Hawaii to the Mainland

November 28, 2012

As I’m back in California from Hawaii, all I can do is reminisce on the great times I had the past week in paradise.

We spent Thanksgiving morning hiking to the Maunawili Falls. It was an absolutely beautiful 45 minute hike to a gorgeous waterfall. Brandon convinced me to jump off of the trail and to swim to the waterfall so I could sit under it and take in the beauty. I am so glad I did because it was stunning. After the hike to the falls, we went back home and cooked up a storm for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

Friday morning we woke up early and went on the most insane/amazing hike I have ever been on, Olomana Three Peaks. The hike was uphill the whole way, with cliffs and rock climbing to get to specific points. This hike took 4 hours and 58 minutes from start to finish and was the most intense hike I have heard of, but after completing it, I feel like I have conquered the world.

Saturday was my last day on the island and Brandon surprised me with a day out on a catamaran. There was no better way to spend my last day in Hawaii than out on the water. Throughout the ride, we saw flying fish and looked for whales, which are just coming into season. We were able to see Maui off in the distance and had a beautiful view of Honolulu and Diamond Head. It was absolutely stunning and I loved every moment of it!

All in all, this past week in Hawaii was an amazing vacation and I would not have changed any of it for the world.

Aloha

November 21, 2012

Honolulu, HI

Wow. What a beautiful state and Oahu is just stunning. After being here for five days, we have seen and done so much. From going to the beach, hiking, hitting up concerts, and relaxing, I have had the time of my life.

Day 1 I met up with my friend Brandon from high school and we went to the Sublime concert. It was great and the view was beautiful! Honolulu skyline in the background with the nice ocean breeze.

Day 2 we had a nice relaxing day. I cooked a yummy breakfast and then we went to a BBQ at Kapiolani Park with some friends and hung out there for a couple hours grubbing and telling stories.

Day 3 both of us had to attend class, except mine was through Skype. After class, we took the bus to Kailua and spent the day there. It was absolutely beautiful. We went to California Pizza Kitchen, my all-time favorite place, for lunch and then walked to the beach where we hung out for a couple hours. The two of us then walked to some friends house who I hadn’t seen in three years and we sat around for a couple hours chatting about life until we came back to Honolulu. Once we got back, my friend Jessica walked over to our house and we went out too a bar called Lulu’s with the girls and has a fabulous girls night.

Day 4 was a rainy day. I slept in, did some homework and studying, got a work out in and made a delicious lunch. Once the rain calmed down, we went on a beautiful hike, Pu’u Ohia and Manona Cliff Trail. The guys showed me a ton of new things that I had never heard of or seen before and it was absolutely stunning. After the hike, we had a little “date night” and went into Waikiki and had dinner at Duke’s on the beach. It was a great way to end the day!

Day 5 so far has been my favorite. We drove up to North Shore and laid around on Sunset Beach. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The beach was empty so we had it to ourselves. We napped and played in the water and got sunburns (even with sunscreen). But, it was fantastic! I couldn’t be happier here! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are beginning to prepare our meal.

Happy Thanksgiving and aloha! 🙂

Travel Obsessions

November 15, 2012

The month of November is flying by! Can you believe we’re already half way through? It has been an extremely busy month for me, but with amazing experiences traveling all over Texas. 

I flew out of Fresno International airport on November 1st with fellow student-athlete, Derek Oliver, to Dallas, Texas. Derek and I were chosen to attend the four day NCAA Leadership Forum as Fresno State Athletics representative’s. It was one of the best weekends of my life! I learned so much about myself and how to be a better leader while meeting life long friends. Derek and I are now planning a leadership conference to put on for the athletes here at Fresno State before we graduate. 

We flew back on Sunday, November 4th and then just three days later, I was back in the Fresno airport with the Fresno State Equestrian team as we flew to Dallas, Texas for three competitions against Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, and Texas A&M University. It was a rough weekend score wise, but we all had a great time and learned a lot about our riding. 

Now, I am preparing to fly out to Hawaii for a week long vacation to see a high school friend this Saturday. I am beyond excited to spend nine days catching up and relaxing before I head into my final semester of my under grad studies!