Back Home Again in Indiana

Today was the most depressing day ever. Well, actually yesterday was, because that's the day I got on a plane and left paradise. I know! I know! I'm an idiot! I'm fully aware of this. An hour before I left to go the airport I was laying out on a float on our pool with the friends I've made sipping on a margarita in 80+ degree weather. It really was my idea of heaven.

Packing my suitcases was a challenge. I thought I was going to be fine, but I ended up having to take another box over to the post office to be shipped off. And my suitcases were still packed to the max. I think my carry-on's zipper is officially busted.

My flight left from Honolulu at 8pm so Jon got me to the airport around 6:30 and we spent some time saying our goodbyes and just being sad about me leaving. He at least gets to come back after his month in Ohio. Me, not so much. Gripe #1 for my flight home: HNL has no free wi-fi. Really!?! I thought that was like a law for all international airports. I guess if the libraries don't have wi-fi then it's safe to assume the airport won't either.

I had a quick flight to Kahului, Maui where I had a layover before my flight to the mainland. I have to admit I chose this flight so that I could at least say I've been to Maui, even if I couldn't see anything. My overnight flight to Phoenix was awful. I had a window seat at least, but trying to sleep on a plane is pretty near impossible. I pretty much never want to do that again. I had a layover in Phoenix for a couple hours. My entertainment was watching some poor woman argue with a US Air employee about missing a flight b/c she was drunk. It was hilarious, but I kind of felt bad for her too.

So now I'm home in Indiana and all my stuff managed to get here with me. I was happy to see my family, but I'm fighting off some mad Hawaiian depression. I guess I didn't realize just how much I loved it there. I'm also trying to adjust to losing 6 hours of my life today. Time zones are crazy.

Now for some last pictures of Hawaii:

Last Hawaiian Sunset over Ala Moana Beach
I really wanted to do a cartwheel on the beach.
And jump
But then I realized that was my last time on the beach in Hawaii and I was sad.
But I love palm trees!

Thank you so much to everyone who has read my blog and let me know how much you enjoyed it. It really meant a lot to me that people took the time to see what I was up to. Hawaii was the adventure of a lifetime. I wish I was still there, and I hope to one day go back. And I hope my blog has encouraged others to go to Hawaii and do things they never thought they would do either. Hawaii was never in my plan, but when the opportunity presented itself I couldn't pass it up, and I will forever have amazing memories of paradise.

Again, mahalo for reading,

Aloha