Hawaii / packing

It’s great to be HOME…or almost!

On April 24th the ship docked in Honolulu, but to our dismay we only got to look at the island from our pool deck. This stop was for fueling and immigration only, and although it was frustrating we seemed to all get by just fine. No one actually remembers much from the “study day” because we were all consumed with our cell phones. Thank God Hawaii is part of the USA, if for nothing else because we were all able to talk for free at least for those 2 days!

The next day we were able to enjoy a one-day stop in Hilo and were finally allowed off the ship. We started the day at the Farmer’s Market in search of Kona coffee for my grandpa and ended up finding lots of interesting and delicious snacks, such as coconut candy and my favorite, passion fruit juice! Later on Liz, Paige and I went on a tour around the Big Island.  We went to Rainbow Falls, Volcano National Park, Richardson black sand beach, and even the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory. Overall it was a fun day, but at this point we are all just ready to be at home!

Speaking of the USA…it was so nice to be able to relax and know that even if Hawaii was still very different and far from home, we were still in the best country in the world- the USA! I can now actually say that full-heartedly and appreciatively after my travels this semester. We now have 4 days left on Semester at Sea, I have only 1 final left, and I’m almost done packing and still trying to find creative ways to pack the rest of my belongings that will not fit at this point. It is so crazy to think that this experience is almost over. I will be back in South Carolina in less than 2 weeks with nothing in sight except piles of schoolwork, job applications, and hopefully some summer plans. It is so bittersweet that my semester of traveling the world, trying new things, and a break from reality are over. I’m not going to have a new country to plan, pack for, and look forward to every week and I think that will take some getting used to. I do however have plenty of catching up to do with family, friends, and probably the companion I’ve missed most- my doggy Rylie! I can say looking back that I have enjoyed some of the best months of my life learning things about the world and more importantly, about myself that I could have never learned any other way. And now as I look forward, I know that I may be leaving an exciting part of my life, but there are many, many more adventures waiting for me!

See you all soon,

XOXO