Aloha! We finally made it to Hawaii! We flew from Misawa to Tokyo, then over to Oahu. The Japanese LOVE Hawai, and our flight was completely full. We flew on the Japanese airline JAL and the service was fantastic... The only problem is I think those planes are made for small Japanese people. The space between our seats and the seats in front of us was a lot smaller than we were used to. It was to the point where I couldn't sit straight cause my knees would touch the front seat. So I always had to angle my legs to be somewhat comfortable. I also learned something about the Japanese people, and that is they must all be vampires! Hahaha, but seriously! Our flight from Tokyo took off at 11:45 pm. At 2:00 am we were so spent and trying to get us and the kids to sleep but couldn't because all the lights were on inside the plane and the passengers were awake and alert watching movies, talking etc. It was then that our kids were loosing it out of exhaustion, and I was so delirious and frustrated that no one on the flight apparently needed to sleep like we did that all I could do was laugh. So there you go, the Japanese are either vampires that require no sleep or have some crazy superhero powers. Awake at 2:00 am on a plane, who does that!?
The first stop on our list while on Oahu was Pearl Harbor. Both Kyle and I have always wanted to go and see the USS Arizona memorial. It honestly was a very neat and humbling experience. We watched a video of live footage of that day, December 7, 1941, and then boarded a ferry that took us out to where the floating memorial was located. As we were heading out to the USS Arizona memorial I could just picture where all the ships were lined up. I imagined tons of Japanese planes diving down in the beautiful blue sky, releasing bullets and bombs. The chaos, the confusion, the horror. Our military had no idea what was happening or had a means to truly fight back. To say it was a complete surprise attack is an understatement.
While we were on the memorial, directly over the USS Arizona, we could still see oil leaking from the ship in the water. A white prestine wall with hundreds of names of those that died that day on this ship stood firm and tall. It was not only a memorial, but a grave site to all those sailors who paid the ultimate price that Sunday morning years, and years ago.
Fast forward several years to 2015, and it's amazing to see how different things are. Japan is not an enemy, but a very close and loyal allie. We live in Japan! This people, who were once filled with hatred towards us, now love us and we them. Pearl Harbor however, was not only a tragedy, it has changed the military's focus and our places of force. Since the attack we have always had a strong presence in the Pacific. Even today our mission being over in Japan is to protect the Pacific, America's west coast, and make sure Pearl Harbor is NEVER repeated.
The next day the weather was cloudy and rainy so we figure it would be a perfect day to skip the beaches and head to the Dole plantation. Being a huge pineapple lover, I was so excited to eat some delicious pineapple. We rode the Pineapple Express train thinking the kids would like it, but I think Kyle and I enjoyed it more then them. After wrestling them to stay in the train we finally gave in and let them just play on our phones so we could at least enjoy the ride.
Next stop was the Polynesian cultural center. Up by the North shore of the island we were able to drive by BYU Hawaii (sooooo small! Literally it's like a glorified high school), the Temple and the cultural center. I couldn't help but think that as much as I love Hawaii, there would be no way I could go to school at BYU Hawaii. Being on a tiny island, going to a tiny school, I think I could feel trapped. I have always liked more of the "hustle and bustle" type of living. I would die and go to heaven if I could live in NYC... But Kyle would never consent to that, nor would the Air Force since there are no bases there :)
Of course it started to down pour rain on us while we were at the cultural center, but we didn't let that damper our spirits. We watched dancers on the river, made fish toys from palm leaves, tried some coconut bread, tried our hands at fishing, and watched many different presentations from different Polynesian islands. It would be fun to go back again without the kids to really learn more about the differences between Tonga and Samoa for example and not worry about corralling my minions.
Finally we made it to the beautiful beaches of Hawaii. We stayed in downtown Wikiki so obviously we went to Wikiki beach! The only negative I have to say is how crowded that beach was. The sand was so soft, and the water was beautiful, warm, and turquoise though.
Connor wasted no time and walked straight into the ocean only to get knocked down by a huge wave. You would think he would learn his lesson, but time after time he would just March right into the water. We really needed to keep a close eye on him. Abby was a little more timid though. Both loved playing or should I say eating the sand. I felt as though they were ingesting more than they were actually playing with.
Our last day on Oahu we decided to be lazy. We went to the beach, walked around a shopping mall (yes, a real mall! With clothes that actually fit me and my style and are not made for Japanese people like what I'm used to back in Misawa), and explored Wikiki. Again we got caught in a huge rain storm, but again it didn't bother us too much. Even though we were soaked it was such warm rain that we never got cold in the 75 degree weather. I am starting to get used to this beautiful weather that going back to cold Misawa is going to be a shock. Luckily I don't have to think about that right now cause next stop is Maui to meet up with the whole Benham family.
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