O na lani

After a busy few days in So Cal, I drove home Tuesday night to the Bay Area. The drive is really quite easy. It consists of 5-6 hours on either the 5 or the 101. To make things easier on my trip, I bought myself an early Christmas gift of the Garvin Nuvi 350. When I make a purchase like this, I become slightly obsessed and spend hours searching different websites to find consumer and corporate reviews. The prices keep going lower on navigation systems such as these and I was able to score mine for $300. The Nuvis are about the size of a Blackberry or a Palm Pilot and easily fit in a jacket pocket. I could not be more pleased with it. The system will run on battery power for about 5-6 hours and then it can be charged or plugged in the car if needed. You can select a specific address or a town. You can also request restaurant options, ATMs, businesses by name, movie theatres, etc. and it will route you to the closest one within seconds. Especially when dealing with the freeways of L.A., it was invaluable. There are cheaper models, but the Nuvi seems to be the critical and consumer favorite for the basic GPS system.



So I arrived back in the Bay Area early Wednesday morning. I had a ton of stuff to do before taking off to Honolulu on Thursday. I bs'd my way through my online Spanish class final exam with my professor. Frankly, I did not have time to study the last chapter and it showed. I still think I will do fine in the class as I have had nothing, but A's so far. Still, I am a bit of a perfectionist and wish I had done better. I also got my haircut, stopped by work, and a bunch of other odd errands. I stayed up until early Thursday morning and then crashed for a few hours of sleep before my 7 AM alarm.

I sleepily awoke and finished packing. It was a bit windy and rainy this morning in Oakland and the cab was 30 minutes late. My flight left at 10 AM and I arrived at the airport at 9:20 AM. I hate being late at the airport. I am fortunate to live within 10 minutes of Oakland Airport and, being a smaller airport, it really does make things easy. Luckily, the lines were short and I was able to make the flight. We took off just after 10 AM and I dozed through most of the flight. I took ATA again because I can earn mileage credit on Southwest with them. They fly 737-800s with leather seats that are very comfortable compared with other airlines. Of course, I end up behind Mr. Jamming my Seat Back All the Way. Still, there is a lot more legroom compared to United or Hawaiian. We landed about 1:30 to a slightly windy and overcast Honolulu. Apparently the last week has brought a lot of rain and flooding to the Islands, especially parts of Maui. I love this kind of weather in general, so I was happy to be back.

I checked into my hotel, stocked up on drinks and stuff for the room, and then crashed out. I went out tonight to check out the bars later after I awoke, but not many people were around. I began to walk towards Diamond Head and the surf was really kicking up which is unusual for this side of the island. I made my way towards the water and stood in awe of the strong trade winds and the spray being kicked up as the waves hit the shore near Queen's Beach. Within five minutes or so, it started to downpour. I dashed underneath the picnic area that is close by and hung out with some birds and the local homeless population who were fast asleep. As I stood there watching the rain, the surf, and feeling the forceful breeze, I got chills because I was so happy and alive. I have always felt at home here in Hawaii and I visit frequently because I become recharged and reconnected here. All of the negativity, stress, and day to day stuff that builds up gets burned away leaving behind a feeling of tranquility and renewal. People are always like, "What did you do while you were there?" and my response, with a broad smile, is usually, "Very little." To me, Hawaii is o na lani (of heaven). I am blessed to be able to visit as often as I do.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. I will be on Oahu until Tuesday and then I am visiting Big Island for two days before heading home.

Lest I forget, it is Pearl Harbor Day. Somehow I usually end up in the islands on this day each year. My dad and brother are both Navy veterans and it is important to remember the over 2,000 sailors and marines who were killed that fateful day in 1941. Thank you to all veterans for your service and sacrifice to our country. Ironically, it is also my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Melissa.

Cuidate.