Honolulu | Back to Waikiki Beach

Three Countries, nine hours, and a 17 hour layover later, I finally arrived in Honolulu. Since I sent my carry-on ahead with Sly, and since I was literally the only person on my flight who was not Chinese, I sailed right through immigration and customs. As I passed from one side of immigration to the other, the person stamping my passport said, “welcome home,” and I felt like my heart was going to burst for the tiniest of moments. After living overseas those words held even more meaning. I don’t think of Hawaii as my “home” in the states, but I definitely felt a feeling of ‘home’ being back in the U.S. for the first time in nearly eight months.

Now, to find Sly without the aid of any sort of communication device.

I didn’t have to worry.

I found Sly easily enough waiting for me just outside the gates already looking as relaxed as ever and wearing the biggest of grins. Less than a day had passed since seeing each other but it felt more like weeks.

Technically, it was still the same day!

Time played tricks on my mind after such a long journey and I felt slightly disoriented being back “home.” Yet, there’s just something about the air in Hawaii that feels therapeutic; that makes you want to stay forever. The instant I stepped out of the airport and felt the warm, tropical breeze wrap it’s comforting arms around me, my body immediately relaxed and my mind fully embraced the present moment.

We were in Hawaii!

Back at the hotel I quickly changed and we walked a few blocks to a somewhat fancy sushi restaurant. Arm in arm, walking along the beach, giddy with excitement, I couldn’t believe we were in Hawaii once again, after all this time.

The first few precious moments of any vacation are untouchable; like midnight on Christmas Eve before presents have been opened. At the beginning of a trip anything and everything feels possible.

And in Hawaii, those possibilities felt endlessly full of lazy days by the beach.