Hawaii Highlights

We made it to Hawaii, our official residence for the next six months!

It was quite a journey to get here. Five hours on a plane with a three-year-old kid was an adventure that involved lots of snacks, silly parent statements like "We're almost there...only two hours to go!,' and a horrifying moment of Aaron peeing ALL OVER his airplane seat just as we were about to exit the plane. But since the trip ended with us arriving safely to our new home in Waikiki, we really can't complain much.

Okay, on to the highlights...

• Our Waikiki apartment. It is within walking distance of all sorts of great places, namely the world-famous Waikiki Beach. That photo up there? Yeah, that's our new neighborhood. If that's not enough, there's the nearby Honolulu Zoo, aquarium, a library, the Ala Wai canal, and endless Hawaiian eateries. The apartment itself is a simple, two-bedroom unit, which is a perfect size for us and our minimal belongings.

• The glorious food! We have our favorite local places - Waiola's Shave Ice, Goma Tei, Leonard's Bakery (for more yumminess, read my post of Top Ten Places to Eat on Oahu). Beyond the array of global cuisine, I'm also loving the fresh produce. The nearby farmer's market offers locally grown items like mangoes, purple sweet potatoes, pineapples, lychees, and sweet onions. It is a produce paradise.

• The Hawaii weather that is pretty much always 80 degrees and sunny. Every day is beach day here.

• Living at a slower, simpler pace. Life in Hawaii is generally less hurried, with a value for relationships, community, and leisure. As we settle in here, I am realizing that my body and soul are gradually detoxing from my busied, efficient, constantly on the go self.