Back to Reality

I'm alive!! I swear my lack of posting isn't because I've been sick or because I've given up on blogging. I have been on a holiday! The benefits of this is now I am rested, relaxed and ready to get back to my real life and my blog!


Let me tell you about mine and Ryan's holiday. For all those wondering, no I'm not engaged! Ha ha

We had an amazing time. Hawaii was always on our list of places we wanted to see before we died. It was actually magical. As corny as that sounds I don't have any other way to describe it.

There is a downfall to Hawaii. The travelling. You are pretty much up for 24 hours between travelling and wait time. Three flights later though we were finally in paradise!

Third and final flight. Someones tired and someones excited!

Our room was amazing and right on the ocean. Every morning Ryan would open the patio doors so that we could lay in bed and listen to the ocean crash against the rocks.

View from our room.

On the first day we were still pretty tired from the travelling and time change. We decided we were going to take the free trolley to the market and do some exploring. We stopped and ate "Hula Sandwich's" at Bongo Ben's. It is terriyaki chicken with pineapple on a bun. Afterwards we played cards on the patio and were in bed by 8:00 pm. Like I said, so tired!

On the Monday we checked out all the adventures at the hotel. There was an awesome pool with an awesome slide (ya, I'm 5). Ryan and I must of went down that water slide two dozen times a piece. We had a pasta buffet that night at the hotel and stuffed ourselves so it was off early to bed again.

Tuesday was a day full of adventure. We loaded a bus at 7:30 am and toured around the whole island. To drive the whole island takes about 2 hours but we had many stops along the way. We went to a coffee farm, a bake/cookie shop, black sand beach with sea turtles, volcano, a lave tube, lunch on a military base, orchid farm, ice cream/chocolate factory, and finally a really old cattle ranch. Needless to say, after all the adventure we were tired! We got back to our room at 7 and decided to order pizza in. We ordered a medium pepperoni pizza (8 slices) and when it arrived we were shocked, $40.00 FOR A PIZZA! Crazy! We never ordered it again.

Having homemade pineapple ice cream with an orchid in my hair. If you are married the orchid goes over your left ear and if you are single it goes in your right ear.


Wednesday we had decided to do a much shorter tour. We went to two coffee farm's. The first was a old coffee farm that still picked the coffee beans the way the settlers first did it when they came to Hawaii. The second was called Java Joe. It was a more modern coffee farm and a very popular brand that actually sells in stores all over the world. There were tons of free samples and I couldn't fall asleep that night with all that caffeine in my system!

Picking coffee beans


Thursday was a little less adventurous of a day. We just hung around the pool area, ate lots of yummy food and relaxed. That night was a party though! The hotel put on a traditional Hawaiian luau with all the fixings. Dancing, Mai Tai's, and traditional Hawaiian food. It was amazing. I had been disappointed about being in Hawaii for so long and not getting a lei but I received my first on that night!

Blowing the dinner shell


Friday again started off the same as Thursday. We had to leave the pool area early however because that night we were going on a sunset dinner cruise on the ocean. I had an amazing time. Their was live music, all the drinks included, and a buffet. And while I was having an amazing time on the boat my boyfriend was being sea sick. The romantic dinner and sunset boat ride quickly turned into a booze cruise! With the drinks flowing and amazing musicians everyone started dancing. It was awesome! I had a great time partying that night but I don't think Ryan will ever join me on a cruise again!

Ryan and I on the boat

Then it turned into a party!

Saturday morning we woke up an took the free trolley to the market again. We had breakfast in a place called Lulu's. They made the best pancakes I have ever had! Buttery, fresh, light and melt in your mouth goodness.....mmm....Lulu's is really a great place to go if you ever visit Kona, Hawaii. The rest of the morning/afternoon we did all of our souvenir shopping. We had to go back to our room and change however because I surprised Ryan with 9 holes of golf at the Kona Golf and Country club. It was a beautiful course right on the ocean and I started it off by winning. However, it didn't end in my favor. That night we went to the hotel restaurant for the Prime Rib buffet. Remembering all this yummy food makes me think I don't want to step on the weigh scales anytime soon. :-)

Ryan swinging away

Sunday was the last official day of our vacation. It was also the Superbowl so the place was deserted! We spent the morning at the pool working on our tans. We packed in the afternoon and took the trolley one more time down to the market. We had supper at Bongo Ben's and watched the ending of the Superbowl. It was WILD down their with all the faithful football fans so we didn't stay long (Ryan was wearing a Packer's hat). Before heading to the trolley I was looking for something to cool me off and saw a "Shaved Ice" stand. I went up and asked the guy for a snow cone, thinking it was the same thing. Well it isn't and I got a detailed explanation of what the differences were. And I have to admit, shaved ice is MUCH better than snow cones! Less messy, more flavor, and goes down easier! We watched the sunset that night and went to bed early in anticipation for a long day at the airport the next day.

Mmm...Shaved ice!

Leaving Hawaii on Monday was difficult. We were happy to know that we would be home but sad at the fact that we were leaving an amazing place that we would forever think fondly of. We had a huge breakfast buffet and then gathered our bags and headed to the airport at 11:30. We went on our first plane at 2:00 from Hawaii to L.A. The next was L.A to Chicago. We landed in a snowy Chicago and started to look for our gate for our last plane to Ottawa. However, EVERY plane except one was cancelled going out of Chicago because of their storm. That one plane that was available was a Toronto flight leaving in 30 minutes. We ran up to ticketing to beg to get on the flight. We were successful and ran to the gate and loaded the plane just in time. We arrived in a sunny Toronto and got on another plane to Ottawa. We are so thankful that we got on that last available flight to Toronto because if we didn't we wouldn't of been home till Wednesday! Unfortunately, because of the quick flight change we had to sacrifice having our luggage with us but it has been worth it to be home!

Sad to be leaving Hawaii


Ryan and I created so many fun memories together while in Hawaii. It was truly like paradise. I was worried at first because it was our first official trip alone and I wasn't sure if we would both come home alive. We both made it and I think it has made us even closer as a couple. At the beginning of the summer I wasn't sure if we could go on a trip but I am so glad we were able to have that break. I am ready for the rest of the winter now and feel rejuvenated. I will never forget Hawaii and the adventures that we had. It is a small paradise on earth!

Mahalo! (Bye)

xo