Hawaii

It Takes A Little Effort To Do Big Things. Therefore, Do It!

Destination Specifics Before the Beginning

Before I started on my journey, I watched a lot of YouTube videos on how to travel, what to pack, what to be careful of as a solo traveler. I was on my way to Hawaii but also wanted to go to Easter Island. It was a place that I was always awed by since I was a child. Easter Island excited me, not Hawaii.  It was just there, just a straight line south-east, what was so hard about that? I could do the trip as a unit. Searched for a straight flight. None. None, none, none.  Yes, this comes with total inexperience. TotaI inconvenience. You think you can get something, it looks so easy and obvious and find that lo and behold, there’s no option for it!

I looked online for a trip to Easter Island and found a package that takes you from Santiago to Easter Island and Patagonia! Wow, Patagonia looked so beautiful! But wait, I also always wanted to see Machu Picchu. There was a package deal. I booked it! So, there I was, all ready, set to go!  I packed a suitcase and a carry-on duffle bag… yeah...that was just as big as the suitcase. What did i know? I had summer weather in Hawaii and Peru, spring weather in Santiago and Easter Island and winter weather in Patagonia. Look guys, I wasn’t about to freeze when I had plenty of winter gear at home, hell, I took them along with me!  

Not to worry, I lived and learned.

YouTube has fantastic information, there are some great channels to subscribe to for inspiration, information and just cool destinations in general. Some you would never in a million years think of… The Uyuni Salt Flats. I wanted to go. I wanted to go so bad, that I booked a hotel in the Atacama Desert! I never thought I would ever want to go there, like, what was there? Sand and a bunch of geysers? Those Salt Flats though in Bolivia, I wanted to see them! I had to go!

Ok God, I’m ready. Thank You.

Yes readers, I believe in God.

In The Beginning, There Was A Thunderstorm

Saturday, April 29, 2017 JFK Airport

There was a thunderstorm booming for an hour just before my 6:00 AM flight was to depart for Kona, Hawaii. It was exciting! I didn’t sleep all night, I just wanted to get there and to all my other planned destinations.  I wanted to see the world!  See what I was capable of doing, prove to myself that I was strong enough and independent enough to execute  what I planned, meet new people, see new landscapes, go to a place in the world I have never been, always wanted to see and take as many photos as I could once I was there because obviously, I was going to frame the great ones, share them, pass them along and tell my story of my journey. I was ready to board that plane!

As I boarded the plane, it was obviously still raining but definitely letting up.  The plane taxied along the runway for quite some time.  It seemed to be roughly forty minutes.  It was long but I just loved watching the daybreak and the promise of a new day and a new life for myself.  It was truly a great deal of anticipation and longing for the unknown.  

I sat in my window seat...yay!...and just looked out the window.  My seatmate to my left was a young woman who had just sat down, put a neck pillow around her shoulders and went to sleep peacefully.  She didn’t mind one bit that she was seated in the middle seat.  I thought to myself, “she’s a pro, she obviously travels a lot on planes.” I was a little envious. Only a  little. I was so happy I had the window!

Every single flight I booked, I requested the window seat.  Why you ask, because you can see so much more than just your destination, it’s your journey!  All the beautiful landscapes that America has to offer are just beneath the wings!  They are there, so you should see it!

I watched the long line of planes take their turns on the runway and take flight, it was beautiful. Where were those people going, who would they see, why were they going there, who were they? I’ll never know.  What I do know is that I was on my own journey of a lifetime and it was my turn to take flight. Literally.

Is that the Rocky Mountains or am I wrong?  

They sure look rocky to me...

To be honest, I don’t even know.  My connecting flight was at Phoenix Arizona.  All I knew was that i couldn’t mess up with the connecting flight, had to find the right terminal and just do this right.

The flight over the good ol’ U.S of A was actually beautiful.  I hadn’t flown cross country since I was seven so… yeah, this was pretty new to me.  I’m sure it gets old for those who fly very often, coast to coast or whatever but for me, the sights were just awesome and beautiful and I just felt so lucky to be able to experience it. I was not jaded.  I am the least jaded flyer out there because I hardly fly!

Appreciate what God has created because I tell you, it’s awesome! Look out that window, any window.

You Have Arrived!

Kailuha Kona Airport, Hawaii

Must hail a cab to take me to my hotel.  I was told by the travel agent to be wary of cab drivers who do not have proper licensing and I was sure to do just that and know what charge to expect to the destination.  So I was viligent but also hot and tired.  The flight was a total of eleven hours. Again, me and my inexperience in flying got that bit of aggressive New Yorker out of me and I just wanted to deplane before everyone else in front of me.  I was way in the back of the plane and wanted the people to hurry up and get their luggage or I would go in front of them.  It didn’t happen. I’m learning guys.  If you’re in the back of the plane, remember, you’re going to be the last to get off it.

So, I got into the cab. The driver was not very talkative and seemed to have a cold but obviously had to work or he wouldn’t make money.  The ride was roughly twenty minutes, it was long but I got to look out the window and see the lay of the land.  It was pretty flat.  The beach was to my right the whole time.  I asked the driver why there weren’t people there, he said they were building a wider road which was under construction for a few years now.  As I know it now, it’s very volcanic there.  They must have a lot of hard lava to get through and maybe the finances are delaying the project. That’s just my guess.

The driver pointed to my hotel which was by now, straight ahead. After seeing all the small quaint hotels along the drive, I wasn’t impressed by how big and somewhat tacky it looked to me. Sort of like Vegas, in my eyes.  The driver was impressed by it though, he said it was one of the best hotels there so.. I had to be okay with it.

Hawaii, My Hotel, At Last!

Upon my arrival at the hotel check-in, there I stood and waited patiently for the desk clerk to give me my keys, have my luggage taken to my room and take whatever other information they wanted from me.  I was compliant. I was happy, tired and was looking forward to unpacking, checking out my room and view and then stepping outside, in search of coffee.

Oh but that View! Do you see the view?! It’s everything!  I told the travel agent that I wanted a view of the ocean and that’s what I got, Thank You!  The ocean and palm trees are just everything!  

Heavenly Hawaii, where have you been all my life?