It’s amazing what a shower will do for one’s mood. After camping for two days in the Pololu Valley, the 13 of us — no longer 14 because one took off for Hilo — washed the black sand out of our hair only to douse it with some good ol’ fashioned white sand along the beaches of the Kohala Coast. If we were roughing it the first two days of our trips, we were doing…the exact opposite for the latter half.
For the remainder of our Big Island adventure, we were stationed at Craig’s parents’ beautiful home in Kohala (thank you, Musburgers, for letting a dozen of us stay at your home!), but we didn’t spend much of our time indoors. We ventured to the Mauna Lani Beach Club, where there was mostly glassy water for stand-up paddle-boarding and where the snorkeling was supreme. This beach had some of the most beautiful coral I’ve ever seen, and on a clear day like that, this snorkel-loving girl was very happy.
Like every other time in the last 8 months, Eaman managed to find a way to watch Oklahoma sports. He caught the Thunder game at the bar with the guys, some Longboard beers and burgers. It’s about as stereotyped as a male-themed greeting card section.
Feeling all fresh and new, we decided, “to hell with our dwindling bank accounts, we’re gettin’ sushi!” and proceeded to eat some of the best raw seafood I’ve ever tasted at Monstera Noodles & Sushi on the Kohala Coast. I put on a dress and some makeup to celebrate the fact that I was no longer sleeping in a tent and wearing Under Armour.
It also happened to be Craig’s birthday weekend, and we toasted him with restaurant dessert, candles and singing not once, but twice this weekend. Success!
On our last and final day on the Island, the group so graciously let Eaman and me decide what to do since we’d be leaving Hawaii for Asia in a week. We wanted to kayak, but as so often happens on the Big Island, the weather superceded our plans and high winds meant kayaking was a no go. Instead, we hung out at Kua Bay, where I snorkeled, kinda sorta body-boarded and most probably fried in the sun. My skin is seriously the darkest it’s ever been.
But check out the bay’s color gradient!
Before the airport, we picked up food from the grocery store and made sure to catch the sunset. The spot was gorgeous, minus the feral cats who seemed to multiply each time I turned around. But look at that sunset: hot, fiery and neon — just the way I like ‘em!
And this — this is my favorite photo of the weekend courtesy of my friend Griff, and it’s one of those pictures I’ll remember for a lifetime. It encapsulates the beauty of this weekend and the bond we shared. Cheers to one of the most memorable weekend trips ever!
