September 29: Royal Dolphin Swim {Part 2}

We put our life vests on and stepped into the chilly waters to get accustomed to our new dolphin (and a wholphin) friends. {The wholphin is a false killer whale and a dolphin, but we’re pretty sure it’s not the same as a porpoise.} Amy, the trainer, was amazing with the dolphins and her personality reminded me of Felicity Wood's free-spirit and energy. Plus, she called me Whit and I thought that was pretty cool (a lot of people are humored by seeing all of the little things that impress me).

Our first swim was the dorsal fin swim. We would sit in the deep end with our arms out straight and our body in a “T” position and then all of the sudden… WHOOSH! Here come the two sweet dolphins basically saying to you, “Come on! Come on for the ride! This will be so much fun!” …And it was. I was so afraid I would miss their fins but they wouldn’t let me miss them. In fact, they most certainly made sure we grabbed their fins.

Next was the foot push. We would lay in the pool with legs spread and arms forward, like a Superman pose. Once again, they swim up behind you without you basically even realizing what’s going on and WHOOSH!! They are pushing you up, like you’re soaring on water, with their noses! It was the craziest thing but so incredible. JD struck a Hulk Hogan pose when he was standing and I gave Aloha signs (but my push came to a fairly abrupt end because I thought my bottoms were falling off so I grabbed my bottoms and my balance faltered; thus, the absolutely horrendous but humorous photo of me below).

We then had a photo op with the sweet massive wholphin (a kiss and we got to “cradle” them for another pose). JD and I couldn’t decide between all of the photos so we just bought 8 out of the 10, plus the DVD. We had so much fun and we wanted to be able to look back on these moments to reminisce (and to show to our kids one day, of course). We wish we could post the video online, but it's encrypted or something like that. If you ever want to see it one day, we will be more than ecstatic to show it for your viewing pleasure. :)

The final part of the Swim included a nice goodbye back and belly rub to our new friend, and then a water fight between our group and the wholphin. This will be a day I will never forget. The best part about it is that I finally got to spend an entire day with JD, traveling around the gorgeous island of Oahu.

During our departure, we stopped at several scenic lookouts to take photos, videos and enjoy the moment. We were excited to see that JD received a text saying he doesn’t have to work tomorrow.

You know what that means… cage diving with sharks.

Wahoo! I know my fear will be heavily intense. I hope those sharks won’t smell my fear.

We made it back to the Hilton in time for a lovely dinner at Sergio’s again. That place is so good. We treated ourselves to coffee and tiramisu after our meal. I feel like we were somewhat jipped because the tiramisu portions we saw come out last Friday were much larger than the small portion our waiter brought us. It’s OK though. It was definitely worth it.

Our night concluded with JD replying to emails from work and with me downloading photos and videos, and writing in the travel journal. This will go down in history as one of our best trips ever. I had trouble falling to sleep. All I could think about was how thankful I was for JD and how thankful I was to be here with him. If it weren’t for his new job, we would not be able to travel like this. Well, at least not this early in our marriage, I’m sure.

Before we fell asleep, I promised JD that I would take him to Australia one day and that we would make a new list, a list that states our things to do in OUR lifetime. Let’s be honest, nothing is more fun than going places together.

September 29: Sea Life Park {Part 1}

Today is JD's first true day off.

The scenery on the way to Sea Life Park was breathtaking. Crazy sharp turns surrounded by mountainsides revealed an open at the end of rocky tunnel destined for exhilarating views of the coast. The water, clear with black lava rocks peaking above the surface of the ocean, seemed dangerously blissful because of the overpowering waves but calming beauty. I couldn’t believe our entire drive would offer such remarkable sights.

And then we arrived. A moment I have anticipated since I was a little girl: to swim with the dolphins. My expectations were along the lines of petting them and loving on them. Those expectations were “blown out of the water."

Prior to the Royal Swim, we took a gander at the sights of the park. The park overall wasn’t too amazing but the shows were a lot of fun to watch (dolphin / penguin / sea lion show & the sea lion show). One of the dolphins in the show had some stomach problems and she displayed it for all to see in the eye-level tank. I'm sure she was pretty embarrassed as the entire crowd burst into laughter. (The end of the video features this sweet mammal's incident.)

We enjoyed a hot dog, popcorn chicken, fries and a Coke for lunch then ventured off to our dolphin swim (covered in the next post). Here's a sneak peek:

September 26: Exposure to the Filipino Culture

JD and I ate breakfast together at CJ’s again. Those macadamia nut / coconut pancakes are basically the only local food that we’ve enjoyed on Oahu.

While traveling, JD and I have both picked up reading for enjoyment. I finished the book “I Don’t Know How She Does It” while on this trip. The book laid out a vivid perspective on the working mom vs. the stay-at-home mom. Though it was eye-opening, it tended to be quite depressing at parts. This is not a book I would recommend; however, I have not seen the movie. Have you seen it? What would you rate it?

MM, JD’s cousin, and I hung out today. Our plans were to hike Diamond Head but those plans faltered a bit because of car trouble. Luckily for us, we were in close walking distance to the mall. I bought some nicely designed travel journals and a sweet driftwood birdhouse, which we gave to my parents for Christmas. It was unbearably hard to part with, but I know they will love it just as much as I did.

MM’s uncle picked us up at the mall and fixed the truck. MM then took me to Max’s, my first Filipino restaurant. It was a little different than I expected. She ordered a squid on a platter and I ordered the only food I was familiar with (thanks to Mrs. Josie cooking it for us on the holidays)… pancit. Despite my lack of interest in the food, MM and I had a blast! She was great and the spontaneity of the evening was delightful and intriguing. I’m thankful for the chance of meeting family on Mrs. Josie’s side. [If you're wondering "where JD came from" (as some people put it), his mother is full Filipino and his dad is caucasian. I can hardly wait to see what our babies will look like one day.]

Today served as a late morning and a late night for JD at work. With our travel schedule, we’ve learned that “home” can even be a hotel room. This has become one of my favorite quotes and images I’ve seen on Pinterest: Home is where your husband is.

September 25: The North Shore Waves will take you Down.

JD and I ate breakfast at the Wailana Coffee House, per usual. Lindsay had invited me to hang out with her, Kent and Luke for the day on the North Shore since JD had to work. Lindsay picked me up and we made a stop at their house (which was beautifully decorated) to pick up Kent and Luke. We stopped at Turtle Bay first.

Can you see the turtle??

We saw a few turtles coming up through the surf but no monk seals lying on the shore like Luke and Lindsay had seen a few days prior to that. We also went to a small Farmers Market where I bought coconut pineapple jam, guava jelly and biscotti bites. This was also the location where I had found my childhood favorite, sugar cane. I’ve been on a great search for it since my dad and I cut it up and enjoyed it when I was a kid. There are fields and fields of both sugar cane and pineapple in Hawaii; thus, you must entertain your tastebuds with both during your stay. JD never tried it but maybe he will next time.

Next Stop: Waimena Bay. I’ve never witnessed such massive waves! The brave swimmers looked like periwinkles; buried by the waves, then grasping for air as the waves retreat from the shoreline. Here is raw video footage of the waves...

And finally, the stop I’ve been anticipating all day, the infamous Hawaiian shaved ice. Oh. My. Goodness.

Matsumoto’s

serves shaved ice for $3.50. This includes three flavors, ice cream at the bottom, a holder for the cone and shaven ice stacked at least eight inches high. I knew I had to take JD there.

As wonderful as everything was, it just wasn’t as special without JD there to enjoy it with me. I couldn’t wait to take him there. It was an early morning and late night for him at work. I went ahead and scheduled our dolphin encounter for the next day, thinking JD had the day off but he called me right after

Sea Life Park

closed to tell me that he did have to go into work the next day.

I called the next morning and the staff was very helpful. After explaining the situation to them, they rescheduled our swim for September 29th, and they waived the rescheduling fee because of the work predicament. Wahoo!

September 23: The Blessing of Beach Mats and Fireworks

*September 22 was pretty uneventful... onto September 23.

We ate breakfast at the Wailana Coffee House again. The breakfast is so tasty and the service is pretty spot-on. The first cup of coffee is always delicious. We read on FourSquare that they only brew Folgers coffee. Knowing this fact is fairly bittersweet. Sweet because we know we can get it back home, and bitter because... well, we can get it back home. The "Hawaiian" coffee loses it's exclusive element in this case. However, if you visit Hawaii and have the desire to bring back "authentic coffee," make sure you buy Kona Coffee. Please note that "legally, a coffee merchant can mix 10% Kona beans with 90% low quality coffee that's not from Hawaii and call it Kona Blend." Don't make the mistake. :)

JD and I parted ways - him embarking on a journey to work and me to the pool.

I had to walk to the room to get my beach bag. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a roll of beach mats propped up against the wall in the hallway. I disregard them, grab my beach bag, walk to the elevator and turn around, remembering that I had left my phone charging in the room. As I walk back to the room, Teresa (our “housekeeper”) peeks out of the room she was cleaning and explains that she had left those mats out for JD and me.

Travel Tip: When staying at a hotel, be nice to the employees. Say hello in their native language and ask them how they’re doing. They will appreciate your attempt at being congenial and you may even get a little surprise waiting for you back at your room (even if that means you get one more towel than normal or your pillows are fluffed to an extremely comfortable amount of fluff or free beach mats).

Without hesitation, we happily accepted the mats as a gift from our new friend. The rest of the afternoon consisted of photographing the surrounding beauty of Hawaii and the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The Hilton Lagoon: A quiet place to lounge, kayak or float in an inner tube.

Chinese Dragon Boat: We would have LOVED to see some Dragon Boat races. Unfortunately, we did not witness the boat leaving the shoreline.

African Lesser Flamingos: the smallest of the flamingo species. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is basically a tiny zoo. Penguins, exotic birds and a Koi Pond can be found in several nooks of the property.

The above photo marks the saddest moment of the trip for me. A family asked me if I would take their picture in front of the chapel's waterfall. I gladly accepted the challenge. When I handed them their camera, the wife cheerfully asked, "Would you like me to take a picture of you in front of the waterfall?" I miss JD a lot throughout the day simply because I want him to experience the adventures I do, but this question made me miss him terribly. I told the lady "thanks, but no thank you" and we parted ways. I enjoy having my husband by my side, whether it be in life or a simple photo. It's just not the same without him.

When JD came "home", we ate dinner at Sergio’s Italian Table located in the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The Tortellini Pesto blew our tastebuds away. Unknowingly, we left the restaurant right on time. Hilton had just started the fireworks show. They played the ukulele version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World”. I must admit that the song has grown monotonous over the years, but paired with the deep boom of the fireworks and the romantic beauty of Hawaii?... Well, the authenticity brought tears to my eyes again. The entire moment can only be described as surreal and perfect. Once again, I felt infinitely blessed to have my husband with me in a moment like that. He, of course, put his arms around me and grinned like a kid on Christmas morning – or better yet, like a groom watching his bride walk down the aisle to him on their wedding day. For some reason, my sweet husband finds pleasure in consoling me when I cry. Thank goodness.

Happy 2012!!

Happy 2012 everyone!!

We realize that, once again, we are far far far behind in posting. It's my (Whitney) fault. You will be happy to know that posting more consistently and frequently is on my Top 5 Goals for 2012.

iMovie has had a few kinks over the past few months; thus, our videos are even further in the making than what we had hoped. I am beyond grateful for my Apple-savvy brother, Chase, for helping me fix the bugs and we will hopefully have the video production "business" up and running sometime soon... hopefully today.

We will continue posting about our trip to Hawaii throughout the next few weeks. However, we wanted to share two special photos from our most recent adventures throughout Germany and France. As always, we are super pumped about sharing our journey through these two history, castle and church-invaded countries with you.

Back to the topic of the New Year... I don't know about you, but JD and I are in awe of what God has done in our lives and our marriage during 2011. We truly cannot begin to imagine what He's going to do in 2012! He has definitely been moving steadily through our family in the recent month and has set out new pathways for Chase and Jackie, and Brandon and Theresa. We are so proud of our brothers and sisters in the new job opportunities they will be embarking on in February.

Chase will be working as a Front-end Web Developer at

Zappos.com

and Jackie is able to transfer to the Las Vegas

Nordstrom

with her current position of department manager.

We are excited to tell you about the task Brandon and Theresa have coming up but they still have a few people to tell before we can express it to everyone via blog. :)

Needless to say, all four opportunities are nothing less than an absolute blessing from above and we cannot wait to see what God is going to do through each of these wonderful human beings that we have the honor of calling our sisters and brothers in Christ and in our earthly family.

September 21: Paradise Cove Luau

The concierge told us about the Wailana Coffee House (open 24 hours) located across the road from the Kalia Tower (where we stayed). Thus, that is where we walked for our first breakfast in Hawaii. It did NOT disappoint! JD had French toast and I had the Belgian waffle. They brought us three syrups to chose from: coconut, boysenberry (JD thought the waiter called it “poisonberry”), and maple. Of course, we used only the first two, since we’re experiencing the true culture of Hawaii and all. We both enjoyed the coconut syrup the most!

Best of all, it was inexpensive - you won't find that characteristic much in Hawaii - and open 24 hours.

We left the Hilton around noon and headed to the west side of the island – KoOlina. It was quite luxurious. We spent time checking the area out, savoring the time before the luau at Paradise Cove. We went to Target, which by the way was the coolest Target we’ve ever seen. We picked up a 24-pack of Dasani waters.

There is an extra fee for the bottles that will be reimbursed after the customers return the empty bottles (surely you’ve seen the text on the bottom of bottles that say: “HI-ME-OR-CT-NY 0.05”).

For lunch, we ate at KoOlina Hawaiian Barbeque where we had a meal of Mochiko Chicken (deeply fried dark meat with several layers of grease), macaroni salad (AKA: mac and mayo), and - the only thing we ate off our plates - the steamed rice. We went to Starbucks afterward, mainly to get the taste out of our mouths from the Hawaiian BBQ – we came to the conclusion that Hawaiian food must be an acquired taste. Little did we know, the luau would have the same food.

The

Paradise Cove Luau

was pretty stinkin’ awesome. If you ever go, we would recommend the Orchid Luau Package. There are three different packages but the Orchid seemed to have just enough but not too much (it is the mid-level package). *Please note that if you have a rental car, you can drive there yourself and save about $10 as the transportation from the hotel is included in the original price.

Guests gathered around the gates, anticipating the eventful night ahead. As we walked through the gates, hula dancers greeted us with fresh orchid leis and Mai Tais. We bought a hand-carved / hand-painted lizard pencil to give my dad for Christmas and a beautiful hand-painted Hawaiian fan to place somewhere in our home. Guests were encouraged to visit the arts and crafts booths where we could make headdresses or leis and get henna tattoos. (There were also places where guests could try their hand at spear throwing or dart sliding, but we didn't see those attractions until they were closing up.)

Hawaiian Ritual:

It is customary for a woman to wear flowers on the left side of her head if she is married, the right side of her head is she is single and all across if she is "confused or ready to mingle."

The luau presents a few ceremonies prior to the actual dinner and hula show. We saw the following:

*Shower of Flowers: a guy climbed a super tall tree (probably somewhere around 50 feet) and threw flower petals down on all of us.

*Hukilau on the Beach: men drew cast nets out in the ocean and spread the nets along the shore while riding in old wooden canoes. It’s technically defined as “the ceremonial pulling of fish nets to the rhythms of the conch shell and Hawaiian chants.”

[We have some stellar video footage of this but my video editing software has a glitch. Be looking for videos coming in a few weeks though!]

*Imu Ceremony: This is where a large pit is dug in the ground. Lava rocks are heated over an open flame until they are unbearably hot. The lava rocks are placed in the pit, lined by some type of greenery which will reinforce the steaming process and add a kick of flavor. Men then place a cleaned pig inside the hot pit and cover the top with more greenery for insulation and flavor. They will lay another protective covering over the greenery, then more soil. The cooking process alone takes about eight hours. Along with luaus, you may also see this ritual brought to life at a backyard barbeque in Hawaii.

We learned several different ways to tie a sarong. During this particular demonstration, we also realized that the man demonstrating how to wear a sarong ONLY wears a sarong - nothing underneath it. As he summoned the guests to the different activities, he would blow the resounding conch shell. Thus, he was known fondly by the guests as "the half-naked conch shell blowing guy."

After the coconut-cracking demonstration, the hula dancing demonstration takes place. The women gather around the meager stage, attempting to sway our hips and our hands at the same time. Hula dancing is a very special ritual among the Polynesian / Hawaiian culture. Each movement represents a word. My favorite part was when we were required to wave our hands and arms toward “the one I love.” Cheesy, but oh so true. If you're really into learning this sacred series of dances, you must become one with the movements and objects in which you are portraying in the dance.

Travel Tip: Try to eat as much food from the culture that you can.

We tried to eat the traditional Hawaiian food at the luau. Our plates were filled with macaroni salad, pasta salad, poi (a tara root paste that looks like dirt and tastes like it too), lomi lomi salmon, mochiko chicken (the same as Hawaiian BBQ), Kalua pig, steamed rice, rolls, pineapple, haupia and banana coconut cake. Very few of the dishes appealed to our likings, yet neither of our tastebuds is accustomed to those tastes.

Music erupted from the speakers. Hula dancers, elaborate costumes and bright colors filled the stage. The spotlight centered on a woman in purple as she started singing a traditional Hawaiian song about friends and family gathering together. A loud applaud burst from the audience.

"Mahalo," she said tenderly.

"This means 'thank you' in our language."

The lively night consisted of non-stop entertainment, laughter, fire, music, and unstoppable hip movements.

We thought our favorite dance would be the “Marriage Dance” but we were saddened at the symbolism of it… the wife danced in front while the husband stood behind her by a few feet, just watching with his hands folded in front of him. Though quite contrary to the actual picture of marriage, we couldn't help but find humor in this.

If you are planning a trip to Hawaii ever in your lifetime, you MUST go to a luau. Here, you will be exposed to the history, customs, traditions and food of Hawaii. Isn’t that what traveling is all about? The treasure of travel is that we have the opportunity to experience the customs, beauty and knowledge that we are only able to attain when we truly engulf ourselves into a culture. In order to accomplish this glorious feat, both research and risks are required. Nevertheless, the experience and thrill far outweighs the time and energy spent prior to the trip.

September 20: Travel Tips from Day One on Oahu

We left for the airport at 4:35 a.m. Our friend Davy was super kind to provide our transportation to the Oh-So-Easy-to-Navigate Huntsville airport. The airplane ride to Atlanta lasted about 35 minutes.

For those of you that don’t normally ride planes for such short trips, you are not about to crash when you start going back down right after the pilot announces that the plane has just reached top ascension.

I was pretty certain we were going to die before we even made it onto our flight to Oahu. Absolutely terrifying. Thankfully, my husband appeased my worries.

After landing in Atlanta, we walked from Terminal “B” to “E” (about a 15 or 20 minute walk), which set us up well for the 9 ½ hour plane ride we were about to embark on after our 2 hour layover of Caribou Coffee and McDonald’s. Mmm.

Side note about traveling: If you have time to walk from terminal to terminal, do it! Don't take the easy route by riding the tram or moving sidewalk. Get some exercise in, especially before a long trip. It will reduce swelling and possible dangerous blood clots. Also drink lots of water and walk around on the plane during long flights to revitalize blood circulation.

The 9 ½ hour trip really was not that bad. JD and I entertained ourselves by reading books, watching movies on the sweet Delta TVs on the backs of the seats in front of us (Bridesmaids and Pirates of the Caribbean IV) and I tried my hand at crocheting. Key word:

tried

. I’m still trying to get the hang of it. Let’s not forget the never-ending bags of pretzels, peanuts, cookies and [diet] Coke. We had both dinner and lunch (in that order). I suppose both meals deserve the title of “airplane food”… not too delicious.

Picture taken at Paradise Cove in Hawaii during our luau adventure.

And then – there it was – the island of Oahu. The indescribable beauty of Hawaii from the view of the airplane literally brought tears to my eyes. Literally. The ocean was so clear and blue with a light green tint flowing up to the shore. We landed safely as JD consoled me saying, “Are you crying? Are you OK?” I sighed and thought to myself, “I have arrived. I can't believe I'm almost finished with my “Things to Do in My Lifetime” List. All I have to do now is see Stomp on Broadway and go to California!” I continued to allow tears of excitement to fall from my eyes. I couldn’t believe I was finally in Hawaii… more importantly, with my sweet husband!

We went through the airport, grabbed our luggage and went in search of Hertz, our faithful car rental company. We waited about 15-20 minutes for a bus that drove us about 10 yards. [We most certainly would have walked if we had known it was that close!] A tiny white Nissan Versa Rent-A-Car awaited our arrival. Our luggage barely fit, but we managed. The traffic on Oahu is pretty vicious. It took us an hour to get to our hotel, which is technically 8 miles from the airport. You’ll hear more stories about that topic later.

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Our first eatery was none other than Bennihana’s located in the village. Though it is not exactly Hawaiian cuisine, we love Japanese food and were exhausted. Therefore, it seemed like the best choice... and it was. This water mill captivated my attention every time we passed by the restaurant.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is jam-packed with lovely employees and fantastic customer service. The front concierge hooked us up with a room in the tower of our choice.

They also gave us a coupon book for all restaurants and shops in the Village, a free Hilton Hawaiian Village beach bag, and a free ukulele CD by one of the state’s top ukulele artists.

As soon as we got settled in, the sushi and hibachi chicken resting in our stomachs cried out for a 16-hour hibernation period. Oh, the guts and glory of traveling. We have found during our travels that sleeping after a long flight is not rest.

Regardless of how many hours we sleep, our bodies still feel pretty gross and our minds hazy. “Rest” comes in the nights to follow.