Trying to figure out how we can go to Hawaii in 2014

All right. I totally own that this is a first-world problem. I wouldn't even claim it to be a problem. I've been to Hawaii just about every year since for a little over a decade. I went with girlfriends for the first time in 2002 and absolutely fell in love. Since then, there are only two years I haven't gone to Hawaii: in 2007 because we were saving up for wedding the following year and last year because we were moving and buying a house. I really don't want to have this happen again in 2014!
Before 2002, I had no interest in going because I didn't have any friends or family who lived there and if I was going anywhere tropical, it would be the Philippines. But my girlfriend from college planned a trip and it sounded like fun. I had also started dancing hula in the fall of 2001 and it was an expectation to immerse myself in Hawaiian culture if I was going to dance hula. I also just finished having a huge crush on a boy from Hawaii. That shouldn't matter but I would be lying if I didn't say it didn't influence the situation. 
As I mentioned, I fell in love with Hawaii even though I only visited Oahu for four days (I also concluded that four days is not enough time when vacationing there.)

Both our first times in Hawaii! I remember we were dying to get on the beach. This is a dear college and sorority friend. She was also a big time partyer! Now she is happily married with a beautiful little girl. Crazy how things change.

I think this was one of our best excursions. We scored this free boat ride by attending one of those time share breakfasts:) 

In 2003, The Man and I decided to celebrate our one year anniversary as a couple by going to Maui. Wow, even though we were making far less back then, I suppose to balanced the fact that we also had far less debt. Anyway, we decided that we would celebrate our anniversary in Hawaii. While Maui is a lovely island, I will always remember this vacation as the one time in our relationship we nearly broke up. I suppose it was a combination of being young, us not living together at that time, and spending an entire week together for the first time. Thanks be, we survived our massive argument that actually came back to California with us.
Overall, it was a nice vacation but I think we should have a do-over so our Maui experience can be untarnished. Yes, that's exactly the reason why we should go back!

At the Old Lahaina Luau (It was fine but better for a huge group of friends who just want to have fun. I strongly recommend Feast at Lele for couples or people who want a really good meal.)

NOT actually taken in 2001. Man, my then-boyfriend was a hottie! This was taken in Lahaina. 
He's still a hottie, just now my husband.

On our way back home Look how young we were!

I was then blessed to be able to go back to Oahu in 2004 with my halau. By this time, I had been with my hula brothers and sisters for four years. Our kumu planned a trip for anyone who was willing and able to go. It was such a different experience for me! All the other times, it was with friends and to do tourist-y things. And to relax! This trip was all about learning Hawaiian culture and customs as it related to hula. For instance, we were tasked with waking up before the sun rose on our first morning. We chanted through the streets of Waikiki, ending our solemn march in the ocean and asking for our trip to be blessed. We visited sacred grounds, museums and learned how poi was made. We were expected to learn new chants, dances and Hawaiian words (since mastering the Hawaiian language in a week wasn't a practical expectation.) It was good to see Oahu in a different light. And some of us even had time to have some fun at night. I will admit, though, that I only went out one night. Our day schedule was too rigorous for me to party and not have any recovery time.
This trip was significant to me because I knew that I would be leaving my halau shortly thereafter. I was finishing graduate school (I had one class last that I was doing by home study) and had started my first full-time job  after graduate school. I found it very difficult to make my way to San Francisco to go to hula class and practice. Because I wasn't making it to practice and hula was just getting harder, I was falling more and more behind. And while I loved my time with my halau on this trip, studying for new dances and chats during our week in Hawaii made it painfully clear that I wasn't going to catch up unless I could invest more time. Which I couldn't. So, for me, this was also a farewell trip.

At the airport, on our way to Oahu!

One of those photos that reminded me of a time when I thought I was fat. Partly because my cute friend in this picture was smaller ( not her fault that this was my hang up.) If only I could talk to my younger self.  

My hula sister (& hotel mate) practicing a new hula. That's our hula brother taking a photo to the right. And I wish I could remember who took this one.

All my hula brothers and sisters. Some of whom I don't know! My halau has several classes so I was closest to those who attended the same class.

Ah, 2005 is when I got more into blogging and finally have old posts to reflect upon. Like this one when I want to remember how truly craptastic a "hotel" room can be. Man. And this nice post as well as this humbling AKA moded moment. And then this last post to remind me just how great a vacation it had been. My friend and I had never traveled together prior to this trip. We were amazed just how well we got along and how in sync we were when it came to vacationing. We determined that we should vacation together when we grow old. We were smart to realize that it would be a looooooong time before we could ever do that again. Hubbies and children have a way of changing your lives:)

In 2006, the gal I had vacationed with in 2005 got married in Hawaii. She got married at The Kahala so we vacationed on Oahu again. It was a beautiful wedding and made for a wonderful vacation as well as a great escape from a job I wasn't fond of. Oh, the memories. 

As I wrote, I had to skip 2007 because we were saving for the wedding. But we went back in 2008 for our nuptials and boy, did I blog about it!

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Of course, my brand-spankin' new husband subjected me to a crazy hike on our honeymoon so I blogged about that. (More posts about the wedding can be found here and here.) 
Moving on to 2009. This was the year I knew The Man and I would try to have a baby. My friends and I decided to have one last hurrah before that happened. While we did nothing close to wild partying, it was more celebrating that we could have a relaxing, cocktail-filled vacation without babies under foot. 

Impostor Drink - filled with our own concoction! Shhhh ...

Cheers by the pool and  ocean.

Hot tubbin' with the ladies

A beautiful North Shore rainbow

It was a lot of fun. We decided to stay at the Turtle Bay Resort and it felt funny being back at the place where I got married. I definitely missed The Man because that place now holds so many memories for me.

Ah, then 2010. The Man proposed this idea when I was near the end of my maternity leave - "Hey, what do you think about just me and you going to Hawaii? Your parents could watch The Bun and we could go for a few days. What do you think?" I was so thrilled and terrified about this idea. I love going to Hawaii and it's my favorite place on earth. Why not?

Why not?! I'm breast-feeding my teeny-tiny 4 month old. How can I be away from her for 5 days?! I could already hear the judgement in other mommies' voices. But The Man and my parents reassured me that this was a good idea because as she got bigger, it wouldn't be as easy for The Bun to have her parents gone for a few days. So I stock piled as much breast milk as possible and took a portable pump while on vacation.

The pump became our traveling gnome. 

The pump enjoyed picturesque views.

The pump enjoyed our gorgeous hotel balcony view.

Had to be one photo sans pump. How different we look from those fresh faced lovers on their first Hawaiian vacation!

Then 2011 was the year that we took The Bun on her first trip to Hawaii! She had so much fun. We went with my parents, too, so we stayed at a military hotel on Waikiki Beach. The Man and I learned from that experience exactly why people with children opt for condos and townhouses rather than hotels. It is too much money paying for every meal and snack! It was a good trip that ended on a sour note, though. Our return flight was cancelled and Hawaiian Airlines handled it so poorly that I lost my $h*t. I also wrote a letter when we finally got home. They somewhat made it up to us by giving all of us 50% vouchers for our next flight. My friend told me ATA gave her free flights every time her flight was cancelled. But ATA also went out of business so I'll take what I can get from Hawaiian Airlines.

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In 2012, The Bun and I went back for a Girls' Trip after a really tough period. It was great to share our experiences with the little girls. We lamented how it's definitely different than our last Girls' Trip but we knew that's the way it was going to be even back then. We also stayed in a very nice condo at Turtle Bay resort. It was perfect! it was on the 1st floor, right outside was the pool and less than a two minute walk from the beach. Truly perfection. I should also note that the only way I could afford staying there is because 1) I have bargain-finding whizs for friends and 2) we split it four ways.

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Cutie pies and, hopefully, future best friends.

Because the vouchers we received from Hawaiian Airlines back in 2011 were going to expire at the end of the year, we decided to just go ahead and plan another trip to Hawaii in 2012.  

Watching planes take off at the beach near our cottage (we stayed on a base in Kaneohe)

View from our balcony.

Loved the views we saw from our cottage. It was secluded and peaceful.

On a boat ride to the Kaneohe Bay Sandbar.

Look at that face. LOVED the sandbar!

Here we are in 2014. OK, I admit it. After reminiscing over all my trips to Hawaii, I realize I'm a lucky gal. A blessed gal. I'm thankful for all the times I've been able to go. They have been so wonderful. But I have to figure out how to get us back there. Do you know The Bun has told us and her Nana & Papa that she wants to go to Hawaii for her 5th birthday? I swear, SWEAR, I did not plant that in her brain. It sounds like something I would do but I didn't! I was so surprised when she told me. So then I thought maybe her Nana has made some suggestive comments to her but she also swears that The Bun came up with this on her own. 

Here's the thing: The Bean is set to make his grand entrance at the end of July. Do we try to do it before or after he's born? No matter what, I know we need to be in a cottage, townhome or condo because, regardless of one little one or two, it is so much easier when we vacation in a home-like setting. 

All right, I'm putting it out there. I will figure out how to make this happen! For The Bun!:)