As I mentioned before, Jake left for a work trip back at the end of May. His route home was going to take him through Hawaii, so it was decided that we could not pass up this opportunity and bought a ticket for me to meet him there for a vacation. The plan was for me to arrive on a Thursday and he would get in on Friday morning. This was going to be fine because I have a friend stationed there for the Army and my mom was going to be there for work so I had people to hang out with. All went well with my flight over and I had walked out to wait for the rental car shuttle. I glanced up when I saw a guy walk out from around a pillar nearby but thought nothing of it. As he took a couple steps closer I realized it was Jake! I was so surprised!! When I talked to him the day before I left he said he was in a hotel, which I took to mean a hotel in Samoa, not having dinner and drinks with my mom in Honolulu. This was a fantastic way to start a vacation.
We had a few ideas of things we wanted to do during the week, but mostly just looking forward to relaxing and catching up on all of our stories from the last two months.
Highlights from the week:
Seeing the Grovers (Jake's aunt, uncle and cousins).
Visiting Punchbowl and Jake's grandfather's grave for the first time.
Waiting all the way until day two to get sunburned!
Actually getting up on the stand-up paddle board.
The aquarium.
Eating breakfast on the lanai.
Pineapple! Guava juice!
Kayaking in Kailua and seeing sea turtles.
Seeing the houses my mom grew up in. Of course, Dukes and Moose McGullicuddy's.
Macadamia nuts as a souvenir.
It was such a great week. I asked Jake pretty much every day if he was sure I couldn't just retire and not go home. The answer never changed, so it was back to reality after a week of fun in the sun.
Now for the pictures...
