North Shore Day and Surfing!

VIDEO OF OUR DAY AT NORTH SHORE: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f83qc3fr-kw
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So after getting mostly settled in, the excitement began! On the last day we had our rental car in our possession, we decided to drive to the famous Haleiwa at North Shore! It was amazing! We got there and drove to a little scenic spot, got out, and walked around the beach/rocky areas of the shore. The water and waves are unlike anything you have seen before! To experience this first hand is incredible! Of course we snapped some pictures, walked in the water, marveled at the crabs, climbed trees, and just had some relaxing fun!

On many different occasions, including this one, I had thoughts occur to me about how lucky we are. I don’t mean this offensive in any way to parents out there, but I think it’s really great that we don’t have kids right now. This trip and outings like these would probably be 10 times more difficult with kids, especially young ones. Not impossible, just a lot harder. My reason being is that with kids you have to account for your things PLUS all of their things, (snacks, water, sunscreen, extra clothes, diapers, wipes, etc). That’s a load! And the attitude/behavior of children could change the whole trip too. One kid didn’t have their nap so they’re cranky, one tripped on a rock and needs a band aid and is crying, the baby is crying because their hot or hungry…the list goes on. As adults, we can plan things out accordingly (usually). We think, “Hmm, this may be a long drive, I should go to the bathroom before we go”. Meanwhile (most) little toddlers don’t understand this concept and when you are out in the middle of nowhere in the car, you hear, “Mommy I have to go potty”, and it becomes a hassle for everyone! Kudos to all the super moms out there who take their kids lots of places and make it enjoying for the whole family (Mary Mecham)! But, I’m just glad Brad and I don’t have to deal with that right now. We can just spontaneously get up and go places (when we have time of course). We do want kids eventually, but as of now, we are A-Okay!

So after our beach walk, we went to the Haleiwa Marketplace for lunch. We went to a restaurant called “Breaker’s” for lunch; I got some coconut shrimp and Brad got “Breaker’s Cakers”-which are crab cakes. Both were so delicious! We also walked around the marketplace in search for sunglasses for Brad, which we found. We wanted Koa wood ones, but realized how expensive they are, ($160), and decided against it. Brad also got snorkeling gear and I got a rash guard.

   

See, Brad and I have similarities, but we also have differences. We both like many sports. But I especially love tennis, and Brad loves disc golf. So, we support each other in our tournaments, but don’t necessarily take it upon ourselves to play the other sport with them. It’s like, “Me” time. Same goes for our beach hobbies. I learned how to surf, which I loved! (and I will talk about here in a minute), and Brad likes snorkeling. So, when we aren’t together, those will be our hobbies while we are here!

 We also tried real Hawaiian shaved ice which was marvelous! So nice and refreshing on a hot afternoon! 

On our way back into town, we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, where they grown tons of pineapples, and have a lot of tourist activities to do. We didn’t go into the maze or ride the train, but we walked around the gardens, and watch a cool pineapple demonstration where a lady taught us how to grow, pick out, cut, and eat your own pineapples! So, we did the free stuff. Which was still really cool! 

Then we drove back home, returned the rental car to the airport, and rode the bus home.

SO…SURFING! The next morning we got up around 7:00 and went to the beach for me to have surfing lessons! I had a lesson from a guy named Clay-Hawaiian born & raised and super nice! For an older guy, he sure can cut through those waves fast! We talked and practiced on the beach for a bit, then went out and tried the real waves! It is definitely a lot harder than it looks, but after a couple tries and wipe outs, I got up and stayed up! The feeling is incredible! (You can just see from the look on my face). You want to stay up forever! But of course, it has to end sometime, and your arms get so tired!

So overall, the experience was amazing! I want to continue to learn because my lesson was of course on a huge long board. The shorter board you go, the harder it is. I went out later that day in search for a used surf board and found a local shop called RV’S, where I found a 9.0 ft board, bought it, and walked it the mile home. Yes it’s big and bulky and hard to carry. Plus I am a beginner and still have little clue as to what I am doing. But I am determined!  

The next morning I woke up early, grabbed my board and made the trek to the beach. First time surfing with the short board didn’t go too well, but I wasn’t expecting much anyways. I got up on my knees a couple times, but never made it through to all the way standing up. It can get frustrating, especially if you are looking out at all the pros who are so swift and can get up easily. It makes you feel like a dork because you haven’t caught a single wave the whole time. But you just have to tell yourself to keep trying! They were beginners once too! Everyone has to start somewhere. It was also pretty crowded and I didn’t want to get in people’s way. After an hour of lots of paddling and no waves, I made the swim of shame back to the beach, only to be comforted by words of encouragement from other nice surfer guys who run the stands. J I am going to keep trying and make this work!

Also, Brad started his internship that day as well. He will stay working in the office in Waikiki for a couple weeks, then he will have to fly out each week to Lanai to work on a private resort. He’s part of the crew that’s working on the resort’s pool! How cool is that? He likes his co-workers and says he’s excited!

Here's the video of our day at North Shore!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f83qc3fr-kw

Anyways, stay tuned for more blogs and videos!