Aloha! Home again...

Got home from two weeks in Hawaii this morning. It was a whirlwind trip but we saw so much on 4 different islands. I am in love with Hawaii and can't wait to go back. My skin loved it, my hair loved it and the air is so incredibly pure I can already tell a difference and I have only been home for less than 8hrs.

So much to tell and share, don't worry for any of you who like looking at photos there will be plenty of those coming on-line soon, but I'll be brief for the moment.

20 Things I learned in Hawaii in no particular order:

About the state-
1. Hawaii is full of big things. Big plants, bugs, bugs, flowers, more bugs, waves and mountains. But there are no snakes and very little dangerous wildlife so there are trade offs.
2. Hawaii was one of the most literate areas in the world during the 1800's and it had the first printing press and high school west of the Rockies for many years, long before it was part of the US.
3. The air is soft and smells of flowers but open air sections in the airport and hotels take a little getting used to.
4. Rainbows are everywhere and hardly a day goes by when you don't see one somewhere.
5. The sun rises at the top of Haleakala Crater only about 15 min. before it does in the valley so you DO NOT have to get up at 3:15am to be there on time to see it rise!
6. Exit signs on most of the main roads are about 20ft. from the exit so if you are not in the right lane you can just forget getting off on the right exit. And for anyone that thought driving in Bellingham was bad because the road are not in a particular pattern and there are lots of one ways steets try driving in Honolulu and you won't ever complain about Bellingham again!
7. Starbucks Coffee shops are everywhere!
8. Pineapples take 18mo. to produce their first fruit and another 6+mo. for their second.
9. The sugar industry is just about dead in Hawaii and there are only one or two sugar mills left in the state where there used to be several on every island.
10. There are lots of job opotunities in Hawaii and a very low unemployment rate.
11. Hawaii is properly pronounced Havyii.
12. Watching Kilawea spill into the sea at night is an awesome sight.

About me-
13. I get a little clostrophobic snorkeling in dark waters.
14. Parasailing was great but definetlly tested my comfort zone a bit. Flying around at the end of a very small rope 800 ft. from a boat over the ocean felt a little strange when the harness started creaking.
15. I am one of a special group of people (less than 10%) who get sea sick while swiming in the water but is ok while in the boat.
16. Swiming with dolpins is very cool!
17. Wearing a coconut bra is not comfortable. LOL
18. Being in a submarine is not to bad as long as you don't think about being 100ft. under the water.
19. Body surfing is fun and snorkling is much easier than it seems.
20. Driving a Jeep Wranger is fun, very fun. LOL

Must go get unpacked...Aloha and Mahalo (Thank you) for visiting my blog.

Oh and Sarah Bushey if you read this we saw a little shark while we were on the submarine near Waikiki and I thought of you!