My Hawaiian Vacation

Last week I was on vacation in Hawaii, and it was wonderful. It’s been >10 years since I last visited, so I had forgotten how amazing and beautiful it is. Of course, people say that about Hawaii all the time, but often I don’t really know the specifics of what that means and whether I’ll have an equally amazing time there. There are several factors at play, including but not limited to the following:

• Were they traveling with kids/family and staying at the Aulani Disney Resort?
• What activities did they enjoy in Hawaii, and do I enjoy those same activities?
• Do they have the same standard for what amazing means to me?
• Are they able to articulate what made it amazing for them, and provide the appropriate details?

In my experience, people seem to struggle most with the last one. As a strong S on the Myers-Briggs, I’m always looking for specifics, because you kind of need them to navigate life. Maybe not in all situations, but it’s at least helpful if not vital in what you’re trying to accomplish. Case in point: earlier on in the trip, one of my traveling companions remarked, “Oh, my Uber driver recommended that fish place nearby.” We were at the marina, so I didn’t find this tidbit of information particularly useful. “Um,” I began, “did they say anything else about this place?” (No.)

So, I’m going to attempt to describe why Hawaii has been amazing for me, in hopes that it will provide some color on what I enjoy and whether you’d enjoy it there too. (Although, maybe the real question is: does anybody think that Hawaii is not amazing?)

1. The water. I love the turquoise/blue color and the temperature of the water; that is, you don’t have to be a polar bear to enjoy submerging yourself in it, like you do at any beach within 200 miles of San Francisco. It is super refreshing to go into the water with just your swim suit, and you can pretty much do that year-round in Hawaii.
2. The scenery. I love the lushness of the landscape and the contrast of the mountains with the ocean. It feels like you’re living in a postcard, and it’s is a constant reminder for me to appreciate nature and life in the midst of the mundane.
3. The activities. Hiking, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, SUP (stand up paddle boarding), I did it all. If you couldn’t tell I enjoy water activities — I was always happiest in the water.
4. The people. Yes, locals were friendly (even though we didn’t run into too many of them), but it was great to be there with friends, especially since, well, 2020.
5. The food. There was so much good food to be had! I loved having fresh poké and other Hawaiian food, and there was also quite a variety of non-Hawaiian food (primarily Asian, which is what I typically have anyway).

Needless to say, I also have specific restaurant and activity recommendations that I’ll be compiling into a Google map, so feel free to ask me if you’d like to learn more.

In the end, I recognize that not everybody wants to spend time recounting all the fun they had on vacation while their family and friends toiled away in their regular jobs. Personally, I just like having the opportunity to learn more about my friends, and I figure that more recommendations couldn’t hurt.