Beach Vacation

Roy, my and Stanton

     With Covid starting to slowly ease up, I've begun to get back to my adventures, as much as money can finance at least. The first glimpse of returning to normal was after my birthday. My parents and brother came to Portland to pick Roy and me up for a three-day vacation at the Oregon coast. 

    Shortly after arriving, we walked along the beach until it was time to check into our rental home. Once in the rental home we spent the evening enjoying pizza and games, it was the first experience Roy had of what my family is like. The next morning, I had set up for Roy and my father to go for an early morning walk along the beach while the rest of us blissfully slept in. The rest of that day was filled with reliable Oregon coast rain, clearing up just in time for low tide and for dinner.

     The Oregon coast vacation was short-lived but well needed. It was time for Roy and me to return back to our normal lives. Roy went back to work at his wellness clinic and I moved into a full-time position at the hospital. The remainder of April and May was filled with less stressful work hours, finishing up my college degree online, and returning to normal life. As May approached, Covid cases were still fluctuating, but the hopes of normalcy were insight.

     With my new schedule at the hospital came the promise of a three-day weekend that appeared every other week. A three-day weekend meant trips and activities to be planned. For the first weekend of freedom, I hopped on a bus down to Salem to celebrate a belated birthday, homecoming and wedding.

Waikiki Beach

     The most recent adventure, however, took Roy and me on our first vacation together to Hawaii. We arrived mid-morning on Saturday and explored the area around Waikiki beach before checking into our condo. Exploring the mall, beach, and Hawaii's famous convenience store, ABC, I even convinced Roy to buy matching floral outfits with me. For lunch, we went to Shorefyre's and had our first taste of Hawaiian cuisine. Dinner, on the other hand, was a classic Mcdonald's convenience. 

     The next day we spent our time in the sun. Laying on the beach, playing in the water, and overall enjoying the luxuries of being away from work and school. On our second day, we explored more of the cultural side of town; the modern culture. We took a bus to Chinatown and visited the Botanical garden as well. The highlight of the garden was getting to see a Corpse Plant in bloom! Apparently, they only bloom once every three to five years for 48 hours and we were able to see the very beginning of it; before the rotting smell was pungent. We ended the day at Tanaka of Tokyo, it was my first experience at a restaurant where they cook the food directly in front of you, as well as enjoying some Japanese steak and cuisine. 

Roy's

     While we were vacationing, Roy celebrated his 25th birthday, I reminded him several times of his seniority. For his birthday we celebrated at Roy's, another well-known Japanese restaurant. That day we had also both gotten to experience surfing for the first time. Unfortunately, I had not planned ahead well enough so we were unable to get lessons, so we just rented two boards and tried to figure it out. Getting out to the waves was easy, and even catching a wave proved to be easy for me, but of course, it took me a couple tries to stand up. Once I was standing, I wasn't surfing as much as trying to stay standing. Eventually, I ended up catching wave after wave but had moved into the shallow end. At one point, I had fallen off the board onto a rock. Roy reported that he had a much harder time standing up. The second part of Roy's birthday took place the following day. We rented a convertible from a nearby rental for a few hours and took a joy ride around our side of the island. Stopping at several beautiful spots, taking endless amounts of photos, and enjoying the glimpse of luxury we were living in for the week. 

Vacation

     The day before returning home, we met with one of Roy's classmates for Hawaiian food and a drive-by tour of the university. As well as enjoying our final moments in Hawaii and final moments of rest before returning back to reality. Now that we're back it's time to start preparing for the next trip; and that means, working to get money for it. Roy has already returned back to work and is getting ready for the weekend. My vacation lasted a little longer, but I'll be returning back to work tomorrow to start a busy week... or three. 

     Any suggestions for the next trip?