1st stop: Aloha!

you know that feeling when you step outside and you just feel GOOD about life? it's pretty much like all that all the time in Hawaii. it's the kind of environment where you feel like you can do any activity you want outside, which just so happens to be convenient because there's a million places to explore. i also feel that it's the perfect melting pot of people: asians, americans, asians who are super american...

we stayed with Britt (Lee's sister) at her house a few miles from Waikiki. their house itself was melting pot of roommates: Christie from Jersey, Seth from Arizona, Emma from Kauai, and Ella was visiting from Finland. it was awesome hanging out with them and several other North Carolinians like Chiou and Shawn; we also met a ton of their friends and it felt like I was actually living there and not just being a tourist.

i was actually a little bit sad after each picture i took there, because no picture did hawaii's beauty any justice. please just go and experience it for yourselves!! i'll be back for sure. it's just awesome looking at the beach/ocean/mountains simultaneously all the time.

here's a few photo highlights anyway...


Sauntering down to the Makapu'u tide pools on Tuesday. thank you, $2 old navy flip flops, for not giving out on me during the 30 minute descent.




New mexican restaurant opening with new friends!




North Shore where we sunned, shaded, and snorkeled on Thursday




Actin a fool in front of Diamond Head




Making the hike up Koko Head - imagine doing about 1,500 lunges on an incline.




At the top of Koko Head... twas worth the sweat.




TUTTI FRUTTI, where taro and honeydew melon froyo is the dankness.




We're about to board the plane in Taipei... landing in BKK in 3.5 hours! :)