An Update
Hey guys,
I don't know how to start this post, and I'm not sure how many times I'll have to re-write it before I'm settling on which draft I prefer.
In short, things have been weird.
Things started to get weird with the girls two weeks ago. Once I told them that I was dating Daniel, they began to act really weird around me. First it was saying things like, "hows that kid doing" (this one confuses me the most because he is older than them), then progressed into not including me in as many things, then turned into just being mute around me.
I understand that when I'm gone that the other two are going to spend more time with one another, but yet I didn't expect to go from being close to them to feeling like I'm being excluded in my own home. So of course, when I'm feeling this way, why would I spend more time at home? That's just it; I wouldn't.
So I spent more time out of the house. I got out as much as I could and came back as late as I could. While this certainly doesn't help anything, it does make me realize how busy I've been. I've been going out nearly every night, and while I feel exhausted at the end of the day, I realize that this is only temporary. I can always sleep in on the weekends, and usually thats what I end up doing. I just wish I had a better idea of why things got so awkward and how things became so awkward.
With my birthday coming up, I can only hope that things get better. It's annoying constantly feeling like an outside in your own home.
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On another note, Daniel and I spent this weekend with each other. Similarly to last, we began by waking up very early, getting breakfast at a nice restaurant, and heading out for North Shore. However, unlike last week, the two of us began our trip at the Koulua Ranch, where we made a quick stop for breakfast. The Ranch is about halfway between Kaneohe and Haleiwa, and is a nice stop to take if you have the chance. Once having filled up on eggs and english muffins, we were back in the car, not even 30 minutes later, and driving only a few short miles to the Crouching Lion hike.
This hike, which I have been wanting to do for months is one that is a little difficult to find, but can be found on the side of the highway. Again, it's not easy to find, in fact we didn't find it, and you have to be sure to hike with another person. Trust me when I say attempting this hike alone is dangerous. Daniel and I made the mistake of making a wrong turn, and soon it led us up the Pu’u Manama hike. Little did we know, this hike claims title as one of the "most dangerous hikes on Oahu, one which takes many lives every year". Naturally, you can assume that coming down was the scariest part, and under no circumstances will I hike there again unless it's with someone who has already tried hiking that ridge before.
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| The view behind Daniel |
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| The view behind me |
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| The view of Crouching Lion from where we were |
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| The Bay |
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| Blue as far as you can see |
After taking twice as long to get down as we did to get up, the two of us took a break in the car and then were off to our next destination: Giovanni's.
It's hard to picture it, but 30 miles fly by when on the scenic highway. I will never get tired of looking outside and seeing the ocean just feet away from me, no other islands as far as you can see. I have come to appreciate, even more, that I should not expect more time than I am given. What do I mean by this? When Daniel and I go places, even if it's to the library, time flies. And so, when I say that it's a 30 mile drive to the food trucks, you better believe it when I say that it feels like no time has passed, when in reality you've lost an hour driving (however, with the views the Kamehameha Highway provides, did you really lose time?).
Giovanni's was amazing. It was a nice break from the adrenaline that the hike provided us, and what made it even sweeter was enjoying it with a coconut smoothie and a black coffee.
After devouring the lemon butter shrimp, Daniel and I took a quick break and drove back to Haleiwa Bowls. Once again, we went with the hapa bowl, and this time we got extra blueberries on top. Delicious!
One of our last stops was Turtle Bay Resort, where we spent a couple hours swimming and laying out before packing our bags and getting ready for the main event: Our luau.
With two hours left before our dinner, Daniel and I agreed to get ready at the resort before heading off.
Now comes the exciting part of this post!
The Polynesian Cultural Center is huge! The cultures, people, and places represented are done so in such a way that it is guaranteed to leave you speechless. I've included a picture of the map below, but just keep in mind that, in addition to this, there is so much more to see!
Also worth pointing out is that, in each location, the people here were speaking that language! That means when you are walking around Hawaii you're going to hear Hawaiian, and when you're walking throughout Samoa you're going to hear Samoan! This was an immediate discovery for me and I can only applaud the Polynesian Cultural Center on how they are doing such a good job of making this as "immersive" as possible. Before getting dinner Daniel and I made it a point to get our picture taken next to the river.
From here on out I'm unfortunately not able to include pictures. The dinner was good, an overall well-rounded dinner consisting of: prime rib, fried chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, fruits, deserts, salads, etc.
Once done with dinner, we enjoyed some more of the things to be seen around the center, such as Tahiti, and made our way back to the platform to take our seats.
The show itself was about an hour and a half. I shouldn't even refer to it as a "show", but more like a "production". Every culture had representation, from their traditional clothing to speaking in their respective languages. It was funny, entertaining, awe-inspiring, and more. I wish I had a picture, as I'm sure the luau you're picturing is nothing close to the show we got to witness.
Honestly, if you're considering going to this luau, or are hesitant because of the price, just go. Seriously, this is the best luau I have been to and is definitely one that you get the most out of for your money. Daniel and I both agreed this was one we would revisit, if given the chance.
And that was my week! It's hard to put into words how much I've been up to, but I can only hope that these posts give you a sort of glimpse into my busy busy life. I often catch myself wishing I had more time, or just begging for a night without homework, but I have to remind myself that this is all temporary. And that's what is scary! None of this will last, and if I'm busy because I'm taking advantage of Oahu, than why am I complaining? As it is, I'm close to being halfway done with college. Isn't that crazy? But yet, here I am wishing for time off?! I am trying to be better about not taking things for granted, or not asking for more time, as this is all temporary and I need to enjoy these busy days.
I hope you are all having a great day. Study hard, everyone.
Until next time,
Aislinn
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