Keep Smiling: Hawaii: Week 1

Get ready for a super long post...

Thursday, June 7

Mom took us to the Erie airport around 4 am. We unloaded all of our bags: 2 carry-ons each + 7 bags to check. Good thing there's no bag limit when you're flying on active duty military orders!

At the check-in counter, a very nice man helped us. He noticed that our itineracy (which the army booked for us) had us going all over the United States with several stops, and we'd have to switch airlines somewhere along the way. When he checked us in, he was able to switch our itinerary to just one airline. In addition, we'd have one less stop, and get in to Hawaii a few hours earlier. He also tried to get us seated in First Class for the last leg of the trip (and although they were full, it was a really nice gesture) and marked all our our luggage as Priority First Class. It was such a nice way to start off what could have been a very stressful day!

Since our itinerary was switched at the airport, we had extra time before we had to board our first flight. Mom stayed with us for as long as she could. It was nice having that extra time with her. Dan and I kept saying that we don't know what we would have done without her in the days leading up to our big move. She helped us clean our apartment, run errands, and pack. Her support and physical presence was a blessing, too. After a teary goodbye, we walked through security and she headed home. We're looking forward to all of our family visiting (hopefully soon!).

We were sad to leave Erie. It was a wonderful home for Dan (4 years) and I (2.5 years). And it will always be special because it was our first married home.

Even with our ticket changes, it was a very long day of travel. With the time difference, I think we were traveling (airport to airport) for 18ish hours. We were exhausted, but excited, when we finally arrived at the Honolulu airport.

The warm, tropical breeze was refreshing as we walked through the open airport from the terminal to baggage.

At this point, it definitely felt like we were just on vacation! (Actually, it still does feel that way...)

We were so thankful that all of our luggage made the long day of travel, too! The only other time Dan and I flew together was on our honeymoon, and we were not so fortunate then. But anyways...

I waited with the bags while Dan went to pick up the rental car. We were nervous that the car would not fit all of our stuff, but Dan did an excellent job packing the car...

...and he was excited that it was a Subaru! "Subaru designed a beautiful car" - Dan

Our hotel room (and home for the next month or so...)

Friday, June 8

Dan had to be at Tripler Army Medical Center by 8am that morning. Our hotel is really close to the hospital, which is a blessing. We were nervous about traffic since we heard how bad it is on the island. Thankfully, we didn't hit much.

They call Tripler the "Pink Palace." You can see it in the distance from so many spots around the island.

I had such a mix of emotions dropping him off. I was excited for him. I was nervous for him. I was incredibly proud of him. There's something about seeing him in uniform...

Then, I had a brief moment of panic. I was alone in a brand new city and it was starting to set in. I was very thankful for GPS in getting me back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, I allowed myself to be a "tourist" for a little while. I read some of the brochures and military guidebooks that the hotel provided. I wanted to learn all about our new home. I also made some phone calls and set up appointments to look at apartments later in the weekend.

One big thing on my to-do list was to pick up Syndey! We had signed up for the 5-day-or-less quarantine program. The state of Hawaii has very strict guidelines for shipping a dog into the state, primarily because rabies don't exist on the island. Thankfully, we got all of our paperwork in and Sydney only had to stay 2 nights. She stayed Wednesday night (the day we shipped her) since we flew her a day early, and then Thursday night because by the time we got in on Thursday, the facility was closed. As soon as I drove into the quarantine site on Friday morning, I wanted to cry. I hated that she had to stay there even 2 nights. The facility was incredibly run-down and just awful. This next picture is super sad (I apologize) but this is how I found Sydney...

Sadest. Picture. Ever.

Okay, I know Sydney has incredibly sad eyes to begin with, but this is just depressing. You can almost hear the Sarah McLachlan song playing in the background...

Anyways, we got out of there as fast as we could. I was so happy to have Sydney back with me and I think she'd agree!

The hotel we're staying at is not the nicest, but it was one of the few pet-friendly options we had to choose from. It does have an enclosed "dog park" - basically it's just a fenced in area for them, but it's nice that we can let her off the leash. She needed to run free for a bit!

While I was sitting with Sydney in the dog park, I met another girl who was out there with her dog. God is so cool - this girl and her husband are also staying at the hotel and they're in the exact same position we're in. Her husband is in the army doing a transitional year at Tripler, just like Dan. It was so nice to make a new friend, and since then, Dan and I have hung out with them a bit.

After we hung out in the park, Sydney made herself comfortable on the king-sized bed - her spot of choice when we're just hanging out in the hotel room.

Talk about a crazy small world...for lunch on Friday, I met up with a girl that I went to graduate school with back in Albany. Through Facebook, she had seen that we were moving to Hawaii and we reconnected. She's a teacher and her and her husband moved out here (from Albany) about 3 years ago. It was so great to see her! She was so sweet, too - she welcomed me with a real Hawaiian lei, and she brought mangos, tomatoes, and Hawaiian chilies from her garden. I'm sad I didn't get a picture of the two of us, but I did take some pictures of the gorgeous place where we ate lunch...

I drove out west towards Ko'Olina, where there are lagoons and beautiful resorts. Exactly what you picture when you think of Hawaii. All of the beaches in Hawaii are public, so we were able to park and each lunch at one of the hotel restaurants.

Part of me felt guilty for eating at such a beautiful place without Dan on our first full day in Hawaii. I definitely need to take him back so we can enjoy the beaches here together!

Dan was finished in the late afternoon on Friday, so I left lunch and went to pick him back up at Tripler. We then headed to the town of Kailua. The drive to Kailua seriously looks like something out of a movie. Winding roads. Beautiful mountains. Amazing views.

We had been looking for places to live in Kailua online, and we were eager to see the area in person. We were originally drawn to this part of the island because we had heard that we'd avoid some of the major highways (and traffic) and there are also beautiful beaches. Well, we were pleasantly surprised...the next few pictures were taken at Kailua Beach Park...the beach was beautiful.

After we left Kailua, we took the scenic route back to the hotel, driving around the eastern coast. I wanted to stop and take pictures, but the sun sets a lot earlier here, and it was dark by the time we headed back. We ate dinner at the Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii Kai. Dan enjoyed trying some of the local beers, and the food was delicious.

Right now, we're living on TLA (Temporary Lodging Allowance), which means the army is reimbursing us for our hotel stay and they're giving us a daily allowance for meal expenses on top of it. We are eligible for TLA until we find a place to live or until our household goods arrive (for up to 60 days). Needless to say, we've enjoyed trying local restaurants knowing that we're really not paying for it!

Saturday, June 9

On Saturday, we got up early, grabbed Starbucks, and headed to look at three different apartments. Another perk of being in the military is that they're providing us with a housing allowance (BAH). We're definitely thankful because the cost of living in Hawaii is a lot more than the cost of living in Erie.

The first apartment was in a town called Aiea, which is slightly west of Honolulu. We really liked the home - it was spacious and had a beautiful view. After visiting Kailua, though, it was hard to compare the towns.

The next two apartments were in Kailua so we drove up there for the afternoon. The first was gorgeous, but was a little small and there wasn't any yard area for Sydney.

The third one is the one we later ended up deciding on, and sadly it's the one I didn't take any pictures of! I'll write more about it later.

After house-hunting, we walked through the adorable town of Kailua. They just opened a Whole Foods grocery store (Dan is very excited about it), so we had lunch there, and then headed back to the beach.