So after some not so comfortable plane rides, I finally landed in Honolulu, HI on Wednesday, July 11 (aka the longest day ever).
Time changes will always mess with your body. I've been lucky enough to not ever get jet lag too frequently, but this one was a killer. I took off from San Diego at 6:00 in the morning (9 am from my local TN time) and then landed in Honolulu almost 6 hours later at 10:30am HI time (4:30 back home). An old friend from high school picked me up from the airport and we immediately went to the beaches where I learned that I'm not as good in the waves as I used to be.
After being pounded and washed up on shore half a dozen times, I finally got the hang of it...thank god! After the beach we drove around town for a few more hours, sampling local fruits like Lychee and other strange delicacies like fried spam wrapped in rice and seaweed...
...yeah, very interesting to say the least.
It was 4 in the afternoon when Grant had to go to work and I took a hour and a half bus ride down to Waikiki Beach to meet up with my Aunt and Uncle who happen to be traveling here the same time as me. I met them on the beach and then we all went to dinner and had a great time in the city. But around 10 at night (nearly 4 a.m. to my Tennessee time) I hit a very hard wall.
Grant picked me back up and we headed home and I fell asleep faster than I ever though humanly possible.
The next day, Thursday July 12, was much better though. And my emotions are starting to pick back up again. I had a really rough time on my first day of flying, but now that I'm in Hawaii and traveling and experiencing new things and meeting new people...my spirits are definitely getting higher.
Grant had to work all day but let me borrow his car so I could drive around and do the more touristy things. I took a lot of pictures, climbed a lot of rocks, and saw my first sea turtle! I literally rode the current with it for 15 minutes...and I wasn't even 20 feet off shore! It was absolutely incredible :]
It's Friday now though and I've got another friend flying in town to camp and relax on the beaches with me for the next few days..
Every day is a new beginning and the hardest part is always taking that first step. I still miss everyone back home and think about them a lot, but I can feel myself getting stronger with every new experience.
I'll be writing again soon!
-Little Blonde Traveler
