Tomorrow Is Another Day...

Growing Up Optional

It's a Friday night that I sit here, waiting for my husband to get home from a work trip and pondering the strangeness of life.

For one thing, I have a husband.  I've been married for almost two years, and I still can't really quite wrap my mind around that particular development.  And not only do I have a husband, but I'm married to the boy I had a silly crush on when I was seventeen.  If I could go back in time, find myself in the quad where I would frequently "run into" him accidentally on purpose, I would love to deliver that bit of news to seventeen-year-old Angela and see the look on her face.

Another weird thing?  I own a house.  My name is on a title for a HOUSE.  I mean, only grownups own houses right?  So what does that make me?  I certainly don't feel like a grownup.  I don't feel any different than that seventeen-year-old Angela--and if we're being really honest here, ten-year-old Angela.

One of my favorite family stories revolves around my grandmother on my dad's side.  In her 80s, as she was slipping away from us into the haze of dementia and I suddenly realized that there was no way that deep, nut-brown hair color was real as her last dye job faded away and she didn't bother with a touch up, in a moment of rare clarity she said, "You know, sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder how a sixteen year old girl got trapped inside this old lady's body."

In just a few short months, I'll be turning 27.  I have a husband.  I own a house.  People my age and younger are having babies.  On purpose.  And, in most cases, no one seems to think they're making an unwise decision.  Sometimes I pick up a shirt, or a dress, or a headband that I really love, but I put it back down because really it's too young for me.

I wish I could pinpoint the exact time in which I made the transition from girl to woman.  Maybe then it would feel more real that all of this is really my life.  But maybe that leaves the portal open.

Maybe you never do have to grow up.  Not in a Peter Pan way--yes, there are responsibilities that must be accepted and certain social mores that should generally be followed--but sometimes maybe it's okay to wear a headband with a bow or to put off laundry for one more day in favor of a play-date with your friends.

Because isn't that the part of being a grownup that you always dreamed of when you were a kid?  Making your own rules and eating ice cream for dinner?  Growing up is a weird and strange evolution, and I know that the next sixty years will fly by in what seems like minutes and then I'll be the one sitting in front of a mirror, staring into the wrinkled face of a stranger.

But I think as long as you always know that there's that sixteen year old inside of you, you'll always be okay.  You'll always still be you.

"You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old."
~George Burns

Oahu: The Island of a Bajillion People and Three Interstates

 

So, here's the thing, I'm just going to say it and accept the backlash that this controversial statement will likely create.  I just didn't like Oahu.  I could write paragraph after paragraph listing all of my reasons, but really they can all be summed up thusly:
1) Tiny island, LOTS of people.
2) Big city conventionality.

If you want to get a parking spot at the beach, you have to be there by 8 am, or walk miles from the closest available spot.  It may look like it will only take 10 or 15 minutes to get to Waikiki from the airport, but it will, in fact, take an hour.  And all of this in a place that has become nothing but a bite-sized, beach-side version of Times Square.  Were we miserable while we were there?  Well, sometimes we were, but overall, no.  Were we ready to go home when the seventeenth rolled around?  Yes.

But our hotel room was nice.

And our view was TOO DIE FOR.

 

But first!  We had to finish our Kauai "to do list".  No, I didn't make an itinerary, but come on, you didn't think I would go on vacation with at least SOME sort of goals in mind!  The morning before we caught our flight we woke up to the torrential downpour of Tropical Depression Felicia.  Lucky for us, she apparently had gotten wind of our schedule and was kind enough to clear up for our visit to the Kauai Coffee Company (tried the coffee--still hate it) and the Hyatt at Poipu for lunch (new goal--STAY THERE SOMEDAY).  The waves were still enormous, but the sun was shining, and we were crying on the inside as we headed off to the airport to do battle with the car rental agency.  It was, however, with a joyful heart that we waved goodbye to our crappy PT Cruiser, and soon we were back in the air, on the way to our next island.

We were greeted by a lovely rainbow over the mountains as we drove to Waikiki, but opted to stay in for the night as Felicia's rain had followed us.  We dined on delicious Wolfgang Puck Express Pizzas as we watched the mysteries of magic revealed on tv.  The next morning we dragged ourselves out of bed and headed to Pearl Harbor to visit the Arizona Memorial.  It was an intensely powerful experience, and I found myself not in the minority as a few tears made an appearance as I looked down into the oil-slicked water.  It wasn't the most uplifting moment of our trip, but I think a reminder about the true cost of freedom is important every now and then.

For lunch, we decided to check out Hickham AFB, where a few of our friends will be moving in the next few months, and then went back to the hotel to get ready for the Hale Koa luau that evening.  Now, I can't speak for other luaus, but I can tell you this, if you're looking for good food, hot men climbing coconut trees, women shaking what the good Lord gave them, and a delicious pina colada, then the Hale Koa luau is the place for you.  We were even treated to an adult contemporary hit of the late 80s as the MC sang his world famous chart topper, Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You.  (You have to watch that video--horses, beaches, sunsets, pink sundresses--you will NOT regret it.)  (I may or may not have downloaded that the minute I got back home.)  (I did.)  He's a high school teacher now.

The next morning we totally rejected the schedule we'd decided on the night before and slept until after ten.  Which meant that we began hiking Diamond Head around noon.  Bad Idea Pants.  Which leads me to a recurring observation we had about Hawaiian hiking levels--they say "easy", I say "It's not easy if you can't hike it with a pina colada in hand and not break a sweat."  They say "potato", I say "bullshit".  Fortunately, it was a fairly impressive sight once we heaved our broken bodies up the final step, and even more fortunately there was a moderately shady spot for me to sit.  Triple fortunate, and a damn good marketing strategy, there was a shave ice stand at the bottom of the crater.

We rewarded ourselves with a long afternoon at the beach across the street from our hotel, and that night had the great fortune of meeting up with a longtime "internet friend", Mandy, and her husband.  We met at the Outrigger Waikiki for dinner at the Hula Grill, then wedged ourselves into Duke's for an after-dinner drink.  It was so much fun to meet someone that I've felt so close to over the years without ever having actually met and have her turn out to be just as awesome in person as she is online.  I could have happily sucked down another couple of daiquiris, but we were all clearly wiped out by 9:30 and my stomach was already tying itself up in knots at the thought of our next morning's adventure...

Kauai Did We Have to Leave??

And then there was no internet.  We stayed in a great hotel on Oahu for the last five days of our trip, and they provided everything we could ever need, including internet for the low, low price of $9.95 per day.  Eye roll.  I know all 2 of you have been anxiously awaiting my next Hawaii update, so my deepest apologies for making you wait this long.  Let's finish up in Kauai today, shall we?

On the 9th we made our transition from our B&B in Princeville to one on the south shore, so we wanted to finish up all of the "things to do" on the north shore before heading down.  We started off with a hike to Queen Emma's Bath, an amazing naturally created pool in a lava rock formation right in the ocean.  Because 1) I am a chickenshit and 2) There were a lot of people jumping and splashing around in the pool, I opted not to actually get in the pool, but we had fun watching other people jump in. We finished up the north shore with a visit to Lumahai Beach where the "Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" scene from South Pacific was filmed, and lastly Kilauea Lighthouse, a combination lighthouse and bird sanctuary--two for the price of one!

Our B&B in Lawai was... beyond words.  It was the most beautiful B&B I've ever stayed in with an absolutely spectacular view, and I'm already dreaming of going back again in our hopefully not too distant future.  I don't know if I want to share it with the world, but it's pretty popular already, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you that it was the Kauai Banyan Inn.  Just don't try to book the Ulu suite for the same time as us!  We discovered a couple of days before we left for our trip that a couple of our friends from college were going to be in Kauai while we were there, so that night we got together for a delicious dinner at Brennecke's on Poipu.

The next morning, we headed out to Waimea Canyon--the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  Since I've never seen the ACTUAL Grand Canyon, I can't make a comparison, but Waimea was pretty dang impressive.  We drove to a few of the overlooks, then got down to the business of beach-going. 

We made our way to Poipu and I camped out on the beach with my book while Colby tried his hand at body-boarding.  He had fun for a little while, but eventually the waves began to overpower pretty much everyone out there as they grew in size.  It was one of the few effects of Tropical Depression Felicia that we felt, and it was actually pretty cool to see the 10-12 foot high waves and the locals body-boarding and surfing.  That night we opted to stay in and enjoy a quiet night on our private porch overlooking the old sugar mill and the ocean.

On the 11th, we went for breakfast at Eggberts in Ka'apa, then met up with our friends again and went to Wailua and Opa'eka Falls.  I was still in search of what I call a good "floating beach".  All of the beaches we'd been to so far were gorgeous, but they were covered in coral making them good for snorkeling, or pretty wavy making them great for surfing or body-boarding, but all I wanted to do was get in the ocean and float!  We FINALLY found the perfect floating beach in Salt Pond Beach and I just got on my noodle and floated to my heart's content all afternoon.

After we had our fill of floating, we packed up our mountain of beach gear and caravanned over to the Barking Sands military base where we walked the gorgeous beach and then offroaded a bit to Poli Hale State Park.  We watched the sunset at the state park and it really was the perfect combination of sandy beach, crashing waves, and dramatic cliffs at the start of the Na Pali Coast.  Unfortunately, on our way back to our B&B, our radiator busted on us, so the four of us ended up doing some late night "redneck camping" on our beach chairs and mats on the side of Kaumaulii Highway, waiting for the tow truck to rescue us.

It was certainly an interesting way to spend our last night in Kauai, but it's definitely one of those vacation moments I will always remember.  The next day Felicia finally hit the island and we were off to Oahu where we experienced a completely different side to Hawaii.

Just Another Day for Me in Paradise

Kauai, in a word, is paradise. It's the most beautiful and the closest to untouched place that I've ever been, and as much as I’m sure Oahu will be a blast, I’m kind of heartbroken to be leaving this tiny little island in the Pacific.

 

We arrived on August 6th, and having decided to split our trip between the North and South shores, we headed up to Princeville to the Princeville Bed & Breakfast for the first half of our stay.  The B&B was a beautiful home on a golf course, and we really got to feel as though we were part of a family as we got to know our fellow boarders and the sweet couple running the place over breakfast chats.

We began our time in Kauai with fish tacos, a bottle of wine, and a twilight dip in Hanalei bay before crashing into a deep sleep in preparation for hiking the Kalalau trail along the Na Pali coast. The hike begins at Ke’e beach in Haena State Park and winds along the Na Pali cliffs for 11 miles, ending at Kalalau Beach, but we opted to just do the first 2 miles out to Hanakapi’ai Beach and then back to Ke’e to sun ourselves (me) and snorkel (Colby) for the rest of the day.

The hike was definitely strenuous at times, and we were glad that we had stashed as much water in our backpack as we did, but we were rewarded with the most glorious views of the coastline and the ocean, and Hanakapi’ai Beach was definitely worth the trek. If we ever make it back here—which I very much hope we do—it is possible that I could be talked into the 11 mile hike with a sleepover at Kalalau before hiking back.  I’m sure it’s a test of one’s mettle, but if the views we had over the first two miles were any indication, it would absolutely be worth it.

Saturday we got up with the chickens (literally, the amount of wild chickens roaming this island is absolutely astounding—and they particularly like to make their presence known in the wee hours of the morning), and drove down to Port Allen on the southern coast for our catamaran trip along the Na Pali. I was a little worried about seasickness, but I’m proud to say that I made a pretty decent little sailor (though a sailor who was sure to keep a firm grip on the railings at all times).

Once again, our views of the Na Pali were magnificent, and we stopped to sail for a little while before those who wanted to got out to snorkel and the rest of us (me and a French girl) chose to sit on the boat and hang our feet in the water. Though I didn’t snorkel (I'm still... working up to that...), I saw plenty of fish swimming around near the surface, and on our way out to the snorkel spot we saw a few sea turtles tumbling along and scores of adorable spinner dolphins earning their name. After lunch, we motored on back to Port Allen, and decided we were very glad we had woken up early to do the morning tour as the sea hadvgotten substantially choppier in the early afternoon hours.

 

That afternoon, we packed up our beach gear and headed out to Tunnels beach, which apparently has a reef so large it can be seen from space. I floated around a bit on a boogie board while Colby went in pursuit of undersea creatures, we went for a beach walk which led us to a sleepy Monk Seal taking a nap on the shore, and then we sat on the beach reading until we were met with a gorgeous beach sunset. All of that beauty and we were only 2 ½ days into our trip, as we would find out, Kauai just kept getting better and better…

The Palmetto State

So much has happened in the past few weeks, I hardly know where to begin. I know when a blogger that I read doesn’t update for a while, I sort of lose track of them and when they “come back to life” it’s always a little surprising that they were off living their life without my knowledge. And yet, life does go on away from the blogosphere, and mine has been a whirlwind of late.

It all started about two weeks ago when Colby came home and delivered the news that we had finally gotten our next assignment, and in less than six months we’ll be calling another part of the country home. In the words of Rhett Butler, “I’m going back to dignity and grace. I’m going back to Charleston, where I belong.”

We’re hoping to leave Washington in mid-December, head down south through Oregon and California, hit I-10 East, be home for Christmas and then continue on to our new home. It’s still a little surreal, and I’m unsure as to how this will go over with my company since I’m supposed to be starting back to work in September and now will need to be terminating employment in just a few more months…. but overall, I’m beyond thrilled to be moving to Charleston. It was our first choice, and I think I’ll feel much more comfortable and happy back in the land of crawfish, SEC football, and Spanish moss.

The next week was filled with touring as Colby’s parents came in town and we nearly killed ourselves driving to the far reaches of the region from the Oregon coast, to the Fremont/Ballard areas of Seattle, and Friday Harbor in the San Juan islands. We packed all of that and more into their five-day visit, and I also scrambled to finish three weeks worth of school in one so that I could go on vacation without making time for homework every night. My in-laws left on August 5th and we had that one day to run all of our errands, finish last minute chores, and throw some swimsuits into our suitcases before our 8:15 am flight out of Seattle on August 6th for HAWAII!!!

And that’s where I’m reporting to you from now. I’ve got tons of material to write about from our time in Kauai, but I think I will save that for a later post. Always leave ‘em wanting more, right?  We’re sitting at the airport and boarding for our flight to Oahu in about 10 minutes, so right now I need to put away my computer and start praying for the remnants of Tropical Depression Felicia to give us a break so that our beautiful 20 minute flight doesn’t turn into an Oceanic Flight 815 kind of experience…