Kailua-Kona, Hawaii!

I was so fortunate to be able to go visit my best friend, Jeanine (aka Juniper), this past March in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, where she now lives! I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, and thanks in large part to my tax refund (okay, thanks COMPLETELY because of my tax refund--tickets to Hawaii are EXPENSIVE! Who knew?! Ha!) I was able to make the voyage over there! Hawaii is a beautiful place and I enjoyed it immensely. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit crazy while I was there (a little chilly and stormy). During my layover in Honolulu they were having (or at least this is what I was told) record storms. Nevertheless, I am not fazed by mere rain, I am from Portland after all.

The trip itself got off to a slightly rocky start (pardon the pun) with a near death experience! I got caught in a huge wave my first day in Hawaii, and was thrown between two large rocks (Everyone on the beach was freaking out and convinced that I was dead when I finally resurfaced). It wasn't until I got back to our towels that I realized (after a guy pointed it out) that I had blood running down my leg from three cuts that I have no recollection of getting. One of the cuts left a scar and I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of it! It reminds me of how fortunate I am! And there's no better souvenir than a scar!

Jeanine got quite a few days off while I was there and because of that her and I were able to do a little exploring during my week-long visit. I got my fill of laying on beaches, drinking cold tropical drinks, snorkeling, and best of all I got lots of quality time with her, her boyfriend Paul, their 3 dogs, and their landlord's dog, who they were dog-sitting for. I got to see parrots, LOTS of geckos, wild goats, turtles, crab spiders, and plenty of fish! I also got to taste Rambutan, Dragonfruit, and Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) for the very first time. I visited a lava tube, did some dancing, and went night swimming. I was able to enjoy local mangoes, bananas, avocados and coconuts (and more that I cannot currently remember). Let's face it, I am one very lucky girl!