I first went to Hawaii when I was a little kid with my dad. We stopped over on our way to live in China when my dad was stationed in Beijing. Maybe subconsciously I joined the Army so I could go back there every once in a while. Coming from Colorado, Hawaii is one of the great places to be. I love the beaches, the warm air, the ocean breeze, the clear water teaming with fish, turtles, and memories. My reserve duty was fairly rigorous at Tripler Army Medical Center, but I did have weekends to go out and explore. The plane ride to Hawaii was pretty funny. I got on the plane and the guy next to me was SUPER nervous about flying. His wife looked vaguely familiar and it turned out she was one of the cancer survivors highlighted at one of the hospitals I work at. Every time you get in the elevator, her poster doing a handstand was right there. We had a good flight chatting and talking and they shared some organic veggies with me. When we got to Hawaii, she even did a handstand. It was a pretty fun memory in the end. Now, whenever I'm in the hospital and I see that picture on the elevator, I chuckle a little.
Since I was there for most of the time without my family, I did a little more exploring than I usually do when I am there. It turns out, Hawaii has its own incline (Koko head) that Brian Chen told me about. Cardio wise, it was much easier than the Incline in Colorado, but a little more dangerous since there are some big drops and big spaces. The views from the top were sick. I did a hike up to the lighthouse at Makapu'u point which was gorgeous and a lot of fun. I hiked along some of the beaches as well. On the weekend, I went up to Laie to the temple which was great. It’s such an incredibly beautiful place and I always feel the Spirit when I am there. The people I was with in the temple were from all around the world and spoke a vast array of languages. It was really cool. I even got to spend some time at Hanauma Bay just swimming around, exploring the reef, and spying on the fish. That is a pretty amazing place. I went out to the Ko'alina and watched the sun set a few times. It was just so peaceful and wonderful. Even though I spent most of my time seeing patients and doing Army stuff, the evenings and weekends were amazing and rekindled my love for the Pacific Islands, their beauty, and serenity.
written by Mike
Since I was there for most of the time without my family, I did a little more exploring than I usually do when I am there. It turns out, Hawaii has its own incline (Koko head) that Brian Chen told me about. Cardio wise, it was much easier than the Incline in Colorado, but a little more dangerous since there are some big drops and big spaces. The views from the top were sick. I did a hike up to the lighthouse at Makapu'u point which was gorgeous and a lot of fun. I hiked along some of the beaches as well. On the weekend, I went up to Laie to the temple which was great. It’s such an incredibly beautiful place and I always feel the Spirit when I am there. The people I was with in the temple were from all around the world and spoke a vast array of languages. It was really cool. I even got to spend some time at Hanauma Bay just swimming around, exploring the reef, and spying on the fish. That is a pretty amazing place. I went out to the Ko'alina and watched the sun set a few times. It was just so peaceful and wonderful. Even though I spent most of my time seeing patients and doing Army stuff, the evenings and weekends were amazing and rekindled my love for the Pacific Islands, their beauty, and serenity.
written by Mike
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