5. Hawaii

When I got to bring Kosuke home for the first time, I was really nervous because people always have so many opinions about Missouri before they even see it. I was worried he was going to hate it. And after he has visited, I can’t say he sees exactly what I see, but I think he understands why I appreciate it. Then in 2021 I got to see Kosuke’s home growing up in Waimea, Hawaii. And god dammit! This isn’t fair! How can I compete with that?!

My home gets underrated beauty. Kosuke’s home just gets straight up tropical paradise. And if we’re being really honest, Hawaii is a little bit unfair to even compare it to other states. When your state’s whole industry is tourism, you are basically saying your resource is your state's beauty.

I remember getting to the Big Island at night and just getting the wave of humidity at the outdoor airport, and I could just feel the atmosphere without having to see anything. But then, when I woke up the next day. Holy crap, Lois! Boom there’s Mauna Loa straight in the view from my balcony. I remember I was doing online classes at the time because it was still during Covid, and when they told us to have our camera on I would think “I don’t know if that’s going to be better for class morale”.

Kosuke put us on an agenda that made it so we got to see so much in the 2 weeks we were there. Spam musubis and poke of the bat. Parker School farmers market. Interesting hikes. I’ll share a couple stories from while I was there to set the vibe a little bit.

On one of my first days of the trip, we went to a spot called Pololū Valley which is a hike to a beach in a valley where you go about 350 feet straight down on steep rocks. We get to the bottom, and we’re all having a good time. I drink most of the water I brought on the way down since it was so humid. Then while walking around, we see a sign that points to a trail to the lookout. Everyone else is in the mood, so we go. We walk like 15 straight up, and I am struggling. Not only is it 85 degrees and supremely humid, but this is during Covid so I am also supremely out of shape. We come across this French guy, and I am gasping since I am fully out of water. “How much longer?” “Just about 15 minutes," the Frenchman says. Alright I can do that. We go 15 minutes. Then 30. I think this guy may have been full of it.

I see Kosuke’s water bottle, and I am desperate so he hands it to me for a sip. It is green tea, hot green tea. You’ve got to be kidding me. So we finally make it to the top a full hour after we saw that guy. I don’t think my face has ever been redder. But I have to admit the view was pretty amazing. Then we went back down and after the hike had to climb 350 feet straight up. Then I died.

There was another walk we did on volcanic basalt that is on the coast in a few areas from recent eruptions. So we are walking on it, and I’ve got to say it’s a little rough on the feet. And it was about 85-90 degrees made even hotter by the endless sea of black rock we are on. Kosuke’s friend, Sean, took us to this golden pond in the middle of all the rock which was so cool to see this ecosystem only a few decades old. Sean says that there’s this other great pond near a tree that would be great to go to. So we walk for 30 minutes and my feet are aching, and I’m getting a little hangry. We walk by a few trees and Sean says a few times “No, this isn’t it.”. So we start to turn around and head towards the car since it’s clear we’re not gonna find it.

Then right as our car is in view we come across a path that to me is very obvious that it just goes back to where we already were. So there are 5 of us and Ashe says, “Sean, you’re the leader. You should decide which way we should go.” Sean says, “I think Brian should decide.” Brian says, “I think Kosuke should decide.” Kosuke says, “Let’s send it!” referring to heading the direction away from the car. No we did not find it, and I’m not even convinced it was a real path. Later that night, I broke up with Kosuke.

Just kidding of course!

One last one! We went up to Waimea for dinner, but unfortunately the place we were planning on going had closed. So we decided to go to a Mexican restaurant down the street. It was pretty packed and like a 30 minute wait, but luckily they would serve you drinks on the patio while you wait, so I had 2 margaritas before we even got to the table. I was pretty gone especially after my 3rd margarita, and someone mentioned “wouldn’t it be funny if we went up Mauna Kea?” even though it was like 8pm. So we went up to Mauna Kea to see the stars all while I’m drunk off my ass. What a fun little road trip! Then I think I fell asleep the moment we got in the car for the ride home.

That trip was so incredible and I got to see so much. From the wonders of Volcanoes National Park. To us going on a UTV tour to the waterfall we named “Ludacris Falls”. To us going into the cave to get Brian’s perfect dating profile photo To finding out that our mystery radio song was “Girl Like Me” by the Black Eyed Peas. To listening to our newly formed mahjong playlist the whole trip. Maybe not all of this had anything to do with Hawaii specifically, but the trip being in Hawaii is what lent itself to the vibe to give me some of my most memorable moments.

And I also got to go to Kauai for my honeymoon. Boy was that the perfect place to go. I don’t have as much to say there just since we went primarily to relax. Even still we got to play in the waves and enjoy the views the whole trip. I think my favorite thing about Hawaii is how diverse the landscapes are. It’s like California but on an even more scrunched scale. The north Kauai mountains are so lush yet the south is full-on desert. And when you drive through, you see where the edge is. It’s bonkers.

Ultimately I think Hawaii’s biggest flaw is how much it is focused on tourism nearly wherever you go. And of course it would be, because otherwise many communities would struggle. But due to that fact, I feel like nearly anywhere I go my experience is manufactured a bit. Almost like I don’t get to see the real Hawaii. And of course I’ll never ultimately get to see what the real Hawaii is because I’m not native Hawaiian. But even still, like, I want to be able to see that real Hawaii culture no matter where I go in the state. Not just be bogged down by constant tourist traps.

Luckily I’ve got someone who’s a little bit of an expert on living in the state, so I feel like I have gotten to see it as real about as well as a visitor could. And that’s pretty special. Like I get to know what Beach 69 is! So being able to go outside the hotels and see what it’s like to live a couple weeks in Hawaii, that’s pretty neat. But you know what, even still I have to admit a land of all inclusive resorts on the beach isn’t the worst thing in the world.

4. Maine

6. Utah

The Autumnal