For our honeymoon, Justin and I are going to Hawaii, the Big Island, tomorrow, and I’m so excited. Mentally I’m already on the white sandy beach sipping Mai-tais and contemplating what kind of seafood I want for my next meal. It’s my first time to Hawaii. Justin went when he was a child, but as one of my co-workers pointed out, “You haven’t fully experienced a place until you’ve been drunk there.” I’m convinced that going back as an adult will be an entirely different experience.
We have been looking at things to do there and everything is SO expensive. From what I can tell, we just need to bring LOTS and LOTS of cash. I was hoping to take a helicopter ride over the Volcano Park—there are some awesome videos of this on YouTube—but the rides are upwards of $300 a person. Yikes! So we decided we would hike it! It’s a slightly different perspective. Instead of a bird’s eye view, we get the glorious ground-level rustic view. Why would I want to see sweeping sunsets and gorgeous panoramic views of volcanoes when I can walk the long gritty, treacherous trails around hot lava? Also, I have two perfectly good legs that can get me there for free. We are also going horseback riding in the Waimea Valley. I love horseback riding although I often have issues with horses. They always give me the young, uppity ones that buck up while they give my mom the ones that are one step away from the glue factory. We will see which kind I get this time.
When I travel, I usually like to plan everything out, but after the long, exhaustive months of wedding planning, I tend not to want to plan anything lately. I just want to go and figure it out when I get there. The downside to this is that a lot of the activities and tours we are interested in are already sold out like the chocolate plantation tour. We did find a beekeeping farm that still had lots of openings. Apparently beekeeping isn’t a big draw with tourists. But I’m excited to go and see what’s there. I’ve never been to a bee farm. But all I can think about is that scene from My Girl where the kid, who’s allergic to bees, goes out and encounters a large bee hive and finds himself in the middle of an angry swarm of bees. Mental note: Do not aggravate the bees.
Justin and I have been prepping ourselves for the trip by repeatedly watching Moana. Everything I need to know about Hawaii, I feel I can learn in that movie. So in a sense, I have done my research. I’ve watched Moana four times in the past two months. I’m practically an expert—me, and the 6-year old who recommended it to me.
I feel rather uncultured. I keep thinking we’re going to a distant foreign country like Thailand or Tokyo where the language and customs are different. Hawaii is still the U.S. but from the images I’ve seen (mostly from Moana), Hawaii looks and feels like another world entirely. I keep thinking I need to bring my passport, that I’ll have to exchange currency, that I’ll need to go through customs, and that I’ll need to learn just enough Samoan to ask where the restroom is and where can we get tacos. Then I remember I’m not even leaving the U.S.
Well, we’re off! l’ll let you know how it goes and if my Moana research pays off.
the speckled spork 