May's Adventures: Hiking, Luau, and Brotherly Fun

Graham scored an amazing deal back in November for plane tickets to Kauai! And I mean a steal he got them for $290 round trip! He brought his friend Cater along to keep him company and join in on the fun the island has to offer. Graham had a list of things he wanted to do while on the island. One of his top priorities was to play the ukelele at the beach. We did that one evening while watching the sunset. Grahm strummed some sweet tunes. The cherry on top of the night was the monk seal snoozing on the beach, looking like the epitome of relaxation. 

After the sunset, we cozied up for the evening of Avatar The Last Airbender. Gavin convinced me to give the show a try, and I have to admit, it was better than I expected. The show has some funny moments and loveable characters. We almost watched all three seasons with the boys! 

No visit with Graham would be complete without a cooking session! Since working at Costa Vida, he's mastered his taco-making skills, and we devoured some delicious ones on Cinco De Mayo. We also enjoyed stuffed shells and homemade pretzels! And of course, no visit to my house is complete without a hot sauce challenge. I convinced the boys to partake of my infamous hot sauce. Let's just say they were surprised by the level of heat! 

The boys had a blast golfing one day at the Kukuilona course one afternoon with Gavin. This course is perfect for beginners and those looking to have a relaxing time. The boys wore their new aviators they bought down in Poipu. Graham said he recognized the lady from last year when he was here. The weather was picture-perfect, and we had stunning views of the island from the course.

I couldn't let Graham leave without making him go on a hike in the mountains. So, I took him to a beautiful rope swing that overlooks an amazing valley. It was only 1.5 miles to the swing, easy right? I loved chatting with him during the hike. I couldn't resist asking Carter if he was having fun because he had been so quiet the whole time. He answered with "great", which I'm pretty sure means he had a great time! He was a calm man. It was hard to tell what he thought of the island. 

To wrap up their stay, we had a beach BBQ, where Gavin grilled some dogs and we watched the sunset. It was the perfect week with Graham - he's hilarious, smart, and dedicated to his passions. One afternoon, when I was working, Graham and Carter went on a plane ride to see the Napali coast. Graham said he was mostly excited to chat with the pilot and be on the plane... when I asked him about the plane ride he went on about how cool the pilot was. He didn't even mention the famous Napali mountains. (oh Graham!). I'm so glad I got to spend some quality time with my brother - he was the perfect house guest! Memories that will last forever. 

As we entered the final stretch of May, our days at the Sheraton were filled with the usual hustle and bustle of tourist season. But amidst the chaos, we managed to squeeze in some adventure and fun. We hiked the Kukui trail, which dropped us down 2,000 feet into the stunning Waimea Canyon. The views of the red rocks and sharp mountain ridges were breathtaking, and we even stumbled upon a beautiful river at the bottom, where we were... I mean “I” was, "attacked" by mosquitoes. I was left with a whopping 40 bites on one leg alone!

After our hike, we stopped at Salt Pond to rinse off the mud from our legs. But it wasn't until we were in the water that we realized our legs were scratched from the tall grass that rubbed against us during the hike. And, oh boy, the salt started burning all our cuts causing a fierce sting. We were itching like crazy, and it took all our strength not to scratch our itchy legs on the way home. I don’t think we will be attempting that again without bug spray. 

We're making the most of our days off because the following week we went on an adventure with the Edwards family! Kate is one of my dear young women, and they're soon leaving the island of Kauai after 17 incredible years of living here. I'm heartbroken about this - they've been so amazing! This is the kind of family to hike with they pushed hard, kept up with a fast pace, and took minimal breaks. The Napali coast trail is truly one of the most beautiful trails I've ever hiked. The waterfall was extra stunning at the end because we had blue skies above! I didn't get in the water (it was freezing cold!), but I loved watching everyone scream as they dunked themselves under the fresh falls. Poor Kate's purple lips were a giveaway that I made the right choice by skipping the swim. As everyone shivered on our way out. Gavin and little Owen became fast friends, bonding over their long blond hair and love of nature. Owen had a huge grin on his face when Gavin carried him across the river to keep his socks dry.

The month ended on a high as Gavin and I got to experience Luau Kalamaku! We started with the plantation train ride around the beautiful property, stopping to feed pigs and pet horses. It was great to see some of my coworkers outside of work – they love getting together. However, sometimes I am the oddball out in the group. They are all heavy drinkers. I have to admit that I just don't get why people enjoy drinking so much. They had so much to drink before the show they couldn’t eat the delicious Luau food. Once the show started I saw them stumbling around the dark theater, only to end up in the bathroom puking their guts out. Missing the whole show and everything else! Why do people enjoy that?

Despite all that craziness, we enjoyed the Luau! The venue holds 700 people, and the show was definitely better than some of the other luaus we've been to. All in all, it's always fun to attend a luau if it's free - you never know what kind of adventures you'll have! Speaking of free I also was able to get a FREE helicopter ride so that I could better sell them as a concierge. This job definitely has its perks! 

JAPAN!!

We had an amazing whirlwind stop in Japan on our way back from Thailand! We landed at 7am and didn't leave until 7pm the next day, which gave us a full 2 days to explore. We didn't plan much of our trip because it snuck up on us, but we're glad we didn't because it gave us a chance to relax and recharge after our busy trip to Thailand. Plus, Gavin was on his deathbed with a viral infection, so it was nice to have some downtime.

We managed to squeeze in some amazing sights and experiences in Tokyo! Our first stop was Shinjuku, which is famous for being one of the busiest crosswalks in the world. We couldn't believe how crowded it was - 1,000-2,000 people crossing every two minutes! It was crazy! We found ourselves crossing it several times just to find a spot to eat. We settled on a cozy cafe with a great view of the busy street.

After lunch, we met up with friends Meg and Jace and headed to the Sky Deck Tower for some stunning city views. It was great to have tickets already booked because everything in Japan booked up quickly! We enjoyed the views before heading to a vending machine ramen spot. Let me tell you, real ramen is a game-changer! I could see myself getting hooked on those authentic bowls.

We shopped around and loved how affordable everything was compared to the USA - let alone Hawaii! One thing that struck us about Japan was how stylishly everyone dresses. We felt like we were already standing out in our board shorts and tees and Gavin with his blonde hair. We felt underdressed! We both picked up some comfy clothes at Uniqlo, which made us feel more at ease.

We stumbled upon some amazing shrines and street performances as made our way around the city. Each place was bustling with people - the streets were packed! We couldn't stop talking about it.

At one of the shrines, we had our fortunes read. Gavin's fortune predicted that he would never recover from his illness... which was freaky to read given he actually was sick and wasn't feeling any better. Good thing we don't believe in fortune telling!

We ended the day with a delicious sushi dinner at a place where you order on an iPad and the food comes to you on a conveyor belt from above. You can order as many plates as you want. We looked at some of the other tables and they had 40-50 plates! It was a popular spot for locals, and we loved the experience.

The next day, we slept in and went back to a few more shrines and markets. We even tried some amazing Japanese pancakes and candied strawberries. The only downside was that there were too many people at the market - we were constantly being blocked in and trapped. And there were no trash cans anywhere! So we ended up walking around with our sticky trash in our hands.

We're so glad we got to experience Tokyo and Japan, even if it was just a quick taste. We'd love to come back and explore more of this amazing country - and eat more food!