A fitting that end

Before it is too late and I forget, I wanted to record some general observations about life on O'ahu. First, since there is no daylight savings time, the days begin much earlier with the sun often rising in the 6 o'clock AM hour. The sun also sets earlier. A typical day in Hawaii in August last from 6 AM until between 7:00 and 8:00 PM.

In addition to that, it never seems to be overbearingly hot to me. Although there are definitely some intensely sunny parts of the day, there is almost always a breeze coming off the ocean that is cool and refreshing. As with many coastal areas, you can smell the saltwater and the beaches where ever you go. The evenings are cooler than I expected; often tapering off in the low 70s in temperature. I have seen more large leafed plants and beautiful flowers that I have in my entire life. There are also a lot of tropical fruits that grow wild in peoples yards and are available for the picking. Wild chickens are everywhere.

Among the foods that I've tried for the first time are poi, breadfruit, and I even found some exotic flavors of ice cream; including Cabernet Sauvignon and Macadamia nut banana. Last night I had chicken wrapped in luau leaves and it was good, but very different from what I'm used to. On this vacation there hasn't been a single day where I have risen later than 7 AM. Likewise I've gone to bed mostly in the 10 o'clock hour with a few late nights stretching into the 11 o'clock hour. 

One thing I will have to remember for next time is that the Hawaiian sun can be very brutal. Steve and I both got singed pretty badly on our first day out and it took us almost the entire week to recover. On our next trip to the Hawaiian Islands I will make sure that Steve and I have the opportunity to be more independent on our vacation and that I have a good base tan before I leave and take advantage of shade on the beaches. Steve will also have to remember not to dump his cell phone in the ocean for 20 minutes and kill it; because that happened.

Today for the first time since we arrived Steve and I were able to go out just the two of us and explore the island. I think that may have been the highlight of our entire vacation and I wish that we had been able to do that all along. As the trip draws to a close, I am already looking forward to coming home. There are always parts about going home that I don't look forward to such as worrying about bills and planning meals and the day to day grind. Despite all of the dissonance between my family and mys of, I do feel refreshed after my week away from things. I feel that I will be able to return to work with a clear mind and I will be able to face challenges when I get back with more diligence than I may have before vacation. 

I will miss the ocean. I will miss the breeze that carries the salt to land and I will miss the smell of the tropical environment. I will take back with me every experience I have gained and be able to use those experiences to make myself a better person. I feel ready to accept new challenges both in my personal and professional life and I feel that I'm ready to return home.