The Islands of Hawaii

So, doom and gloom aside, let's get to the fun stuff. For example, the Airbnb I stayed at; Now as nice as air bnb owner is, his place comes with a few complications. Let's fake some names and call this person Kaaaarl. His place was in a very convenient spot in the city of Honolulu, island of Oahu. It just came with a side of clutter, bugs, lack of locks, a 1984 cameras, and a few other "small" issues. It did become a bonding moment with the other housemates about how we arent crazy and the place we are staying itself is the crazy spot. But it was cheap, in a nice place, and the owner isn't bad. so we get what we paid for. That being said, 2 weeks in, Kaaaarl double-booked my room. so I got transferred to a new tiny house, a futon only matched by the floor, a fire hazard outlet, and for all the utilities, it means walking outside 😱. On the bright side, I got a sick moped to ride around the island. (this was a choice in the end that I agreed to.)

With all the houses and house-mates, I ended up getting to know a good amount of them and boy, like myself, they were all characters. I'm convinced that anyone that’s as crazy as me to stay at the cheapest available spots and travel around is a character. the people only continue to add data on that assumption

Now continuing with the fake names and calling everyone out from the main cast and crew:

Jack, the 19 year old with the experience of a 34-year-old going through mid-life crisis. Between his crazy underground parties, ocean hunting, 3 businesses across 2 states, while also being in college. He’s pretty cool but for sure a wild guy.

Ina, a Ukrainian that’s a crazy trooper. Multiple times, she do a full shift at a hospital, then stayed up to explore the island, and then just went straight back to work. I’ve seen this woman survive 48 hours without sleep and still function normally.

Polo, also known as Cap’n Crocks. Much like myself, he’s been driving around the country staying at new places a few months at a time while working remotely. Unlike me, who drives across the country with Captain America. He’s got his America crocks as his travel buddy.

Betty, another hospital worker and a hiker. Someone who is probably the sanest of us all. She’s from Pittsburgh originally, which is interesting because many people I met here are from the northeast. either from new york, PA, or Maryland at least 40% of the people I met were from that area.

Zayne, a retired military vet, hiker, and soon-to-be professional lei maker. Yes, we lei’ed together. And at this point, I imagine most innuendoes start in Hawaii.

Alberto, the world traveler. Born in the US, raised in Columbia, a software engineer that travels the world as a free spirit (in many senses of that word).

Ayjay, another hiker that’s been traveling over the country as well. An eccentric person who works at the places she stays at. Then gets to kayak, hike, and drive wherever she’d like. (Also a free spirit in just as many senses as the previous person)

There were many other people I met but not nearly as many as I’d be comfortable writing about. Even now, it's a weird feeling to write about people. Discussing their personality while not giving away personal details. it's awkward and weird which is why we simply overblow personalities and stretch ideas.

Exploration part 1

So, Dan did a dumb™  was a common theme during this trip, but doing dumb this keeps things interesting. Because Hawaii has a lot to offer when it comes to activities, I had plenty of opportunities to test my luck. But we started simply as all people do; by finding meetups, driving around the island, and aimlessly wandering around the cities. Then a hike here, an improv lesson there, a dance in the night with a staff, and a fire safety lesson where we virtually lick the fire. we have a solid start to the Hawaii experience.

Then we took it up a level by learning to properly swim (it only took about 25 years). And then proceeding to put my skills to the test with…. Sports that require water…

like swimming in harsh waters while people dive around me. Or learning to surf on your own. And topping it off by getting lucky enough to see a surfing comp rarely happens.  Where the last time it happened was 7 years ago (The Eddy).

Hikes and Shit part 1

Exploration part 2

Hikes and Shit part 2

Big Island

Other such adventures included a trip to the big island. On its own, sounds like a straightforward idea... until you drive up a 14,000 ft up a mountain with minimal planning. For example, never riding a 4-wheel drive manual jeep before, having a coat for the snow, or underestimating what elevation sickness does to a group of persons. But no one died and only a few brain cells were lost.

And that’s what matters.

Then there’s the volcano, albeit a bit sad and in the distance. The small plume would have been cooler experience at night after a hike up to the crater (but that's what next time is for). The day ended with a couple more stops like the black sand beach sprinkled in with your average flight delays.

Outdoor climbing

Then one of my favorite parts of the trip was the chance to finally climb outdoors in Hawaii. It took until the nth day, and after having to hike up a steep muddy mountain, Then scale halfway up a wall of rock. Being able to view the coast and ocean while hanging on a road, being able to see the waves crashing and whales breaching was a good finale.

"It's about the friends you make along the way"

Hawaii was cool, would visit again.