Long Weekend Trip to Honolulu

I miss home. For a long time I convinced myself it would be difficult to move back. I'm getting so used to roadtrips and hopping on a 2 hour flight to a completely different location and the low cost of living of the Midwest. But every time I go home to see my family, it makes my ambitions of world travel seem irrelevant. So I spent my three-day weekend on a little trip home to see the family before Winter hit Illinois. 

Final approach

I didn't get home until around dinner time in Hawaii and my parents had a little house party so I could see as many people as possible in a short time frame. How nice of them. So as soon as I landed, we went straight home and had dinner together. :-)

On my second day home, we spent most of the time shopping at Ala Moana. When it was time to eat, we were actually going to go to a restaurant further away from the mall. In an improptu move, we decided to go across the street to the new ramen shop Man Ichi. Soooooo glad we did. It was so good. Like, people not talking at the table good. Like don't stop to drink water good. Like don't stop the breathe good.  

Giant soup spoons for hungry patrons

MOOOAARRR please

My last day home, Dad and I went to Diamond Head to take a little hike. I've been trying to be more active, but the harsh and unpredictable Illinois weather makes it difficult to muster up the motivation for outdoor activities. So while the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, we spent the afternoon outside.

The last time I hiked Diamond Head was with my Dad, about 15 years ago, maybe more. How things have changed. I remembered it being so muddy and wilderness-like. No railings, no lights in the tunnels, etc. Perhaps it was my young mind exaggerating everything, but it seemed a lot more difficult. 

This time around, I saw women in moderate-height heels, railings, lights and concrete. So much has changed, but the view is still worth trekking up the mountain for. 

After brweaking a sweat, there's nothing like shave ice. Yes shave ice. Not shaved ice. Not snow cone. Not ice shave. Shave ice. Haha

Classic rainbow

It was a short weekend, but I'm glad I got to do it. Honestly, I've had shorter visits home and I felt like collapsing due to jetlag. But between the family time, the food and the exercise, I felt revived from a sort of rut. Can't wait to come back home again.

Akemi-chan