How time has flown...

Last night the Nebraska Cornhuskers got their asses handed to them in the 2010 Holiday Bowl, but instead of focusing on that, all my friend Megan MK and I could do was reminisce about how we were at that bowl game exactly 10 years ago. We were there as part of a Marching Band trip, and the teams were the Oregon Ducks and Texas (Oregon won, thank God!).

We also reminisced about how we went to Disney Land for New Year's that year and how crappy of a time we all had (long story). It made me start to think back on all my New Year's celebrations for the past decade (God that work makes me feel old!)...

• Ten years ago (2000/2001): Disney Land, California
• Nine years ago (2001/2002): At home grounded, babysitting my brother
• Eight years ago (2002/2003): Party at Lydia's
• Seven years ago (2003/2004): Party at Lydia's
• Six years ago (2004/2005): Party at Lydia's
• Five years ago (2005/2006): Fancy Party at Alyssa/Kelly/Laura's
• Four years ago (2006/2007): Just back from Germany & watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve with a sick Lydia & chatting with Tom
• Three years ago (2007/2008): Neighborhood Party with Fireworks
• Two years ago (2008/2009): Times Square to watch the ball drop with Monica
• One year ago (2009/2010): Hosted a party at my Grandmother's house
• This year (2010/2011): ????? TBD ?????

Crazy. Just crazy. Now I feel old again...

One minor holiday annoyance...

Two of my tires on my car blew out. I went to get them fixed the other day and they could only fix one. Meaning I had to get at least 2 new tires. I was a little frustrated because my brother has been driving my car and I'm only home for 2ish weeks and wont be driving it again for another 3 months, but I'm the one who had to fork over the $150 to fix the tires.

Grumble, grumble, grumble... :(

A little bit of Paradise in Nebraska?

Okay, I know I can't bring the Hawaiian warmth or paradise features to Nebraska with me, but today in Nebraska it is 60 degrees and beautiful outside! Combine that with the delicious Hawaiian pineapple that I brought home with me AND a little bit of a tan (incredibly tiny) that I got from being outside this afternoon makes me feel like I've found a way for Hawaii to accompany me home! I keep telling all my family and friends that I succeeded in bringing the warmth and sunshine home with me.... they all roll their eyes. Hahaha!

Well, back outside to enjoy more of this warmth before it disappears later tonight & tomorrow with frigid wind-chills and snow! YUCK! :P

My Old Friend, The Coffee House

I'm currently at my old hangout of The Coffee House (yes, that's its actual name). In the past this is where I have come to write papers, apply to college & graduate school, to escape from work (in order to be more productive), and now to work on my Capstone crap. NOTE: If you haven't noticed, I've started referring to the requirements for my Capstone/thesis as "crap" because it seems more tedious than helpful these days.

I'm actually pretty proud of myself and getting work done, but not as much as I had hoped. One of these reasons is because I'm here with my friend Chase (who is a very distracting individual, in addition to asking me to help him with his work), and because I'm just not motivated to work on this stuff (because I'm not sure I'm doing it right and because I don't have all the materials I need). Excuses, excuses... I know. But it doesn't make them any less legit. :P I have felt productive today, and helpful to boot. Not a bad day in my book.

Things I've worked on today: My capstone proposal and my RPQ #1. What I wanted to work on today [and accomplish]: My capstone proposal, RPQ #1 & #3, my Language/Culture paper, and capstone/thesis outline. Well I may not have gotten very far, but something is better than nothing! Come on Coffee House productivity magic... do your stuff! Back to work! :)

First Come, First Serve

Last time I was home for a visit, I was extremely frustrated and upset with a lot of my friends and family. I'm sure some of you remember my rant(s)... sorry about that. Well, I surmised that the majority of my problems last time I was home is that I tried to plan things out and then got upset when they didn't work out and was so set on the schedule that everything ended up falling to pieces. This wasn't the number only issue, but the major one.

This time around, I decided that I wouldn't plan, I wouldn't get my hopes up, and I'd just relax (in addition to working on my capstone/thesis crap). I'm hanging out with people on a first come, first serve basis. And you know what? It's been amazing! I've seen many of my friends, I've had ample time to hang out with my family, I've accomplished all my holiday tasks, and I've had time to relax! I am a major fan of this going with the flow situation. Tonight is the first night I've had nothing to do and I'm spending it by having a movie night all to myself in the house that I'm watching for my neighbors. I've never been so content! :)

I like when I just let go and let things fall where they may. You can only control so much before you have to just let go. Lesson Learned!

"Shocking: Whipped Cream!!!"

I've had one of the, if not the, best Christmases with my family! Not just my immediate family, but my extended family, as well... which for anyone who knows my extended family knows this is HUGE!

To explain a little bit: My mother and I have not fought since I've been home. To emphasize, I've been home just over 8 days. This is like a world record for my mother and I. In fact, I'd even stretch it to say that we've even gotten along. Weird. So this was the first holiday that wasn't shrouded with passive aggressiveness or contempt. I can't tell you how much I prefer holidays without that... I've never known the amazingness of them!

Then there is my extended family... That's a-whole-nother story in itself, but basically everyone got along and there were a minimum (if any) of snarky comments. To highlight - all the cousins except two who were absent played the game Apples-to-Apples for just over three hours. We haven't been able to get along or sit in one room for longer than necessary without fighting since we were 12. This may not sound impressive, but trust me, it is. We were even getting into the game and yelling/arguing for our cards and getting animated with our descriptions, which would normally annoy the hell out of my grandma's nerves, but she enjoyed watching us because we were all getting along for once. I even got to learn interesting things about my fellow cousins. The culmination of how amazing this event was came when my snobbiest cousin asking if we could all get together and do this again before we all leave. OMG!!! Who knows if it will actually happen, but this was an amazing holiday experience!

P.S. the posting title is in reference to how I won the Green Apple Card "shocking" with the Red Apple Card "whipped cream" because of my animated argument. It was so hilarious that we all doubled over laughing, and my grandma cried tears of joy. Mission: Accomplished. :D

Getting Pumped for the Holidays!

I leave for winter break in less than 36 hours - meaning I'll be in Nebraska in less than 48 hours. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!!!! (<--girly squeal) :D

I took the day "off" today (really I'm just working from home, but being at home doesn't have much professionally for me to do, so I focus on the academic portion of my off-campus phase) to clean, do laundry, and PACK! I swear packing starts off simply enough, but then it just gets complicated as you go along!! I started out with a few clothes I'm taking with (I don't need to take many because I have clothes at home and it's cold there) and the Christmas presents I've purchased. But then I think "Oh! I can take some stuff home that I don't use or need anymore..." Then I realize some of my gifts wont fit in the carry-on suitcase, so I'll need to take my checked bag, then comes the "Well, this carry-on suitcase is broken, so I'll just use my new one and take this home inside of my checked bag," then I think about doing practicum work over break so I have to pack all my related books/resources, then I think about being bored at home or wanting to have movie nights with friends so I have to pack the movies... etc, etc, etc.

Now I have a stuffed checked bag, and stuffed carry-on bag that I'm slightly concerned is too big, and I still think I need to re-adjust things in them because of weight restrictions. *sigh* Hopefully I - and everything else - makes it home in one piece. :P

I'm not looking forward to the cold. I just got off the phone with my father reminding him to bring me my coat, scarf, gloves, etc. He BETTER remember. I'm coming from 80-degree weather... it's gonna be a major shock. No joke. To look on the bright side, it'll be more Christmasy, and it'll motivate me more to do all the holiday tradition things I love to do (because to be honest it doesn't really seem like it's a week away from Christmas being in Hawaii, just sayin').

Bring on the Family, Friends, Holidays, and Home!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!!!! (<--another girly squeal) :D

Updates!!!

Whoa! I've been really behind on my posting and just updating in general. Whoops!

To update on my practicum decisions, I have officially switched to a new cluster. This happened a few weeks ago (which is why I'm surprised I didn't mention it earlier... sorry!), and I already feel tremendously better about everything. I just think the old cluster was a hindering environment for all involved, and my stepping out will help.

I didn't come to this decision lightly, as many of you know from my multiple posts about it and talking with me over the past couple of months. Ultimately it came down to dissecting how things got to where they were and understanding in the reasons behind them, then to map out how I'd like the rest of my practicum phase to go, and how I saw it going if I stayed a part of my original cluster or if I were to switch. There were many conversations with a trusted professor, and some very trusted peers who already knew of this situation.

Essentially, there were many examples of social identity issues, multicultural (org/team) behavioral issues, and intercultural communication issues at foot in the situation, and I needed to learn my lessons from it and also understand that I was made an example by others, and not to personalize it as much as I did. I think this is where switching to a new cluster was needed. If I would've remained in my original cluster I most likely would've continued being made the example, which is not fair to me, my practicum, or anyone else in that cluster. I am still connected to that cluster via the online portal, but I do not participate.

Since being in my new cluster I've felt like weight has been lifted off my shoulders, my thinking is cleared again to the point where I can start outlining what I want to do with my practicum, and I can focus on something other than this situation. Definitely a healthy move. I'm not 100% positive that changing the focus of my practicum to training design was the best choice (I can most likely make it work because there are training aspects to my position), but it seemed like the best fit at the time and was suggested by the professor I was talking to. I'll figure it out. Also, just because I switched clusters doesn't mean that I'm not still a bit wary of this situation popping up again... I'll just be in a more supportive place to deal with it.

Now, to update on the interfaith fellowship opportunity that I previously mentioned wanting really badly, but was hesitant to apply for... I finally decided to just go for it. I'll figure out the details of everything as it comes. I officially applied last week, and I feel really good about it. :) I need to start taking things one step at a time instead of trying to plan out everything because nothing ever works out as planned, and then I'm just disappointed. Maybe that should be my New Year's resolution? hmmmmm.... ;) I'll keep y'all posted on if I get it or not.

Grant opportunity updates: Since the drama of the last grant, things have moved forward (like things always tend to do :P). Despite Gary being on the mainland for 3 weeks for multiple meetings/conferences, we wrote a proposal for an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant and was awarded just around $83,000!!! Crazy, right?! Now we're discussing whether or not to try for some Youth Service America grants - they may be significantly smaller, but their resources/networking/support is superb! AND I have experience with their grants from composing and managing them during my time with ServeNebraska - the Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission. As much as I like finding new opportunities for organizations & programming, I had to admit that I'm not fond of how much of my position seems to be grant oriented. My one complaint (yes, moving complaint bracelet). If it still seems to be a concern after my holiday break, I'll talk to Gary.

As always, my friends are my greatest support system. Thank you Charles, Megan S, Megan MK, Lydia, Monica, Katie, Chris, Caitlin, Tam, Nick S, Nick P, Joe E, Elaine, Tom, Vanessa and Rosie for keeping me sane and with company over the past few weeks! :)

I'm sure there are more updates, but I just can't think of them at the moment. If you think of anything, please do let me know and I'll be sure to update!!!

An Impromptu Christmas Pageant

Today was the Honolulu Marathon. Part of the route went right through our neighborhood, so we were held up in our houses until it was over. Thus, church was postponed until this afternoon. I've made it a habit of going to church with Gary and Karen. There are many reasons for this: 1) I'm fascinated about how the religious and cultural traditions are blended together, 2) it gets me out of the house, 3) it connects me with people, 4) a free meal once a week, 5) it's nice to go to church each week (I've never gone on a regular basis before), etc.

Anyway, church was postponed to this afternoon,

meaning Karen couldn't come because she had to go to the airport to pick up Gary (he just got back from a three week trip to the mainland). I decided to go to church anyway because I had heard mumblings of a Christmas pageant being performed. All I have to say is that it was ADORABLE! The church youth, along with youth from the church preschool performed an impromptu Christmas pageant. It was so cute and funny. I was doubled over in laughter because it was just too friggin' adorable! I tried to get pictures of the kids all dressed up and "acting," but (rightfully so) their parents were in the way taking pictures, so I only got a picture of the stage.

In addition to the pageant, an impromptu Christmas choral concert was held... except half the choir was missing. It's a small choir to begin with - only about 8 members - and since half of them were not in attendance (and to be heard over all the children) they gave the remaining members microphones to lead the songs. I've never cringed so much while laughing and smiling. One of the ladies, bless her heart, should not sing in public, but she was so filled with the spirit of the holidays that she made you want to sing along. I love old people! They make me smile! :)

Afterwards, the preschool sponsored a family fun evening with pizza, crafts, games, bonding. I had so much fun, and had conversations with a lot of people that I hadn't had the chance to talk with before. I'm glad I went. Before, I thought it might be awkward to go by myself, but it wasn't at all. It was just the right amount of Christmas/Holiday spirit to let me enjoy the holidays in Hawaii and get me pumped up about going home for the holidays with family and friends in Nebraska. :)

"Oh, the weather outside is... Glorious!"

It may be a minor variation to the song, but when Karen (my boss's wife) said it the other day, I loved it!

I haven't updated in a few days... my bad. But to be honest, there hasn't been much to update about! I've had a migraine since Wednesday. Yeah... it sucks. Meaning, I haven't done much of anything. I slept most of the day on Wednesday and Thursday, I went to work for half a day on Friday before asking to go home, and slept half the day today until I forced myself to get out of bed and go Christmas shopping before it was too late (besides, my head didn't hurt nearly as bad today as it did the previous days).

I also wanted to get out and enjoy the weather today. I mean, I've been reading all these Facebook and Twitter statuses complaining about the cold, blizzardy weather and then I look outside and see bright blue skies, vividly blue ocean that sparkles in the sunlight, and feel the warmth of the sun coming through my window and I'm grateful I'm here! So, instead of taking this gorgeous weather for granted (especially when I'll be leaving it for 3 weeks to go home for the holidays), I decided to head down to Waikiki and go Christmas shopping! :) ***Disclaimer: Before you start to hate me too much, remember that I'll be in the cold in a week's time***

I have to admit that it was kind of surreal to be Christmas shopping in Waikiki, and to walk along the beach to and from my car. At one point, I got really hot so I stopped for some ice cream... ICE CREAM! IN DECEMBER! CRAZY!

Now I'm home, in the air-conditioning (crazy!), eating dinner and chatting with my host family that just arrived back from a two week trip to the mainland. :) More than just the weather here in Hawaii is glorious!

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

Today we remember. Pearl Harbor.

Legacy renewed - Hawaii News - Staradvertiser.com

http://www.staradvertiser.com/specialprojects/10/pearlharbor/20101205_rally_crys_echoes_resonate_in_displays.html

Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Pearl Harbor Address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE

Unofficial Dead Week

Holy buckets! I was just made aware that it's UNL's (University of Nebraska Lincoln) dead week. That means there semester is almost over, meaning the end of my fourth month here is just around the corner! I feel super behind!

Currently I need to be working on my capstone proposal, my RPQs, my Hawaiian language courses, my Hawaiian Language & Culture paper, not to mention the little thing of my actual capstone/thesis paper! *heart palpitations*

I feel like I'm in a dead week of my own... only it's gonna last for the next month and I might actually be dead at the end of it. Time to flip the productivity switch!

Beaches!!!

After our Big Island adventure, Megan and I decided to spend the next couple days of our Hawaiian vacation relaxing. This means we spent the next two days laying on beaches ("like you should when you're in paradise" -Megan). On Sunday, we went to Waikiki and spent the entire afternoon laying on the beach and playing in the ocean. It was beyond words amazing! We wanted to watch the sunset, but the cloud cover in the distance prevented us from doing so. Instead we headed over to Duke's for dinner.

It was kind of cool to make the connection from the movie we watched one of the first nights we were in town to the actual restaurant and look to see if there was a photo like the photo from the movie. It was also nice to be at a beachside restaurant experiencing Hawaii the way the Hawaii tourism industry wants tourists to experience it. Megan and I both ordered Steak and Shrimp ("a piece of Nebraska and Hawaii on one plate" -Megan), and loved every bite! Interestingly enough, our waiter happened to be a guy with the last name Devaney. My Nebraska friends will understand why this is significant, for you others - Devaney is the last name of an iconic college football coach named Bob Devaney, meaning the Devaney name is kind of like royalty in Nebraska. When he saw Megan's driver's license (we were ordering drinks, duh) he told us that he has family back in Nebraska and that his last name was Devaney. We about spit-taked our water. Apparently Bob Devaney was this guy's great-great-uncle... and he was our waiter! Holy crow!

We finished up the evening by shopping at the International Market and walking along Waikiki beach at night. Gloriusness!

The next day, I took Megan up to Mokuleia Beach near the North Shore. It's the beach I wrote about in Beach-ful Bliss. We literally spent the majority of the day there, and we were basically alone, with the exemption of *maybe* 3 other people the whole day. We got really nice tans... and possibly a little burnt in some areas, but it was well worth it! I've never had such a relaxing day before! This is the true meaning of a relaxing Hawaiian vacation!

We ended up leaving earlier than we were planning because we were a bit burnt, and headed home. Since we were home early, we decided to go see "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1" since I hadn't seen it yet and have no one to go see it with while I'm in Hawaii. Another day/evening of just-hanging-out-with-a-friend time. I really miss having friends around.

The Big Island

Oh. My. Gosh! Our trip to the Big Island was AMAZING! The whole trip was waterfalls and volcanoes!

To get the not-so-fun stuff out of the way first, there was some crabbiness between Megan and I (only expected considering we had - at this point - spent 3 whole days together with no time a part and were sleep deprived from having to wake up so early to see the lava), and there was some homesickness on my part (because I was realizing how much I miss having friends around and how hard it would be when Megan left). But beyond those two factors, IT WAS AMAZING!

After watching the first half the last Huskers vs. Colorado after Thanksgiving Day football game at The Varsity, Megan and I headed off to the airport for our Big Island Adventure! We arrived in Hilo around 2:30pm, rented a car and headed to our hotel on Banyan Drive (beautiful, btw). We checked in to our hotel and then went in search for some waterfalls. We saw the rainbow falls (no rainbows though because it was raining), and the "boiling water" falls (I can't remember the real name, but it's called boiling water because that's what the water looks like). We wanted to see the Akaka falls, but we were afraid we would run out of daylight so we headed back to the hotel instead. That night we had a fancy dinner at a nearby resort hotel and then went to bed early because we had to get up at 3:00am to catch our lava boat ride.

The next day we woke up obscenely early and drove to Pahoa to meet our guide for the lava boat ride. It was kind of sketchy, but it worked out in the end. We got on this boat and went extreme boating out to the lava flow (when I say extreme boating, I mean ramming through huge waves and flying through the air to crash down on the ocean top really hard - so fun!). Once we got out to the lava flow I was completely speechless! There are no words - even now - to express what I felt then.

After our boat ride to see the lava, we headed back to shore and Megan and I (after grabbing some breakfast) headed to Volcano National State Park to see the top of the active Kiluea Volcano. We spent the whole day there - going to scenic points, hiking, exploring a caldera, seeing sulfuric rocks and lava fields, and then driving down the volcano to the ocean to see the sunset. It was magical... no joke.

Again, I can't really put into words the amazingness of that day, but I highly recommend everyone go see the lava flow into the ocean and explore the Kiluea Volcano. It is truly a magnificent once-in-a-lifetime experience and you wont regret it! (P.S. All photos are posted on Facebook already... go check them out!)

A Hawaiian Thanksgiving

I have to admit, it was difficult to be away from my family on Thanksgiving. I've only done so once before and that was when I was studying abroad in Europe. I can't tell you how grateful I am that Megan agreed to come stay with me over the holiday so I wouldn't be alone.

Gary and Karen were flying out to the mainland Thanksgiving evening, so with it being a holiday we kept things pretty chill. We got the chance to sleep in (which I'm always game for) before getting up and dressing fancy to go to Thanksgiving dinner at Zippy's with Gary and Karen. Zippy's may not be too fancy of a dining establishment, but Megan and I had cute Hawaiian dresses, it was warm outside (which it never is on Thanksgiving in Nebraska), and it was a holiday, so we figured we'd dress up. After a wonderful meal with Gary and Karen, we headed home to grab their suitcases and then take them to the airport. It was sad to see them off, but that meant that Megan and I were officially on our own in Hawaii - both a thrilling and scary feeling!

After dropping them off we went straight to the local grocery store to buy supplies for our own little Thanksgiving supper. Then I took Megan out to the scenic view-points Gary and Karen had taken me to the first weekend I was in town. It was so pretty, but entirely too windy! Also, we weren't dressed very properly (in our sundresses) for the excursion, so we ended it early and agreed to come back later. We went home to make dinner - which was an event unto itself - and afterwards watch the movie "Pearl Harbor" (because we're cheesy like that and also wanted to see it after going to the memorial the day before).

All in all, it was a great Thanksgiving... I'm still sad that I wasn't with my family (and I think Megan was too), but we were having the time of our lives in Hawaii so it made up for it a little bit. Basically, I am thankful for Megan this holiday, and for my blessed opportunities in Hawaii. :)

Vacation - Day 1

I'm really glad that Megan was here because I got to experience so many things here in Hawaii that up until this point I hadn't gotten the opportunity to see!

Luau: Immediately after Megan got off the plane, Gary offered us the chance to go to a Luau. Karen had asked me the week before, and although I was interested I had said probably not because Luau's are really expensive. Gary however, has gone to this particular Luau so many times that he gets an excellent discount. Megan and I jumped at the opportunity (when were we going to get an opportunity like this again?!) and went. It was so much fun! It was totally touristy, totally cliche and cheesy, but it was a giant party with amazing food! I have to admit, I am becoming more aware of things since my time at S.I.T. and I was more analytical of what type of people were in attendance, how they acted, what cultural things were represented and just how they were represented... but it was still a great time!

Pearl Harbor & the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial: Since arriving here in Hawaii, I've learned (not right away, but over time) that people here don't refer to the memorial in Pearl Harbor as "Pearl Harbor" as the rest of the world does, but rather the "U.S.S. Arizona Memorial" as it properly should be called because that is what it is. Megan and I went down there first thing in the morning because it is first come, first served for tickets to the memorial (it is a free attraction, but seats on the boat to the memorial are limited). Even though we arrived at 8:00am, we ended up with the last two tickets on the 10:00am boat, so we walked around the park taking pictures with old boats, missiles, guns, subs, etc, and watched the 25 min documentary provided. It was really surreal, but I was a little annoyed at how touristy the place felt... I know I was a tourist, too, but I wanted to feel the realness of what had happened there, but it felt more like an amusement park.

When we finally got on the boat and went to the memorial, it was well worth it. The memorial still had a bit of touristy feel, but it was easier for me to block that out and focus on what the memorial stood for. I was in awe for everything and was having a hard time wrapping my head around what happened there 69 years ago. I highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in history.

Swap Meet: Okay, so I've been to the swap meet a couple times before, but Megan never has! And the swap meet is an awesome place to get beach dresses and Hawaiian souvenirs, so I took her there for the experience and to shop! We made away like bandits, only with lighter wallets. I'm really glad I got to have that experience with Megan... it made me realize just how much I miss my friends, and it made me happy because I was having a "just hanging out with a friend" moment even though we were in Hawaii. :) I also got a couple of really cute dresses (as did Megan)!

Dole Plantation: After driving around looking for the correct exit (we were not lost, I knew where we were the whole time, but was just having a hard time getting turned around to go in the right direction on the freeway), we finally made it to the Dole Plantation! It wasn't as big of a deal as I was hoping, but it was still fun. We got to take a ride on the "Pineapple Express" (I kid you not, that is what it is really called) around the fields of pineapple, bananas, coffee, and other flowers. We thought about completing the "Pineapple Maze" (the largest maze in the world), but figured if we wanted to get to dinner at a decent hour, beat the "parking lot" (the H1 during rush-hour), and save some money we'd pass on doing the maze. We did have some yummy pineapple and pineapple soft-serve ice-cream, though!

La Mariana: La Mariana Sailing Club is an amazing little out-of-the-way restaurant located in Honolulu's industrial area. It's one of those "if you don't know where it's at you'll never find it" type of places. Gary and Karen had taken me there once before (so I knew where to find it) and had told me about how Anthony Bourdaine's show "No reservations" came and did a piece on this restaurant. They call this place "the last original tiki bar" so of course I had to take Megan! I also loved the food and drink the first time I went so I figured it'd be a great place for dinner after such a whirl-wind of a day! I was right... the food, atmosphere, view, EVERYTHING was amazing! If you are ever in Hawaii, I highly suggest hunting down this restaurant and grabbing a bite (plus - it's got an amazing story, too)!

Movie Night: After our long day exploring, we headed back to Gary & Karen's (our amazing hosts) to relax. Once there, we were asked if we wanted to watch this movie called "The Ride" that Gary had seen on his last Hawaiian Airlines flight. It's a story about Duke, the famous Hawaiian surfer... only with a twist. It was a pretty cheesy movie, but it was really good too! It was the perfect topper to Megan and I's whirl-wind 24 hours in Hawaii. It also set up the precedent for when I took Megan to Waikiki and Duke's restaurant later during her stay (more on that in a future post).

It was an AMAZING day(s)!!!