Hey guys,

After a long and busy day of playing tourist, I am back at my hotel resting. Today is also my dad's birthday, and while we celebrated before coming here, where else would one rather spend their birthday if not in the beautiful Bay? 

For this post in particular I made sure to include a lot of pictures. My goal is that you all will feel like you were here on this day with us, too!


My dad and I started our day around 10:30, where we both decided to go to Chinatown and walk around for a bit. Besides needing to get my mom some new nesting dolls (We got her a red one last time, and she asked that we get her another one this time around) I also wanted to go into some of the shops and just look around. 



Even though I have very fond memories of Chinatown, I have to say that this time around it felt a little bit different. Maybe it's because we went on a Thursday, or maybe it's because I've already been here before, but this time I noticed some slight differences in the Chinatown today versus the Chinatown yesterday. The most noticeable of differences was the trash everywhere. Trash doesn't bother me, and I'm not saying it bothered me this time, but it was clear that the streets had not been cleaned in a while. There was food and garbage all over the sidewalks, and I could not believe how different this was compared to the time I had been previously, where there was little to no garbage on the sidewalks. Ultimately trash on the ground isn't going to make me not want to go back, but it definitely made me realize why San Francisco's Chinatown gets certain yelp reviews. 

After browsing through Chinatowns eclectic variety of shops, we then began walking towards the Embarcadero. Of course neither of us have ever done this, so really it consisted of us just walking down the same sidewalk until we felt it necessary to look at our map, which then confirmed that we had been going the right way. After walking for awhile we finally made it to where we saw Pier 9; from here we knew we were close. A little bit farther and we stopped to get breakfast, later changed to lunch as we noticed it was 11:30 and no place was selling breakfast anymore, at a place called Eagles Cafe. Located right on Pier 39 at the top left, parallel to the Hard Rock Cafe, we both ordered bread bowls with chowder. The food was delivered much faster than anticipated and, as a result, our time in the restaurant was brief. 



The bread bowl was, to put it simply, interesting. Obviously the bread is going to be sourdough (C'mon, this is San Francisco we're talking about) and the soup was clam chowder. Now I'm personally a big fan of sourdough bread, but I've never actually had clam chowder before. For $12, I would recommend that one order this. The bowl itself is very big, albeit very hard, and the soup is, for the most part, filling. The ratio of soup to bread is a little small, but I think you're paying for the bowl more than the soup. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I would definitely order this again, but for those of you who won't, the restaurant also had sandwiches and fish options to try as well. 


After brunch we walked some more of the pier. We watched the sea lions, saw Alcatraz, and even saw the Golden Gate Bridge. Contrary to our weather apps, the weather today was very clear and sunny. Out of all the times that I have been to the Bay, this was the only time the wind wasn't too strong and the sky was perfectly clear. I have never seen Alcatraz so clearly before! Not to mention the Golden Gate Bridge appeared very bright and long, the opposite of what I've seen of it before. I'm thankful the weather was so nice, and I was anticipating it being quite poor. But I guess compared to what we were leaving behind the weather here was near perfect. 




Once we left the pier we stopped at a nearby park to plan out the rest of our day. While the weather was nice, there was still a chill in the air, so we began walking to find a coffee shop where we could get something to, hopefully, warm us up. With our coffee in hand, we warmed up a bit and then head off to Coit Tower. I'm not sure why it's famous, but there has to be a reason, as once we got up to the tower there was a line wrapped throughout the inside just to get into the elevator. Because of how old the place is, my dad and I decided we wouldn't risk it and take an elevator to the top. I did, however, get some nice pictures from the viewing spots that could be found all along the base of the tower. 




By now the time was 3:00 and, instead of going back to the hotel only to then turn around and get dinner, we decided to get a ride to dinner early. I really like this one sushi restaurant called Sanraku, located at the corner of Sutter and Taylor St, and so we decided to eat there. I ordered the San Francisco rolls and my dad got the combo meal with salmon. When we finished eating we were once again given a fruit dish (I'm curious as to why they do this. Is it a desert or just a kind gesture?) and then on our way. 

Walking up approximately three blocks and to our right was the Grace Cathedral. I had wanted to see the inside of it, and so we walked up quite a few stairs to make it here. With just our luck, the time was 5:00, only 15 minutes before mass started. However, neither of us wanted to actually stay for a mass, so we quickly admired the architecture and were on our way. I haven't been to many cathedrals, in fact I think my last one was St. Patricks, but this one was, I think, one worth seeing. Forewarning, in case you decide to stop by, be prepared to 'donate'. The cathedral is a donation based building and they expect you to leave what you can before fully entering the building. 


This brings us to now, with us back in the hotel preparing for our departures tomorrow. Like I've said so many times before, I am blown away at how quickly time is passing. I am excited to return to school and see all my friends again, but I am reminded once again that nothing is permanent and life goes on. Being home was nice, but was another reminder that my time home cannot last forever and that I must return to the island and finish up my first year. I am very excited to be back, and can only hope everyone else is, too. 

Here's to what the next few months hold!

Until next time,

Aislinn

Hey everyone!

My trip home has, unfortunately, come to a close. 

The past few days I had slowly been coming to terms with the fact that I enjoyed being in Colorado. For years I had disliked living in Colorado but, over the past two weeks I had begun to enjoy being back and in the crisp air. Of course this all came to an abrupt halt this morning, when I woke up to a thin blanket of snow and the temperature being well below what I was used to (this morning is was 4 outside).

Given that today was one of my last days on the mainland, I was determined to get the rest of my "housekeeping" chores done. This included getting the rest of my shots, getting my hair cut, and doing last minute shopping at Kohls. However, in the midst of all of these self proclaimed "necessities", I was told the shocking reality that there was a high chance my flight the next day would be canceled. 

With just my luck, I knew that the only plausible reason was the possible threat of snow. You would think that a place like Denver, who is used to (and accustomed to) the snow, would have a better plan of action when it comes to heavy snowfall. This is not the case. Instead, airlines like Frontier decided that, due to the threat of snow, the best decision would be to cancel all flights. Thankfully my dad and I's flights were not through Frontier, however this did not prevent us from worrying about our flight on Southwest. We tried waiting it out, but once Southwest announced they would more than likely be canceling our flight, it was decided that our best move would be to change our flight before the airlines did. 

And so, unfortunately much earlier than I would have liked, we are now situated at the airport. I have had my fill of Chick Fil A and am getting my sudoko book out as we speak. While the reality of spending a day in San Francisco, a city I love, is very appealing, the sad part about it is that it means I'm home for less time than expected. However I really can't say expected, any Denver native (or really, local) knows that a trip to Colorado wouldn't be complete without a snowstorm completely changing your plans. 

I'll leave you all with one last picture from my trip back home. It's from Boulder and is one of my favorites. Even though the weather was gloomy, and Shannon and I were absolutely freezing, I still think of that as one of my best days home. 


For those of you still enjoying your winter breaks, have fun and enjoy these last few days! As much as I hate typing it, rest up as much as you can before the hustle and bustle of another semester.

Until next time,

Aislinn 

Update: We made it to San Francisco! Now we will get some sleep and later on spend the day in the city as tourists. 

Hey guys!

Once again, I must say how completely blown away I am at how quickly this week seems to be going. It's already Wednesday and, now that I think about it, I leave to return to the island in a little over a week. 

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to spend the day with the girls, minus Shannon, in Denver. I was dropped off at 9:30 at the light rail station, essentially a train rail that can take someone into the heart of Denver, in addition to places across the state. I purchased my ticket, a local one, and boarded the train. 

Compared to TheBus in Hawaii, the light rail in Denver is a much fancier way of transportation. I personally really like taking the light rail because of how nice the views are. The train glides, occasionally, over highways and across crowded towns, and the views of the mountains are always breathtaking. If you take the light rail into Union Station, the stop you would get off at if you wanted to walk around downtown, you will even have a nice view of the Denver skyline.  In my case, I would be taking the light rail to the Denver University stop, about 30 minutes into my ride. 

Meeting me at DU was Bella, who picked me up in her car. Once she picked me up, we drove to Cherry Creek mall to meet up with the others. Once at Cherry Creek, we walked around and went to some stores to grab some gifts. I managed to find a very cute, light blue mug from urban outfitters for my friend Emily. I also bought her some bonsai tree saplings and planted them in the mug. I tried finding more gifts for people, but the unfortunate reality is the Cherry Creek is a very big, very nice, chain mall. There is only one "Exclusively Colorado" store, but besides that, you can find all the stores inside in other malls, too. I have settled on finding gifts for others tomorrow, when I go to Boulder. 

After the mall we all went to Noodles and had lunch. Being in Denver was a weird feeling, because I'm actually unfamiliar with many of the stores and shops. The girls, all three of which are from the same town, knew street names and restaurants by heart, so being with them in their own town was very fun. I just know it would be different if we were where I live, because none of the girls would know the street names or shops. But that's not a bad thing, it just means we come from two different places. 

After lunch the girls showed me their high schools. This was by far the most interesting part of the day, as I have only heard stories of their "crazy" high schools. Additionally, my high school was a rival to all of theirs, so it was cool being on their school grounds. The first school was Tammy's and the second was Bella's. After that we said goodbye to Tammy and went to Bella's house for a bit. From there, we decided on where to travel to next. I told the girls that I needed to be back on the light rail by 4:30, just to be safe. And so, with that in mind, the others decided that they should show me around Pearl Street (not to be confused with the Boulder Pearl Street). 

Pearl Street is a quiet and quaint little street with ma and pop coffee shops. There's one Colorado store, but their selections are very limited. The other shops one will see are expensive, high end shops where even a black pantsuit will run anywhere between $350-$500. There are also pizza shops, health-bars, and even a pilates studio. The street reminds me of one that college students would frequent. It's not something you would find in Manoa, but something more up Berkeley's alley. However, this is also not a street you would spend a day at, but maybe only a few hours. If you are interested in going, I would suggest going for a morning cup of coffee, and continuing your day on 16th Street in downtown Denver. Another suggestion would be getting coffee, or lunch, here and enjoying it at Wash Park nearby. Here is a picture of what one can expect South Pearl Street to be like during their visit. In my case, the weather was very much that of 'pre-snow', so the sky was overcast and the weather was cold. This photo is courtesy of southpearl.com  



I'm truly lacking on taking pictures of what I've been up to, so I'm sorry about that. I promise I will be more active in taking pictures for the blog, especially tomorrow when I'm Boulder Bound! 

I hope you are all enjoying your vacation! Don't forget to get as much sleep in before the start of the next semester.

Until next time,

Aislinn

Hey everyone!

Today was a much better day! I'm happy to say I woke up feeling so much better and eager for the day to begin. I guess I was feeling so much better that I even woke up at 6am, something very unusual for me. However I can't complain, I'm just glad I am feeling better. 

Today I met up with one of my best friends, Emily, for brunch and a gift exchange. After ordering our food we swapped gifts. I was very excited to see her reaction, as I was proud I was able to score two very nice gemstones while in Hawaii. When she was finished opening her gifts, she handed me mine. I was shocked to see that she had given me a white clip-picture frame and three very nice lotions. Lotion was definitely one of the things I forgot to bring back home with me, and my skin has been horribly dry ever since coming back. 

After brunch we went over to staples and looked at the school supplies. Before starting college, I had actually worked at staples, so it was a bit surreal going back and seeing who was still there. I didn't end up buying anything, but like I said, it was interesting catching up with my old coworkers and hearing what has happened to the store since leaving. 

Afterwords we parted ways and I went home. To my surprise I had another box waiting for me. For weeks my best friend, Jennifer, had been telling me she had a box she would be sending me, but she wasn't sure if she was going to send it to Hawaii or Colorado. Needless to say I was genuinely surprised when I came home and saw a huge box sitting on my bed. I was quick to call her and show her everything that was inside. A shirt from Panama City Beach, a stitch stuffed animal (don't tell her but I already have one!) and a mug were all inside the box. The mug is by far my favorite thing, as it's one of those best friend ones where there is her state, Georgia, connected to "my" state, Hawaii. I'll post a photo below so you can see just how adorable it is. 



Isn't it pretty? I can't wait to bring it back with me and put it to use. 

Like last post, I hope you are all enjoying your holiday and are eager for the new year!

Until next time,

Aislinn 

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. 



The second time I woke up was right over the city. By this time the flight was coming to an end, and all below me were bright, twinkling lights from the city. Once I was up I stayed up, and have been ever since. 

So now, for the next 10 hours, I'm going to be trying to keep myself awake for (again) as long as possible. I'm not sure why I have such a long layover, but part of me wishes I didn't sleep on the plane so I could just sleep these 10 hours away. It's also at an awkward time, where half the country is beginning to go to sleep, so I'm limited on who I can talk to. Maybe I will change into warmer clothes. Rumor has it Denver is in the negatives right now, so it looks like I can't wear my sandals and shorts. 

I hope everyone takes it easy these next few weeks. We've all earned it! As for myself, I'm excited to get to see the snow, and the city, but I know it will be short-lived since I have to work. But on the upside I will be home and back in my own bed. I can also shower without shoes, which will take some getting used to. 

Until next time,

Aislinn