Apologies that all these posts are a little out of order – but at the moment I have just made it to Hawali. I have been awake for 22.5 hours and am still going strong!! Yay!!
But, yes I survived LAX and am safely located on the beautiful island of Hawaii, although it hasn’t been without its dramas!
The minute I stepped onto the Hawaiian Airlines plane I was in island mode! The gorgeous Hawaiian music reminded me of playing on Aunty Shirl and Uncle Wal’s old stand up organ on the ‘steel string guitar’ setting when I was a little girl and also of my ukulele that I had back then as well. (Mum – whatever happened to my little ukulele?) Aunty Shirl and Uncle Wal also had a hibiscus plant at the front of their house that I would pick the flowers off and I am excited that this week, I can get away with wearing flowers in my hair just like Nadine and I would do every night when we would pick our outfits for Heat!
The best part of the flight was the beverages – PINEAPPLE JUICE!!! Ohhhh I skulled two cans of it. *oops* It was the real thing, not from concentrate – just beautiful yum yum pineapple juice. I now feel half normal!
On both the flight from NY to LA and LA to Hawaii I was seated in the ‘middle three’ of a 2-3-2 plane layout but both times I was on the aisle with no-one in the middle. I never realised how wonderful plane travel could be without someone in the next seat – or without the seat in front being fully reclined. To me, the flying has been blissful with just that extra little bit of room. A big difference to the cattle-like feel of the Qantas flight to LA.
Landing at Honolulu was strange. The airport has the feel of the old Dental hospital in Melbourne. Very 70s feel to it. We walked. And walked. And walked some more to the baggage claim. One case arrived. The other hasn’t. The one that is missing is the one with my bathers, my summer gear, my Birkenstocks, my toiletries and my books. So I am stuck with two knee length LL Bean Coats, a polar fleece, all my thermals, boots and about four turtlenecks and three jumpers to enjoy Hawaii in. Hopefully it will turn up tomorrow, otherwise I am going to have to go and get some summery tops as it is 11pm and still warm… well warm compared to New York!
I haven’t even planned anything to do in Hawaii. Pearl Harbour definitely. A luau definitely. A day trip definitely. And lots of doing nothing. Definitely.
I actually can’t believe I am, in reality, on my way home. Sheesh – it feels like an eternity ago that I was in that classroom at Maryland on our first day.