Hawaii !!

What a trip!! Greg and I had the time of our lives, and enjoyed a "second honeymoon" in Hawaii, at the expense of the MTSU Econ Dept. Finally, a perk for being married to an economist! :) We had a great 10 days in Hawaii, but missed our little man terribly. It was great to be reunited with him on Sunday. I swear he changed so much in 10 days! He had a great time with his Nana (and Pops & Grandmum for a while), and had so many new tricks to show us when we got home. For now, let me just say that we will forever be indebted to Nana for taking such good care of Nate; we didn't have to worry about him one bit, and just got to concentrate on each other for once. What a treat! Here's what I hope will be a short summary of our trip....

Friday, June 27th (Day 1):

Our trip got off to a rocky start - we almost missed our flight! Obviously, we made it, but only with about 5 minutes to spare. There was a wreck about 2 minutes from the airport, so we had to take a major detour onto I-40 and arrived at the airport 30 minutes before our flight. Greg dropped me off on the curb with all 4 bags and somehow I managed to get them inside to check-in. He parked, and instead of taking the shuttle, sprinted about a mile to get to the terminal. He said he got stopped for speeding by an airport cop and also had his pants almost fall off b/c his keys & wallet were weighing him down during his run. Awesome. The people at Continental were extremely nice, and didn't charge us for extra bags, as well as let us cut in line at security. I think it's b/c I was close to tears. But hey, whatever works! So, we made it on the plane and I decided to try Bec's trick of putting vaseline in my nostrils to prevent myself from getting sick. (Nate had just gotten over a cold, so we were going to do everything we could to not get sick on this trip.) Well, maybe I bought the wrong kind of vaseline (Carmex), b/c holy cow, it burned like crazy and I smelled like Vicks! So, that lasted about 2 minutes. Then, we settled in for the 2 hr flight to Houston....me reading US Weekly as usual, and Greg for once, reading a "fun" book too. His book? Titled The Gulag Archipelago. It was about Soviet labor camps/prisons. How uplifting! Anyways, we made our connection in Houston and then boarded a massive plane for the 8 hr flight to Honolulu. Loved all the TVs and comfy seats! We sat on the very back row, across from a cute little Japanese boy with his father. Of course, it reminded us of Nate and made us miss him even more! Greg tried out MY new inflatable travel pillow, and managed to get a nap, while I watched movies, read, journaled, and enjoyed my cheeseburger & salad dinner. It honestly wasn't too bad for airplane food! We landed in Hawaii and arrived at our hotel in Waikiki around 4:45 pm Hawaiian time (9:45 central time). Did a quick tour of the hotel, pool, and beach, and then split a pizza from one of the hotel's restaurants. The highlight of my day was seeing a reality TV star at our hotel! She was at the Sand Bar, one of the hotel's restaurant/bars outside. It was Kim Lyons, one of the trainers from The Biggest Loser. She was with a few HUGE bodybuilders....not sure if they were her friends or bodyguards. Nonetheless, I was ecstatic to see someone from one of my favorite shows, but no, I did not bug her and ask for a picture. Though I did think about it seriously! Anyways, we were exhausted so we got settled & unpacked in our room, and then crashed at 7 pm. What party animals!

Saturday (Day 2):

Since we went to bed so early, I knew I'd wake up at the crack of dawn. By 5:30 am, I couldn't stand it anymore and decided to go into the bathroom and read some brochures. Greg apparently, was awake too, so shortly after I went in there he told me to stop being retarded and come out. We headed to breakfast downstairs with all the old people at 6:30 am. It was a good buffet but expensive! (As was everything in Hawaii, we would come to learn.) I had a breakdown that morning b/c I missed Nate so much. Greg was afraid it was going to be a long week, but luckily, I snapped out of it once we starting planning some activities. We spoke with the concierge and got the low-down on some fun stuff to do. I placed my first of many daily calls to Nana and found out that Nate was doing great (even managing to skip his 10 pm bottle and sleep 12 hrs straight). I don't even think he knew we were gone! We spent the day at the pool and had fun laughing at all the weenie bikinis. And oh, were there a lot of them. And Japanese people. Tons of Japenese people! We had our first of many fruity drinks from the Sand Bar and later, walked a few blocks to dinner at a local seafood place on the beach. The view was great and the food even better! Seabass & Crab-stuffed Mahi Mahi...yum!

Sunday (Day 3):

We had to wake up super early and be downstairs for a shuttle by 6:10 am. We were going to Pearl Harbor and had to get there before the crowds got too large! We still had to wait about an hour in line, but that was pretty good compared to the people who sauntered in around 8 pm. Some had up to a 5 hr wait! We watched a short film and then ferried out to the USS Arizona Memorial. We only got to spend about 15 minutes at the memorial, but it was a pretty heavy 15 minutes. Got to see the shrine wall, with all the names of the crewman who went down with the USS Arizona (1,177 to be exact), as well as parts of the wreckage that were visible above water. Afterwards, we toured around the visitor center & gift shop. On our ride home, our tour guide was talking non-stop and annoying the crap out of us....we nicknamed him Chatty Chong (b/c his name was Tommy Chong). And to top it off, we had a girl in our tour group who had caught the flu and kept throwing up. Luckily, she didn't do it on the bus. Greg had a session that afternoon, so I spent a half day at the pool and then met he & other UNC nerds :) down at the Sand Bar for drinks before dinner. We had a fancy dinner date at La Mer, a five-star French restaurant at a neighboring hotel. By far, it was the most delicious (and expensive) meal we have ever had!! We had complimentary champagne & hors d'oeuvres, I got a stool for my purse so it wouldn't have to sit on the ground, and we each ordered a 2 course meal with dessert. Everything was amazing....the hot & cold appetizers....Greg's lamb and my opakapaka (a kind of snapper)....the wine...and the desserts. Such a treat and a date night we will never forget! It was fun to be treated like royalty for one night....


Monday (Day 4):

We finally got to sleep in and enjoyed sharing the breakfast buffet downstairs. The tropical juice was the BEST! A mix of pineapple, mango, and carrot juices. Plus a few more we didn't know. SO good! The lounge chairs at the pool get "saved" early on the morning, so we were out of luck and headed to the beach. Luckily, our hotel had a ton of lounge chairs roped off in a private section, so we got to use those. Greg acted like a kid (as usual) in the ocean, trying to "ride" the waves in and bodysurf. I think he was having the time of his life until one time he dive-bombed at the end and got a ton of sand & shells in his bathing suit. Oops! We tried fish tacos for lunch - delicious! - and then headed off to parasail - Greg's idea! It was so fun and actually pretty relaxing to be that far up in the air (about 750 feet). And the views were great! Our ride lasted only about 15 minutes, but since we were with 3 other couples, we got to ride around on the boat for about an hour. We only got a little wet from the parasailing, b/c the driver "dipped" us in the water once. Other than that, we took off & landed directly from the boat, so we stayed pretty dry. We took a long walk and explored down the beach that night, looking for places to eat and taking in all the sights. We found Waikiki's oldest hotel, the Moana Surfrider, and walked around in it. It was so beautiful! It opened its doors in 1901. We had a quick Italian dinner down the street, but weren't huge fans. My lasagna had a really bad aftertaste, so I was convinced they were trying to poison me and called it "chemical lasagna." (Yes, I had been drinking.) Actually, we found some cheap - and big! 24 oz - beers at the hotel's sundry shop later that night, and drank them out by the pool, under the stars. It doesn't get more relaxing than this!

Tuesday (Day 5):

We headed off to catch the city bus that morning, and head to the Diamond Head crater to hike. It is an extinct volcano, the last eruption having been around 300,000 years ago. The hike up was only about 30 minutes, but it was pretty strenuous! Lots of stairs and steep walkways. The views at the top were amazing, and we loved seeing all of Waikiki stretched out below us. Perhaps the best part was the huge sno-cones we got after making our way back down. We were super hot, so they really hit the spot. We hung out at the pool that afternoon and then made plans with a UNC friend, Heather Krull, to head with a group to an authentic Hawaiian restaurant. It was quite a walk - about 1.5 miles - but man, was that food good! There were 7 of us, and the waitress recommended order 3 of the "combo platters" plus a few sides. She just kept bringing out plate after plate! I loved the pork and fried ahi the best, and Greg managed to make a dent in just about everything, even the "meat blob" (a huge hunk of pork covered with spinach). The nastiest thing was the poi....looked like chocolate pudding but tasted like salty grape soda to me. Nasty! (See pic of Greg trying it below.) We ate a ton of food, but had enough room for a stop at the Hawaiian ice cream shop on the way home. I got pineapple ice cream and it was wonderful!! Heather and a few others had sweet potato ice cream, and for some reason, it was purple! They said it was delicious though.






Wednesday (Day 6):

Greg had to get up early for a full day of sessions (well, 2 of them). While he was at the conference, I did some laundry and watched Wimbledon. We ate lunch together, and then I headed to the pool during his an afternoon session. We met up with the UNC crowd at Rum Fire, another hotel restaurant, for Happy Hour from 4-6 pm. Half off all drinks and select appetizers! We got to side outside and watch the huge waves crash against the wall and soak everyone. Luckily, we stayed dry and enjoyed a few drinks, while talking about econ & astrophysics. Quite the party crowd! :) Greg & I moved inside later for dinner/tapas and headed in for an early night.

Thursday (Day 7):

Today was our big adventure day! We were headed to the north side of the island, to Kualoa Ranch. It is a privately-owned, 4000 acre ranch, that is the oldest & largest cattle ranch in Oahu. It was so fun to see a different side of the island, where the climate & terrain is so different (a lot wetter & more mountainous). Our first activity was riding ATVs through the ranch!!! This was by far, the most fun I had all week. At first I was nervous, and then started to tear it up, especially on the off-road parts! We got to stop about halfway through the hour-long ride and take pictures of where a few famous movies had shot scenes (Godzilla, 50 First Dates, You Me and Dupree, Jurassic Park, and Pearl Harbor). Our next activity was riding in an old army vehicle and off-roading on a "jungle expedition." Our guide was great and pointed out all sorts of wildlife (wild pigs!) and nature (ginger roots, mangoes) that were all around us. At one point, we came up to a stream & huge tree that looked familiar. It was where the TV show LOST shoots a lot of jungle scenes and fills up their canteens. So neat!!!!!!! The guide says they happen upon the actors a lot, and just have to stop the toursmomentarily, quietly watch them shoot a scene, and then drive on through once the scene is over. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the actors, but I was super psyched to drive all over the ranch and see different places where they shoot one of my favorite TV shows! We headed back to the visitor center on the ranch for lunch, shopped around for a few souvenirs, and then loaded onto the bus to head back to the hotel. We wanted to go for a swim that afternoon, but the pool was closed due to an "organic contamination" (poop?). Instead, we opted to lounge in the shade, read, and drink some beers before dinner. We had our first rain that night, and of course it happened when we were walking home from dinner. Luckily, it didn't last long, and we got to do a little shopping at the International Marketplace, and pick up some cheesecake to go at the Cheesecake Factory. I got some milk, and Greg got some beer, and we headed back to the room to enjoy our dessert on our balcony!

Friday, July 4th (Day 8):

This was the first day I started to feel sick (with a cold), so we headed out to find some cheap meds after breakfast. We did manage to enjoy a little beach time, both laying out and in the water, and as usual, Greg was a maniac in the water. It was super clear that day, so you could easily see the bottom and all the rocks. Well, still, Greg freaked out every time his foot hit a big rock. He'd scream "Feet up, feet up!" and start to float. He stated that he only likes sealife "when it's dead on my plate." My husband, the nature-lover. We watched more Wimbledon during lunch at the Sand Bar, and then laid out a few more hours at the pool. I think this was the first trip where Greg actually enjoyed laying out and thought it was relaxing! A real treat for me, to have him next to me and not complaining :) We met Heather & Betty at Rum Fire for another happy hour - this time only the mojitos were half off - and then headed down the street to Cha Cha Cha for some mexican food. Andy & Jen met us there, and we all chowed down on chips & salsa, beer, mango margaritas, burritos, and fajitas. Yes, we were stuffed. The concierge had told me that fireworks would be going on at a park down the beach, but that we'd be able to see them from our pool. Not so much. We saw like 2 sparkles and that was it. Andy & Heather darted down the beach and actually waded into the water in order to see the fireworks and take some pics. So, we got to see the show once they returned and showed off their pictures!

Saturday (Day 9):

We both woke up feeling sad & excited, b/c this was our last day in Hawaii, but also b/c we'd be seeing Nate soon!! We got in our last beach time, split one more pizza, and then packed up to check out at 2 pm. The hotel stored our luggage, while we took a bus downtown to see a movie! We thought it'd be a good way to fill up our afternoon, as well as get in a movie date since they are few & far between now. We saw Get Smart with Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell and loved it! The only downside was that my cold was starting to get worse, and on top of that, both of us had upset stomachs (perhaps from the mexican dinner last night, not sure). Nevertheless, we gathered our luggage from the hotel and headed to the airport after the movie. As soon as we got in the taxi, we saw a rainbow. A good sign! I was hopeful we'd have an uneventful trip home. We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare, so we were able to sit down and enjoy dinner until our 9:10 pm flight. We had booked a night flight, with the hopes of falling asleep on the plane. Most everyone but me was able to do this. After Greg managed to put a hole in my neck pillow, I knew it was going to be a long flight! I watched a few movies & tv shows, and managed to doze off a few times, for just 5-10 minutes at a time. I just cannot sleep on a plane! And, my stomach was still upset, so that made for a fun trip home.

Sunday (Day 10):

We had a 2 1/2 hr layover in Houston, and wanted to find a TV so we could watch the Men's Wimbledon finals. We found one in Chili's, and ordered soup & appetizers at 11 am (though it felt like 6 am to our bodies)! That was a first! I managed to catch a 30 minute catnap near our gate, by spreading airplane blankets on the floor and curling up in a ball on the floor. Yes, I was desperate for some sleep! The 2 hr flight to Nashville went smoothly, and again, Greg managed to sleep while I could not. I think I was just going on fumes, b/c I was so excited to get home and see Nate! We landed without a problem and then headed to the long-term parking lot, this time on the shuttle. Since Greg had made the mad dash on his way in 10 days ago, he didn't look to see what section of the parking lot he was in. So, that was fun, walking around the huge parking lot for 15 minutes with all of our bags, trying to find Rosie in the 95 degree weather. Finally, I found her, and never before had I been so happy to see that pink car!! We got home around 4 pm, briefly filled Nana in on our trip, and then headed upstairs to wake Nate at 4:30. All three of us walked in and were anxious to see his reaction. Would he remember his mom & dad? Would he cry or smile? He was standing up, with his back to us when we walked in, playing with his rainforest music machine. I was just staring at him b/c I swear he looked like a different child! So grown-up! Had I only been gone a mere 10 days? He turned to look at us and just stared. No cry, no smile, just a blank look. Then, slowly, he smiled at us once I started talking. And when Greg starting to make a funny face, he widened that grin and finally we saw our little Nate. It was such a special moment and brought tears to our eyes. We loved our vacation but could not wait to hold our munchkin man!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the perfect end to a perfect trip.