Yesterday was surreal because everything is just perfect. I arrived in Honolulu late Wednesday night, bussed to a hostel, and met two other girls on my program - Mel and Sanaa - and a cute boy who ran the hostel office. We woke up early on Thursday, before 8, simply because the beauty of this world came seeping through our windows and we didn't have the ability to ignore it. This place!!
It's hard to explain how ethereal this island is. I'm sure my months in below zero weather affect my interpretation, but it's so hard to ignore the raw glowing beauty of the weather, the smells, and the people. The people on this island have given me many reasons to believe that island folk are the nicest I've had the opportunity to meet. Everywhere - the bus driver, the traffic cop, the beach dwellers - I've had extended conversations, been given practical advice, and one taxi driver and I bonded over the fact that he used to live in Eden Prairie. My world is on fire!
After waking up we walked to Zippy's bakery and explored the early morning streets of Honolulu near the university. We bussed to the beach later on and spent most of our day along Waikiki beach. The sight of that ocean was unreal. I kept telling my newfound friends how it was hard for me to fully believe. It doesn't feel like vacation, it feels like something else. We ate at a local place, the Rainbow Drive In, and had BBQ pork, fried fish, and rice. My body feels worn, dried, and salty after that excursion but my pink face is proof enough that my body is happy.
We finally met most of the people in my group before dinner. I had been anticipating that moment for months - I'm about to spend so much time with these people!
Point is: I'm already having the time of my life and it was day one. I'm ready to take risks, go out of my comfort zone, ask for help if I need it, and really soak in this experience. I feel this new ambition and sense of adventure after yesterday and I'm really ready to live this.
Aloha!
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