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| Honolulu in O'ahu, Hawai'i (February 2017) |
I haven't had the chance (or taken the chance?) to talk a lot about my trip to Hawai'i this past winter. I think it was because I was busy sharing about past adventures, preparing for the April A-Z challenge, planning future trips, looking for a job, and (as of recently) working at said job. There may have also been some time in there spent feeling sad about my old job ending. (It happens when you work with kids and make connections.) I think the last time I really had any free time was July. Even weekends that I think are free end up getting filled somehow.
But I do want to tell you all about Hawai'i … and Miami … and Key West … and all of the other places I end up going in the next few months. (Travel will be greatly reduced in 2018, so I'm trying to take advantage of my free time while I can.)
I think Hawai'i is everyone's dream vacation. It's that place you want to go but never think you can afford. That is until Delta runs a promotion and you are able to book with points. (My experience.)
I follow a bunch of travel blogs, so when a post about the promotion popped up, I mostly ignored it. Use all of my Delta points for one flight to Hawai'i or use some of my points to travel to NYC or San Francisco or anywhere else? Make those points last?
Well, technically, those points were my husband's. He signed up for the credit card, he got accepted. His points. His choice.
I offhandedly mentioned the opportunity. "Want to go to Hawai'i?"
His answer?
Yes.
So, that's what we did. I spent a good six months planning the trip. I used Google Maps, Visit A City, books… Every activity, every meal was carefully planned and worked into an itinerary to get us the most out of our very precious time. And, honestly, it was one of the most amazing trips of my life. (Of course, I say that about every trip.)
The picture above was taken during a transfer from Molokai (island) to O'ahu (another island). I scheduled the flight right around the time sun was supposed to be setting. Up until this point in the trip, I hadn't really gotten to see Hawai'i from above. (Our arrival to Maui occurred at night.) Going from the tiny island of Molokai (7,404) to O'ahu (953,207) was a stark contrast and had me looking at (and photographing) the city of Honolulu in ah. If I loved Molokai so much, would I like Honolulu? Was Honolulu and the island of O'ahu too big for my tastes?
I won't go into details in this post, but I will say that there is something for everyone to love in Hawai'i. And one of the things I loved most was the stark contrast of people, experiences, beaches, and history you could find on each of the different islands. (I still have two more to visit!)
What do you seek when you travel? Does the contrast of different islands appeal to you? Or would it send you into culture shock?
I'm hoping to start blogging more frequently again soon, but, in the mean time, I appreciate the support of my followers who are continuing to comment and engage. You all are awesome and truly make blogging worthwhile. :)
