Random Memories: Hawaii

Since I have never kept a journal, or even a scrapbook I have decided that I need to write down some of the great memories that we have created in the past. There are alot. So once in a while I am going to pick one and write about it.


Yesterday, my sister in law Misty was telling me about the Hibiscus flowers they have growing in the backyard of their new house in Phoenix. It made me think of Hawaii and the great memories we have of our vacation there with our friends Rhonda and James Sherrat.


We booked the vacation about 8 or 9 months in advance. We went on a 7 day cruise that went to all four of the main islands - Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. We were all so excited to go. Brian was especially excited to fly, since he never had before. I was even nice enough to trade him seats so that he could sit next to the window on the plane.


But the whole time we were planning, and making arrangements there was this huge anxiety that kept creeping in the back of my mind... we were going snorkeling and I am terrified of water. Well, not all water. Just natural bodies of water like lakes, and the ocean. I don't like the feeling of not knowing what is under my feet. I am terrified of the thought of fish swimming around under me - I keep picturing them coming up to nibble at my toes. And seaweed sicks me out. The sight of it makes me need to throw up. But worse of all, I was terrified of sharks. I read Jaws in junior high and it gave me this fear that I never got over. But I had decided that I was going to snorkel. I had to do it. I wasn't going to let a really irrational fear keep me from doing what I knew would be one of the greatest experiences of my life.


It wasn't until day four that we ported in Maui and were going to Lahiania to snorkel. I was panicking. For months before I had looked up everything about sharks on the Internet. I knew I had no reason to panic, that sharks didn't come up to the shore, that shark attacks were rare. But still, the fear was there in the back of my mind.

On the way to the beach, I made the mistake of telling James and Rhonda about it. Well, the mistake of telling James about it. He said, "Sharks? You're scared of sharks. What you should be worried about is Moray eels!" He then proceeded to tell me about how Moray eels hide in the coral and they are aggressive and attack people for no reason. And that they had razor sharp teeth that really hurt. Well, I guess the positive side was that I wasn't to worried about sharks when we got there!


I did go snorkeling. I ran right into the water, so that I couldn't give myself time to think about it. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. And I am no longer scared of the ocean. But I am still not a big fan of lakes.


Hawaii was one of the greatest times of my life! Some of the other great memories of that trip:


1) Words of the day! The ones I remember: giddy, rental rape, catragedy
2) Our video spoof of Dog, the Bounty Hunter
3) Hiking a million miles to a really small, lame waterfall
4) The never ending Road to Hana
5) Brian rescuing me from a sea turtle
6) Wild Chickens!
7) Brian peeing in the bushes at the Luau
8) Kayaking a mile against the current - my arms felt like they were going to fall off!
9) Watching lava fall into the ocean, on New Years Eve
10) James paying $10 for a coconut
11) Rhonda and I freezing to death under the waterfall in Kauai
12) Rhonda and I refusing to swim in the 7 sacred pools after we drove half the day to get there
13) un-natural obsessions with Spam
14) Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. - I swore I would never eat another piece of shrimp again
15) James explaining that "rare Tuna steak" on the menu did not refer to how it was cooked, but that it was a uncommon species of Tuna. Not true.
16) the Deja Vu guy
17) The couple sitting next to Brian on the plane ride home making out. And Brian getting really pissed off!


Good times!!!

I think next time, I am going to write about memories with Centerfield Second Ward!