Ha Why Yeee

 

After spending the weekend with my sister, I arrived in Hawaii on MLK Day, where Nick was hanging out between back-to-back conferences. It was great to see him, but after being in the States for five whole weeks, I was really ready to get home. I mentioned I would hang out with him for a few days, then start the process of trying to catch a military flight back. Fortunately for me, Nick had other plans. "No, you are going to spend the week here in Hawaii with me." My reply?

"Ummm, okay... if I have to."

Now I'm sure that my attempt to turn down a week at the Waikiki Marriott sounds to many of you really bratty... or maybe even downright insane. But those Guammies who are Space-A veterans like me know how frustrating it can be to try to get back. And when you're in the mindset of trying to get home, Hawaii is no longer Hawaii. It's checking flights, calling the terminal, roll calls, broken planes, bumming rides at all hours, and complete schedule uncertainty... And those who have traveled with me know I can't stand not being on a schedule! I actually schedule in blocks of time for spontaneity... "Next up, ladies, we have two hours allotted for winging it...Go!"

Not to mention, so much of the things that people love about Hawaii (warm weather, pretty beaches, beautiful hikes, etc.), I can get a-plenty on Guam, minus the traffic and hyper-commercialism. PLUS, I was really ready to get back to start up youth group again and begin the fundraising season for our upcoming mission trip to Manila. There is a lot to be done that my mind started dwelling on but couldn't act on. So hopefully you have a little better idea of why I would be so ready to get home at this point. (I know, I know... many of you are still shaking your heads).

But, okay, looking ahead, I know that this time next January, we will be in a very different place. Nick will probably be gone far away on some training trip, and the days of traveling with him will be long past. I will be left behind scraping ice off my windshield, transferring plants into the garage so they don't freeze, all while wearing multiple layers of long underwear and wool socks. Possibly even the electric kind with batteries. Surely I would like, at that moment, to look back on this time last year and remember the relaxing round of golf we played at beautiful Mamala Bay.

Or our afternoon lounging in the sun on Waikiki Beach watching Nick surf

Or hanging out with my friend Tina and her awesome workout group, the Buttercups

 Or the view from the top of our hike to Mariner's Ridge

 Or getting together with a dear friend who has sprinkled my various trips to Hawaii with wonderful visits and memories (Thanks, Space-A Angel!).

 Or going out for an awesome sushi dinner only to be informed by the waitress that a random stranger picked up our tab... we have no idea how this happened, but it was pretty amazing!

Or running up Diamondhead Crater with Nick... from the lower parking lot (shazaaam!)

Ooooor the pretty fantastic view from our balcony.

Soooo many great memories from this week. There's a good chance I will be pulling this post up about a year from now, reminiscing about our fabulous time together, joining you all in knowing with certainty I was crazy to try to miss out on this. The things I need to get done will be long done by then, and the opportunity to rendezvous with Nick in a dreamland like this will be but a distant memory. And no matter how cold my feet are at that moment, I will have to smile knowing... Man... we had it good.