Afterwurds

There are some things I didn’t write about. Like the two Japanese girls in the next room that kept disappearing inside when I would come out on my lanai to read. Since the young Japanese couple that took over the room after you did the same thing, I can only assume it’s a cultural thing and I hope in my ignorance I didn’t offend. Through the connecting door on the other side of the room there was a suite. When I first arrived there was a Japanese family in there and they were very quiet. Three days before I left the Real Housewives of The Hazzard County Trailer Park moved in. ‘Nuff said!

Waikiki is undergoing an economic transformation. The For Lease signs are more a sign of overall economic conditions, not anything particular to Waikiki.

Tips

Art on the Fence is well worth a visit. It’s free and runs every Saturday and Sunday. The Army Museum is really easy to get to, it’s in Waikiki, just past the new and rather sterile looking Trump Hotel. Admission is free. One odd fact about the Museum, is the only reason the building it’s in still exists, is because of its construction. They tried to tear it down in the mid 1970’s but the demolition contractor gave up in disgust and amazement when he could hardly put a dent in it. The Arizona Memorial, the Missouri Memorial, and the Pacific Aviation Museum can all be seen in one day. I took a long time at the Aviation Museum because I was doing some research for a fiction story. The Arizona Memorial is free, but the other two have a cost. Rent your car before you go. While I was turning in my rental, the guy behind the counter was renting out the identical car to walk up customers for 60% more than I paid. With all taxes my car worked out $50 a day for four days. Smaller cars are cheaper. Check your car insurance from home, and your credit card as they sometimes will also cover a rental car. Also check your travel health insurance conditions. A lot of policies don’t cover injuries incurred during specific activities like surfing, body surfing, parasailing zip lining, or the like.

Hard Work

Vacations are hard work. Mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and physically they are all hard work.

If you doubt that think about your last vacation. Deciding when to go, where to go, how to get there, what to do there, and that’s before you even book anything. How much time did you spend thinking about it?

Once you decide there’s the prep work of going. Booking the trip, online or through an agent? Shopping for new bathing suits, travel clothes, books to read, or even security friendly cosmetics. Who’s looking after your stuff while you’re gone? Tired yet?

Then there’s the travel itself. Carrying bags! Small seats! Europe is a couple of days to travel and get your jet lag settled. Then there’s the constant travel to get from one place to the next. Or it could be Australia, New Zealand, China, Thailand, or Vietnam. You never stay in one place very long. A Sun vacation is different. It’s either one or two places, sometimes all inclusive, sometimes a la carte, and supposedly relaxing. But there’s always something you or your companion, if you’re lucky enough to have one, want to experience.

That’s where the real hard work comes in, opening the mind and soul to the new things you get to see and hear and feel. Some people can do it without thinking, most can understand the concept, but then there’s the “Frank & Lola’s”. They travel but it’s always with the same things coming out of their mouths, “Not like this at home.” And I use the names not specifically to target any specific ethnic group. Frank & Lola are from everywhere, every country, every town, and every kind of background.

One of the reasons I choose to travel in my a la carte fashion is because I have been part of enough tour groups to know that Frank & Lola are lovely and well meaning people, but to me they are mentally and intellectually vexing. And I’m on vacation, and I don’t want to have to work that hard to be nice and adaptive.

This time out I chose Hawaii because there have been some things happen in my life since I was last there. I went through an extensive period being out of work due to an injury that kept me from walking, and after that got sorted out a period of dealing with a parent suffering from a terminal disease. Two years ago when I went to Hawaii I was somewhat broken in some important parts of my life, and I managed to put most of the pieces back together while staring at the stars, and roasting in the sun, and eating great food, and drinking great beer, and meeting great people. This time I was less broken, despite the great emotional losses, but still in need of repair. And that’s what Hawaii is for. To let yourself get better, to open your mind, and to open your heart to a great culture of friendship and welcome, the very essence of Aloha spirit.

Every vacation is work. It has to be to try and forget the “stuff” we left behind at home. Be it physical stuff like cars and houses, stresses from bad workplaces, or bad relationships. Whatever the reason you go on vacation, there is that work you have to do. That’s the whole reason we go on vacation.

Along the way if we open our hearts and minds to try and understand all the great new “stuff” we see on vacation, we are no longer tourists, but travelers.

It’s been fun writing this blog. I’m taking a bit of a break to write the full turtle story, and some new fiction. Re-entry into my life is progressing, but it’s harder than I thought. Two weeks of essentially living small on the beach makes it a challenge to try and care about the minor crises some seem to think are important back here.

Special thanks to Justin and Dana and Kepe, and all the great people of Jimmy Buffett’s At The Beachcomber for keeping me fed and watered and always feeling welcome.

Mostly thanks to those of you who took the time read this blog. The traffic numbers showed a good number of people I didn’t know, in countries where nobody knows me, found it interesting enough to keep coming back

The next trip is still up in the air. Perhaps a trip to Leavenworth, Washington around Christmas, and I’m currently toying with Italy and Greece next September.

Until next time, Aloha, Mahalo Nui Loa, and A Hui Hou Kakou.