu Curry for the most moist pork tenderloin AND chicken taste of Hawai'i (not pictured bc we were too busy eating it)

 

FRIDAY

• Breakfast at Egghead and then my regular Friday dance classes 
• Visiting our friend Jimmy who moved to Hawai'i 5 years ago for work and never left (and whom I've also known since he was like 4 years old bc his older sister was my best friend in Kindergarten) 

• Had a mouthgasm as I tried Rainbow Inn for the first time - that Shoyu Chicken! OMG 😱😭😍
• Hiked Kokohead for a second time - but this time during sunset hours which was the best decision ever because the view from the peak was 10x more beautiful 

• Went to Hawaiian Brian's for a live Nujabes Tribute show to see some ridiculously talented folks jam out on their instruments... I was literally groovin' to the vibes of the sax that had me dancing like it was a jazz / reggaeton / salsa performance with the beats of hip hop - can you even picture that?  It was the perfect mix of so many genres that I love musically. SO GOOD.

SATURDAY

• Woke up butt early to pick up a pile of spam musubis from the infamous Musubi Cafe and hiked Lanikai Pillbox with Jimmy and his roommate, Gilbert.  They hike in sandals... wtf.

• Had a little jam session at Lanikai beach with my backup singers (LOL) as I played "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "I'm Yours" 

• Chugged our pre-made drinks that we put into water bottles and got drunk on a bus filled with old adults like a pair of hooligan teenagers as we headed to Paradise Cove (#ratchet4life)

• Knocked out as we came home but woke up at midnight where I really struggled to get myself to go out again but SO glad I did because we caught another live band doing covers all night of rock modern and classics and I learned to put my hip swaying on pause and bob my head instead (seriously, it's been awhile) til 3:30AM

SUNDAY

• Northshore for Giovanni's Shrimp and Matsumoto's Shaved Ice
• Uke at Ala Moana beach and FINALLY went into the water like a real tourist (seriously, it took me 10 days to go into the water -- yes, I am one of those that actually do not prefer the beach... errrrr... I am here for the culture, the hikes, and the poke 😅)
• Went to my dance studio to watch the performances of my fellow dance members as we celebrated the center's 7th anniversary

I can't believe I've already been here for 10 days already and another 20 doesn't seem like enough.  I already know I'm going to have a tough time leaving this island.  Anywhoo, this was more of a quick bulletpointed post for photos.  I've been so exhausted and have had little time to digest my thoughts into writing, so will have to save #allthefeels for another time 💘