The Big Island

Goodness gracious our honeymoon was FUN! So many memories I will always hold so close to my heart. Spending time with your very best friend in all the world and contemplating the new reality that the two of you have made eternal covenants together, because you love each other and want to be together forever brings with it joy beyond description. I can’t possibly think of a more beautiful beginning to a beautiful life together.

A wise man once told me that one of the most important things you can look for in a spouse is someone you have fun with; someone who brings the sunshine when the sky seems very dark; someone who makes you laugh; someone who finds joy in everyday. I am so glad I listened to that wise man. He was right!

Rob and I had so much fun together. Not a worry in the world. Our fun began at the airport when we picked up our hot red mini-van rental – oh baby! We were two love birds coasting down the highway in our mini-van hand-in-hand and loving every moment of our new life together. Nothing could bring us down. We would have been happy in a rusted out dump truck – All we need is love. 🙂

We ate all of the things on our honeymoon! Food makes us so happy. Our first day on the Big Island we drove halfway around the island to partake of a delicacy known as malasadas at Tex Drive-in. I had never even heard of them, but Rob insisted they were a must have. We pulled up and the place was your average hole in the wall dive of a restaurant. Starving, as usual, we ordered dinner + 6 malasadas – yes, 6. I had no idea what we were even ordering. The place smelled of sugar and deep fried goodness. The malasadas, hawaiian sweet rolls rolled in sugar with a jam-like filling, came out warm. Rob was eager to sink his teeth into one. He had been dreaming of them since we landed on the island hours earlier. I should say, I am not really a filling person, but I was willing to give them a go; especially since Rob is such a food critic and talked to highly of them. I trust his food judgement. Sadly, after all the hype, Rob took a giant bite and I could tell from the look on his face that he was not impressed. After seeing his disappointment I didn’t expect much when I took my first bite. I thought the roll was alright, light and just the right amount of sugar, but overall, I didn’t think they were anything special. Maybe we came on a bad night or maybe the fact that we got there just before closing time played into our disappointment. I was more sad that Rob was so disappointed than anything else. We will give them one more shot to redeem themselves the next time we are on the Big Island, but if they are a bust a second time, we’re saying goodbye for good.

More food memories… One morning we were scouting out a place to have breakfast and we stumbled upon a tamale stand a little ways off the main road. The stand consisted of a small canopy, an old truck, and a giant cooler full of tamales — we’ll take 2 of everything you’ve got! They were so cheap and delicious. Best breakfast we had in Hawaii! Another food highlight on the Big Island was shaved ice. I had never had a shaved ice this size before. It was fascinating just to watch them being made. A perfectly huge ball of ice and an artistic way of infusing it with ribbons of colored sugar – yes please; entertaining and delicious. We also found a little pretzel shop (Mad Mikes) the size of a phone booth back behind the main road; a one-man show, selling delicious cheddar jalapeño and cinnamon sugar pretzels, to name a few of our favorites, with original dipping sauces. We may have visited this little carb-lovers heaven more than once. Honeymoons are like birthdays and holidays, treat yourself!

Not only did we gorge ourselves on delicious foods while in Hawaii, but we saw some amazing things too. We love exploring as much as we love food. 🙂 We visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and saw an active volcano! Outside the museum the wind was ripping around with crazy and relentless cold gusts. We of course were dressed in shorts and t-shirts, completely unprepared for cold weather… but hello, we were in la la land. The coolest part of our volcano experience came after great patience and suffering through the cold, but it absolutely worth it! The suns last light had gone to sleep, and coming from deep within the volcanic crater we began to see red light penetrating the darkness. The lava was glowing. So taken by natures performance, the cold faded away and we stood in silence observing the miracle and feeling the magic of the the evening. The experience was beautifully humbling.

Our last day on the island we didn’t skip a beat! We ate poke at the Poke Shack for breakfast, snorkeled all afternoon, and went back to the Poke Shack for a late lunch. I was a little nervous to go snorkeling, not because I have a fear of water or anything, but there had been a shark sighting on one of the beaches near where we were staying, so you can understand my hesitation. With a little gentle coaxing from hubs, I gathered up the courage to go snorkeling, and I am so glad! The water was perfect! Clear and beautiful. We saw so many colorful fish and even a little sea turtle – cutest thing ever. We had such a blast. As we climbed out of the water, evidence of snorkeling plastered on our faces, we sat on the rocks and took a few selfies, totally in la la land. We stood up and began to walk back to our van when we noticed that everyone was standing up and looking out at the ocean. We turned to look, but didn’t see anything. We kept looking, unsure of what we were watching for. I could feel my nerves going crazy. I was getting so anxious and excited, what could it be?! As we continued to stare out at the vast ocean that lay ahead, a few moments later we saw it! In that moment, something miraculous happened; something that has been on my bucket-list; something that I have dreamed about since I was a kid, flashed before my eyes! We saw a humpback whale hurl its magnificent body out of the water, into the air and back into the water with an elegant splash. It was so beautiful, like a symphony. Rob and I stood there stunned, not believing what had just happened; one of the most incredible displays of nature I have ever seen. Every muscle in my face, my fists, my legs, my feet, my booty cheeks, were clenched so tight, like I thought if I gave it everything I had I could hold onto that moment forever. I didn’t want it to end. We saw a humpback whale breach! It was truly a miracle! That was the cherry on top of the most perfect ice cream sundae i’ve ever eaten. Sigh… the perfect ending. I love my husband so much. My heart is so full.

Two really is better than one… Every day was full of fun and laughter. Such a big, gorgeous island with so much to explore. We barely scraped the surface of what this island has to offer. We definitely plan to return to the Big Island in our future. Hawaii is a group of islands where dreams come true. 🙂