Aloha Cousins!

"Mele Kalikimaka"

I just returned from a short trip back to the United States to attend my sister’s wedding in Hawaii. I had an AMAZING time. When I first left for Togo, I told my family that I didn't think I would make it to the wedding, but along the way I changed my mind, with a little convincing from my parents. I am so thankful now that I did.

We had a wonderful week in Hawaii. My sister’s wedding was awesome. She got married at Paradise Cove on Oahu, and for the reception we all went to a luau. It was the best reception I’ve ever been to, probably because it didn’t feel like a wedding reception. It was more like a big party with awesome food and fun activities for everyone to enjoy. I’m usually not a huge fan of traditional weddings; they are so predictable, but this blew all other weddings away.

our little cabin by the beach

The rest of the week we spent exploring the island of Oahu. One thing I love about Oahu is the diversity of activities there are. If you want to enjoy the shopping and nightlife of a big city, you can visit Honolulu and Waikiki. There are also dozens of hikes on the island where you can explore rainforests or even the bamboo forests. If you like history, check out Pearl Harbor. And of course, there's the beautiful shoreline all around the island where you can swim, surf, or snorkel.

My favorite region of Oahu is the eastern side. It’s known as the windward side of the island and also gets the most rain, about 170 inches per year. The lush mountains, the beautiful sandy beaches, and the small town feel are what attract me to this area. My family spent Christmas day on this side of the island.

In the morning we made our way up to the Pali lookout in the mountains. It was dumping rain, but some of us decided to run out in the downpour and check it out anyway. We were absolutely SOAKED and probably looked like we were crazy, but we still had a great time. This is the site of a battle where Kamehameha and his men drove 400 warriers off the cliff to their death, 1000 feet below. Kamehameha then became King Kamehameha, the first king of the Hawaiian Islands.

Our first stop on the eastern coast was at the Byodo-In Japanese Temple at the Valley of the Temples. This temple was featured on an episode of LOST when Jin and Sun got married. All the scenes in LOST were filmed on Oahu, even the scenes set in Japan, California, or the Middle East. The temple was very peaceful and calm. It was built in the 1960s to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. It is a half-size replica of the Byodo-In temple in Uji, Japan.

Making our way down the coast, we passed through President Obama’s hometown of Kailua. We even saw secret service on boats and his road blocked off. So cool!!

Our last stop on Christmas Day was to Lanikai beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I’ve never seen anything like it. The fine, light sand and clear water made me feel like I was in Bora Bora. The beach is only .5 miles long and with no parking lot or amenities, it’s not crowded like some public beaches on the island. 

So after about 36 hours of traveling, I'm back in Togo. It was hard to say goodbye again to everyone, but I'm very happy that I went. It was the best Christmas EVER.