Hey everyone!

I'm honestly shocked at how quickly the semester ended. I feel like I just got here, so to be leaving already is quite the shock. Actually, as I type this, I'm no longer on island. My plan was to publish this post before my flight to the mainland, but as luck would have it, and because the honolulu airport doesn't have wifi, that goal was not achievable. Instead, I had to wait until I landed in California to create this post. 

The last week of school was a whirlwind of tests, packing, and last minute group activities. The girls and I, because one of them left a day before the rest of us, wanted to spend as much time with each other as possible. Once she left, the rest of us found ourselves standing around asking each other, "what now?". It's incredible how the five of us went from not knowing each other four months ago to being near family. I won't lie, I also sobbed when the first one left. I didn't realize how much their departures would affect me, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't beginning to panic at the thought of leaving, myself. I guess it's a good thing that I left second, because at least this way I was the one leaving, not them. 

Before I left, I made a quick trip to a tea shop down the street and bought a Vietnamese coffee. I had been told that it consisted of 5 shots, and I was determined to stay up until my flight the next afternoon, so (at the time) this seemed like a good idea. That night I stayed up the entire time coloring and watching tv shows. It was a weird feeling, not having really anything to do but being awake, but I knew this was for the best. I wanted to sleep through the first leg of my trip, because I knew I would panic being over water for that long. Thankfully this worked and I was able to sleep most of the flight. 

I made it to the airport that morning in great time. I'm used to the airport being an hour away, so my mistake was leaving 3 hours early. I probably could have gotten away with staying an extra hour on campus, but I'm glad I now know how close the airport, surprisingly, is. While waiting for my flight I was able to see one of my friends whose gate was next to mine. We talked for a bit and then it was time to board. 

While I slept through most of my flight, I will say that this was a very unique experience for me. Typically I'm on flights that are packed and, oftentimes, overbooked. While the stewardesses stressed that this flight was also overpacked, it wasn't until we boarded that we realized the flight was pretty empty. Considering how I usually fly Southwest, this was a big change. I was fortunate enough to sit next to a window, right on the wing, with no one in my entire row. As tempted as I was to lay down and sleep, I decided that I probably wasn't that lucky, so I tried to get as comfortable as possible with the tray table in front of me. I even brought my eye mask and ear plugs. Running on 29 hours awake, I was very determined to be sleeping on this flight. 

There were two times during the flight when I woke up. The first, was about 3 hours in during sunset. I looked out the window and saw the sky a beautiful dusted pink. I'm not sure if it was because I was sad to be leaving, or because I had just woken up, but in that moment everything around me felt like a dream. I felt like I had just woken up from a long nap, and that the past four months have all been part of this long ongoing dream. All I could think in that moment was that I hope I don't wake up. My first semester at UH was full of new experiences and growth, and there is not a single thing I would change. It is a very sad feeling leaving the island, and even though I'm excited to go home, I cannot describe how excited I am to return. Leaving UH was a reminder that, while it seems permanent, nothing truly is. I can only describe it as feeling like I'm leaving behind my home. For having just woken up, I was quick to feel overwhelmed, and I tried my best to fall back asleep and not cry again. Here is a snapshot of the sky.