Hawaii - not my favorite

​HAWAII
The majority of you will probably sigh and say, “I don’t believe you! How could you?” But I’ve been to Hawaii 6 times, and never stayed longer than 6 hours! (I’ve been to Australia once and New Zealand twice. Going and coming I was routed through Hawaii, with 4-6 hr layovers.)  Now as I look back I think, “Yeah, maybe I should have stopped over, just because.” But at the time I was a young naïve girl traveling thousands of miles and just wanted to reach my destination. I’d had enough adventures that I was leery of trying to do something on my own when I was in the midst of jet lag. Since I was an American, I could leave the airport, so did wander around outside and there were beautiful palm trees, etc.
However, I have never been the type of person to want to go to the extreme touristy and crowded places, so Hawaii was never a big deal for me to go see. Plus my first experience with it was horrible. I had left home with a terrible head cold, and believe me; you do NOT want to fly with a cold if at all possible. I already had very sensitive ears and balance issues. Put the pressure of going up several thousand feet with the pressure of one’s sinuses under attack – it is sheer misery. By the time we were landing in Honolulu I was doubled over with pain and crying. I thought I was going to burst an eardrum. So I spent my time trying to track down a pharmacist that would give me something to help – which was difficult since I couldn’t hear a thing except as if it came through a gurgling long hollow tunnel – that time in Hawaii does not have fond memories! (Actually I’m sitting here rubbing my ear just writing about it!)
On the return flight, it was a much better experience. That’s when I did leave the airport to wander around a bit. But again, to me it was just a city. If I’d gone on to stay elsewhere, maybe I’d have liked it better. I did wish I could go to Pearl Harbour – but that takes much longer than I had layover time. The Hawaiian music is certainly one thing that I do enjoy. There is some interesting history to the islands; if you’ve never heard Aloha’ Oe, you should. This is now known as Queen Liliuokalani’s farewell song, although she wrote it before her imprisonment. The pathos permeates through the music. They have such a beautiful language, and the music can really speak to your soul.
So I guess I’m not the best person to entice you to go to Hawaii. If someone offered me a free trip over, I’d take it, but it’s not a high priority for me. You have to love sun, beach, sand, crowds – especially if you go at certain times of the year. But again, just remember, as I talk about places – they are so vast and varied that I can only scratch a tip of what can all be in a state or province. So don’t let me discourage you if it’s on your bucket list. As Psalms 92:12 says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree…” there is much beauty to be seen on these islands, and if you like palm trees – you’ll get a good view of them there!”