Aloha!

I admitted to Travis when we were in the airport that there are a few reoccurring dreams that I have regularly.  1)  I am back in Australia.  I dream that the most often.  2)  I work at Outback again.  I miss that job.  3)  I dream that I am in Hawaii on the beach.  Well, dream come true!  And the best part was, it was even more beautiful in real life than it is in my dreams!

To prepare myself for the trip I bought a new swimsuit.  Then I headed my little pale self over to the tanning salon and after two successful 45 second sessions in the spray-tan stall, I found myself feeling a little less mortified at the thought of wearing a bathing suit in public.  After all, tan fat looks better than pale fat.  And of course, I gave myself a fabulous pedicure.

Then I packed up my toothbrush, a few skirts, shirts, underwear, and swimsuits.  Of course I forgot my jammies.  You may be thinking, what's the big deal?  You're in Hawaii, but after I get to our sleeping arrangements, you'll understand.

This is where we stayed.

This vacation was with Trav's brother, Jeff and his wife, Kristie and then two other couples that I didn't really know before we spent a week together.  We rented a house for the week.  It was perfect, I thought, but upon entering the house I only counted three bedrooms.  Yes, that was because there really were only three bedrooms.  So the fact that I forgot my jammies and/or sweats was a big deal, because I had to sleep on the futon for two nights!  Still, I was in Hawaii, so there wasn't too much to complain about.  If I really needed sleep I would just sleep on the beach, with the soothing sound of waves in the background.  Oh wait, no!  Wrong again.  

The sunset from our porch.

Winter is the rainy season in Hawaii.  We were told, after the storm subsided, that we experienced the most rain that Maui has had since something like 1985!  Still, despite the large amount, the rain was warm.  So we could just go to the beach after it stopped?  No!  You see, rain storms wash the pesticides from the sugar cane plantations into the oceans.  You don't swim in that water because of the disgusting idea of getting contaminated with pesticides, but it is because the pesticides kill fish and then the sharks swim up to the shallow waters to eat those dead fish.  So I did get to sit on the beach.  I just didn't get to go snorkeling with the sea turtles like I had hoped.

Hawaii -- first thought?  Pineapple!  Coconut!  Pina coladas!  In my dreams of being in Hawaii, the beaches weren't as beautiful as they were in real life, but I did drink many pina coladas.  Although the beaches in Maui are amazing, it is not a touristy island, so there weren't pina colada shacks at every beach.  On the other hand, if it was pot that I had wanted I wouldn't have been let down.  Pineapple farms and coconut trees, but not pina coladas?  

The beautiful road to see "The Blow Hole" (It's a cavern that blows water, not a person!)

So of course I am a well-versed exagerater, and acting like a spoiled bratt.  I went to Hawaii!  We were able to spend plenty of time on the beach.  I had a great time!  I came back with somewhat of a real tan, and I even finally got my pina colada (in the airport).  If only I didn't haven't to go back to school ...