Honolulu, Hawaii

CROUCHING LION HIKE OAHU: 

I flew Hawaiian Airlines from Las Vegas to Sydney Australia with an 8 hour layover in Honolulu Hawaii. I landed at 4:30 A.M. and I have never been to Hawaii so I figured I could squeeze in a hike before my next flight, and what better way to see the island than during sunrise. I messaged a friend of mine from Maui and he connected me with a friend of his from Honolulu named Malia. After I landed, I took an Uber to her house (who, at the time, was a complete stranger) and together we hopped in her car. She drove us to Crouching Lion for an epic hike. After weaving in and out of trees, slipping in the damp soil, and using the branches for assistance, we finally made it to an incredible spot to see the sunrise. And it only took 20 minutes, more or less! I have never seen so much greenery in my life; vibrant, colorful, alive, and simply breathtaking to say the least! All the while accompanied by a grounded and downright groovy individual who happens to be a fellow vegan!

WAIMEA BEACH NORTH SHORE:

We made our way back down the mountain, jumped in the car, and Malia suggested we do some driving around the island. Riding oceanside, hand out the window, breeze in my hair, feeling absolute bliss for this is the start of my solo backpacking journey, I notice the most adorable wooden hut off the side of the road. Malia asks "Do you like coffee?" and next thing ya know, we find ourselves waiting in line at this adorable place called The Sunrise Shack, which is owned by three (beautiful) brothers. I treated myself to a scrumptious golden milk bullet coffee (vegan of course), and sipped it as we continued driving. We passed by the area where Jurassic Park was filmed, thru the towns and the jungle, until we stopped at Waimea beach. As we were getting out of the car, Malia said "Well, it feels wrong going to the beach without a swimsuit on" and changed right there. So I pulled a bikini out of my pack and did just the same. We skipped to the sand and immediately I dove into the salty Pacific sea. And boy was it absolutely delicious! I found myself floating along in a sea of gratitude that this is my life. I arrived at the airport barefoot and in my sandy bikini with the biggest smile on my face. MAHALO MALIA, MAHALO HONOLULU, MAHALO VIDA!