Oahu With my Dad and Brother

One Last Island Adventure with Graham Graham wanted to come out to Kauai and Hawaii one last time before heading off on his mission. He booked his trip right after I got back from Vietnam, which was PERFECT because I still had four days off work! When Gavin and I landed in HNL, we were soooo tired. We had two back-to-back red-eye flights and had spent a full day at Disney Japan, running on just a few hours of airplane sleep. Honestly, I have no idea how we made it.Our first stop back in the USA.. Olive Garden! We inhaled breadsticks and pasta before crashing hard… on the beach across the street. I felt homeless there with my big backpack sitting by me and ratty airplane hair. Oh well! A few hours later, I met up with my dad and Graham for dinner and sunset at the hotel. I don’t get to see my family often with the distance, so any time with them is THE BEST DAY EVER. We were staying at the Marriott Vacation Club in Ko Olina, and let me tell you… after two weeks of Vietnam adventure mode, that shower and bed felt like pure luxury.

Oahu was packed with fun times. We ventured up to the North Shore to visit Grandma Donna, Sam, Jan, and Lori. It's always so great to catch up and see what everyone’s up to. We also got to check out Grandma’s new place in Laie, and it’s so nice! She can wheel herself around the whole house, and she’s literally right next to the beach. Graham gave her one last hug, probably the last time he’ll see her before his mission. That afternoon, we relaxed at Sunset Beach and grabbed snow cones from Matsumoto’s a must! Then we wrapped up the day with dinner with one of the best, dreamy Hawaiian sunsets at the Marriott. Seriously, the sunsets here never get old. The next morning was the real adventure! Graham’s 18th birthday! His birthday choice was Skydiving! And we even convinced my dad to join in too! We booked online and showed up at Skydive Hawaii around 10 AM. It was going to be my second time jumping, and honestly, I was more nervous this time because I knew what was coming. First, we had to watch an ancient and slightly terrifying safety video that looked like it was filmed in 1972. The guy kept repeating how there’s no such thing as a perfect jumper, plane, parachute packer, parachute... you get it. Not exactly comforting. But at that point, we were in too deep! As we waited, we watched plane after plane take people up, and then we would see tiny dots falling out of the sky. That was about to be us!! Soon we met our tandem guides. Graham was paired with Luca, a young, super energetic guy in his 20s who’s been jumping for a few years. My dad’s guys name was Gaberial and he had a South American accent and total calm grandpa vibes he’s been skydiving since the '80s. I got a local guide who asked if I wanted to do flips and tricks in the air. I really wanted to say yes, but I knew I’d get motion sick, so I had to politely decline.

Once we were all strapped in, we climbed into the plane. Graham was geeking out he's such a plane fanatic and we had the whole plane to ourselves! As we climbed higher and higher over the ocean, we could see Maui, and I think even the Big Island. Oahu looked straight-up magical from above. But the altitude kept rising, and my dad started struggling to breathe a bit due to the thinner air thank goodness it was time to jump!

Graham went first. He and Luca scooted to the edge, gave us a big thumbs up and grin, and whoosh out they went. Watching someone just fall out of a plane is wild. Then it was my turn. We scooted to the edge, the cold air rushing in. I peeked over the side and before I had time to chicken out 3, 2, 1, GO!

Freefalling is the most surreal feeling. It’s impossible to describe there’s just nothing like it. We fell for about 60 seconds. My mouth dried out in seven, and the wind in my ears was fierce. But looking down at the island? Absolutely breathtaking!

Once the parachute opened, everything slowed down. I could see whales, the reef below, and even spotted Graham’s parachute off in the distance. My guide even steered us close enough to shout over to my dad. I was so relieved to see his parachute had made it too.

Once we landed, we were all yelling and cheering! Well, actually, mostly me. But Graham had a little celebratory throw-up from the motion. Which I am calling a victory! It was such an exhilarating experience... well, for some of us. My dad wasn’t exactly thrilled about his collared shirt flapping in his face the whole way down, and I don’t think the boys loved the harness situation. But hello we just went skydiving, and free fell for 60 seconds. So who cares?! I’ll never forget that adrenaline-pumping moment with my dad and brother. Sometimes the wildest experiences are a little uncomfortable, and that’s what makes them crazy!1 The rest of the day was all about celebrating Graham. We grabbed pretzels, went shopping at the mall (his mission: find linen pants, and even got in some pool time before heading to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Only bummer? They were out of the three things we all wanted mac and cheese, and the steak! But the menu is so massive that we still found something we loved. Such an epic way to turn 18. Graham is truly one of the sweetest people I known kind, thoughtful, hardworking, and determined. So glad I got to celebrate with him!

After Oahu, Graham and I flew over to Kauai for another full week of fun. We BBQ’d on the beach, baked cookies nightly, binge-watched shows, chased sunsets, and had the best chats. Honestly, it was such good quality time.

I already can’t wait to hear all about his adventures in Spain. A hui hou, Graham!