Spring Break 2018

For Spring Break, I had the opportunity to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii to visit family friends!

My journey began with a 5a.m. Pacific Time boarding call and I only had nerves keeping me awake. This was going to be my first time traveling alone. While flying along the deep blue sea, I watched a beautiful sunrise; a little gift God gave me to reassure me everything was going to be okay.

Once I landed I felt right at home. The sunshine in my eyes, the different scents coming from the variety of flowers, the chirping of the birds; everything was absolutely stunning. The weather was drastically different compared to North Idaho weather (snowing in April).

The car ride through downtown was absolutely gorgeous. With the window rolled down and the sun on my face, there was nothing that could stop me from smiling. I spent the day cliff jumping off the lava rocks at Richardson's Beach and eating local fruit from the farmer's market. It was very peaceful to sit and remember my days crawling around on the very same rocks as a toddler. As I was admiring the beautiful memories and scenery, I heard children giggling and noticed them pointing in the water. I looked out to my far right and saw a sea turtle trying to eat algae on the rocks. I couldn't believe my eyes and admired nature at it's finest. I knew from that moment on that my trip was going to be fantastic.

Richardson's Beach

The local Farmer's Market was my all-time favorite place to be. The different smells that were coming from all the natural, Hawaiian-grown foods were blessings to my nostrils. I searched for half an hour to find my favorite Hawaiian treat: Sweet Rice. This is a food made from coconut milk, sugar cane, and sticky rice. My first bite into the delicious treat brought goosebumps along my neck. I had forgotten how tasty it was! While my friends weren't looking, I bought 10 more just so I could have them for later in the week.

Sweet Rice wrapped in saran wrap.

My friends and I continued to shop for food to cook with throughout the week and I saw many local fruit that I had never seen before. Here are two photos of the wild fruit that I tried!

Stonecrop Fruit

Durian Fruit

The rest of my 2 week trip consisted of many Farmer's Market hauls, sightseeing of all the magical waterfalls of the island, surfing while sharks were nearby, sea glass collecting, visiting a zoo, hiking up a hill at Mauna Kea, chasing after wild chickens, and much more! 

'Akaka Falls 

Rainbow Falls 

Downtown Hilo 

Mauna Kea Outlook from a hill I hiked.

My last night on the Big Island, I got to watch the sunset on Kona side and it was the prettiest sunset I have ever watched. The colors in the sky were unlimited to the human eye, but my phone only captured the orange hues.

All the experiences will forever be memories held dear to my heart. I will never forget all the different smells, noises, and sites I witnessed on the Big Island. You truly don't know what it's like until you experience it in person; visiting Hawaii is a life-changing encounter that you will never regret.

My trip made me realize that no matter how far you go in life, you always come back to your roots, one way or another. Life changes at a rapid speed, but your earliest memories will always be ingrained in your heart, mind, and soul.