Hawaii

July 2024

My man insisted on taking me on his family's trip to Hawaii... and I have to say, it was truly magical.

We only went for a long weekend, leaving on the 4th of July and coming back home a few short days later, but we made the most of it.

The first day of the trip we met a large portion of his extended family on his mom's sister's husband's side... They were Swedish and it was a party with like 20 people all eating and having a good time in the small, crowded condo.

The second day was one I'll never forget... We got up at the crack of dawn (thanks jetlag) to watch the sunrise together before meeting up with a smaller portion of the family for a snorkel boat trip. It was a tour of the Na Pali coast in which we got to go into some sea caves, be surrounded by a pod of dolphins, and see the stunning, sheer cliffsides that have starred in many movies. The end of the tour was a stop at a popular snorkeling spot where we were approached by friendly turtles over the coral surrounded by fish. After so many hours in the sun, Cody and I decided to take a break from the harsh rays and hide in our room for a little while, me reading my book, and him rubbing my feet while playing a video game. As our stomachs started to get a little grumbly, he suggested we pack up some snacks and tromp down to the condo's private beach to enjoy the view and eventually watch the sunset. As we nibbled and talked the sun slowly started creeping towards the water, and the other beachgoers started heading back up the hill to retreat before it got dark. For the sunset itself, we had the entire beach to ourselves. I already thought it was a perfect day, and then Cody topped it off by getting on one knee and asking me to marry him.

Of course, I said yes!

The rest of the trip was mostly relaxing in the sun and enjoying the new exhilaration of being engaged. We went to a luau (my first) and ate so much good food we thought we might burst (and a couple of the edible flower garnishes as well), watched an entertaining show, and generally had a wonderful trip. I am so thankful for this man and his family, and I'm so excited to be welcomed into it soon.