UkuleleMom

Looking for the aloha in life


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Day 7 Tantalus and Bailey’s

I am always sad on the last day before I leave the Hawaiian Islands. Fortunately, this time around, I get to bring Dan home and see Mike and Casey, who is patiently waiting for our return so I am not nearly as heavy hearted as I usually am to depart paradise.

I was, however, determined to squeeze as much out of this day as I could so after my workout and some packing, I grabbed my suit and one last Kai Latte (their namesake drink with macadamia nut milk) then sought out the perfect spot on the beach in Waikiki with Dan. I stayed on that beach until the last possible moment I thought I could without missing our late checkout. (By the way, our little condo I found on AirBnB was adorable… a 1BR/1BA with a penthouse view of the ocean, city and mountains in the famed Waikiki Banyan Condominium Tower.)

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Day 5 Friends and Shopping

We were expecting the weather to not be the greatest today so we made plans to do other things besides relaxing on the beach. Another OpenFit workout (this one had my legs on FIRE!) got me started this morning so that I didn’t feel so guilty ordering the Kai Latte (made with macadamia nut milk, yum!) at a cute coffee shop an hour later. With some laundry done as well, we met up with some of Dan’s friends for lunch in Waikiki and had a wonderful time and a wonderful lunch at Island Vintage Cafe. It was so fun to get to know these kids with whom he has been spending the last 12 weeks. They were all so smart, so interesting, and had lots to say about their experience during this crazy year. (How I forgot to get a pic of them all I have no idea!)

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Day 4 Waikiki and Haleiwa on the North Shore

Another glorious weather day here on the island of Oahu! It was nice to wake up with no real plans but excited to see where the day will take us. First though, Dan had some finishing touches on his last calc assignment so he had to spend the morning in his books again. (While I wanted to get out, I did NOT complain. I mean, he was studying so…)

It gave me time to get a few things done as well, including yet another workout (I have started using the OpenFit App and it is my new favorite thing!!)

We decided to enjoy the beach below us on Waikiki but first stopped at a cute coffee shop that had delicious club sandwiches. While eating, we witnessed an older gentleman get caught for stealing some RipCurl swim trunks from the store next door. (Like, walked out carrying the wood hanger and everything!) It was quite the commotion and I am not sure who I felt more sorry for… the old man who clearly had some issues or the frustrated young sales woman coming after him!

We spent a couple hours on the busy beach relaxing right in front of a catamaran. This is the very spot that I thought I had lost him for good back in 2017, which I reminded him about multiple times because I was so scarred from the experience. 🙂 (Read about that here.)

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Exploring the Island! Day 2

I picked up my tour guide today around 11 after a lovely walk by the canal in Waikiki. He had some last minute packing and a few goodbyes left so wanted to give him some time for that. But, man it is so nice to be with my schmoopie again and have this time with him all to myself.

This was us after our super long hug to make up for all the days I missed him!

We started out heading east toward Hawaii Kai and Aina Haina, two beautiful residential communities outside of Honolulu and stopped at a cute sandwich shop that he had frequented with his friends. My spicy chicken sandwich was way more than I could handle! But none the less, it was delicious and fueled us up for the day ahead. We kept heading east/north along the ocean which was full of white caps and huge waves from all the wind we have had the last 24 hours. It was breathtaking and we stopped at every scenic point we could along the way.

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A Rare Evening All To Myself

I honestly don’t remember the last time I spent 12 hours alone. Surely it was before the pandemic began. But that was what I had on my first night here. Dan was at his “Hawaii Hale” packing and savoring his last night with his friends. So, I had over 12 hours with no one to talk to, nothing to put away or clean up, no dogs wanting food or attention or both, not even a house to clean or organize.

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Spring Break ‘21 is on!

In case anyone reading this has been living under a rock for the past twelve months, last year was a rough one, for everybody. The cancellation of Dan’s and my Spring Break trip to Cancun with his friends was just the beginning of a weird, frustrating, sad and lonely time for pretty much every human on the planet. While Mike, the kids and I stayed physically healthy and safe in our home, it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, especially for this social mom. But many people struggled so much more… financially, mentally, physically. It seemed like nothing would ever be the same again.

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Headed Home

(Note to readers:  I didn’t get to finish this post until tonight, a week late.  Sorry for the confusion but we have been home for a week now:) Well, today is the dreaded day we head home.  Actually, it’s not dreaded; we are excited to get back to our new home in the city and all the exciting things we have planned for 2020.  But, if you have read anything on this blog, you know these are my least favorite days.  We did, however, make the most of this day by leaving the condo at 10 and driving north towards Hawi.  This is the cutest little town of bookstores and art galleries that you hit before driving to the end of the road, literally.  Continue reading →


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Crazy Times at Hapuna Beach Park

Outside Pele’s Wok, a great little restaurant in the Mauna Lani shops where we celebrated the new year and met a cute local couple who work as photojournalists. (Which might be Mikes dream job)

If anyone reading this finds a brown Chaco, size 9 in the sand or marshy area of Hapuna Beach, it’s ours!

Yeah, the last full day of our vacation we were once again reminded of how things can take a turn in an instant when it comes to dealing with the ocean.

We decided to venture to a different beach on this day, one that’s been written up in magazines as a Top 5 beach in all the world. Hapuna is a favorite of ours and one we’ve been to on several occasions. We’ve always enjoyed ourselves here.

On this day, the waves were… big gigantic! Continue reading →