Celebrating 30 in Oahu
Aloha to a New Decade!
Turning 30 is something I’ve looked forward to for a while. I felt in my bones, in my soul, that my twenties had come to a natural, restful end and I was thrilled to reach the point of feeling settled with the woman I’ve become. The one I worked hard to figure out, tinker with, seek therapy for, and endlessly practice giving massive amounts of patience and self-love to. In celebration of that, I have planned for a looooonnnng time a trip to Hawaii. I remember thinking about it 5 years ago and it began with an entirely different trip. I went on a sailing trip with Global Treks & Adventures (read all about here) around Puerto Rico and my bunkmate on the boat was this fierce, brave, blond bombshell named Chloe. As we were all getting to know each other that week, Chloe shared that she had frequented Hawaii and mentioned swimming with sharks in Oahu and how it should be on my bucket list. I looked at the photos that came from it and I was sold immediately. I tucked that in my back pocket and started to think of how I can get myself there and when. The more I thought, the more I felt something that adventurous should be saved for 30. So, here we are. I made my longtime dream come true. Let’s dive in, yeah?
I rounded up some of my best girls (Ashley, Baylee, and Abby) and we landed on Oahu with a big ole rainbow as our initial greeting. The view of the picture above is from our balcony… pretty wild, right? Our home for the week was The Ali’i at Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach. This is Hilton’s largest property in the U.S. and it is indeed large. Restaurants, pools, shopping… they had it all. But the best part was being directly on the ocean. I spent a lot of time trying to pinpoint where I wanted to stay - the main goal was to be on the beach, conveniently located for food options, and well, overall cleanliness & upkeep. If we’re flying that far, I want it to be worth the journey! The Ali’i was a plus because it had a separate check-in process than the other buildings on the property and had it’s own private pool. Our first dinner was spent at the famous Duke’s (which had incredible coconut shrimp) which led into our first full day. It began with smoothies from Hawaiian Aroma and breakfast at Cinnamon’s (locally recommended) with fabulous guava and pistachio pancakes. Ashley and I sunbathed on the golden sands, sipping on our pineapple and coconut drinks while Abby and Baylee took on the waves for a 2-hour surf lesson. These determined ladies picked up this hard skill quickly (no surprise) and officially learned how to surf in Hawaii! Our dinner was spent by open windows at Fresco.
We wrapped up the day with a very… interesting ghost tour. All four of us are into spooky and have done ghost tours before so we were excited to experience this! However, it didn’t exactly live up to expectations, but there’s no one else I’d rather go through a left turn with than these three women, who truly make the best of every situation and ended up bringing comedic relief to a not-so-spooky evening. The following day started with a morning hike to the top of Diamond Head. The most beautiful views awaited us. Going first thing in the morning benefited us in beating the heat and not dealing with a crowd. While there are so many different hikes on the island, Diamond Head gave such expansive views over the city and ocean. Below is my favorite picture I took!
A quick breakfast at Da’ Hi Brew and then off to snorkel! We took this catamaran sail from Ko Olina and saw dolphins, a turtle, and so many fish in those crystal blue waters. This sail included lunch, cocktails, and snorkel gear - so worth it! I love any opportunity to get on (or in) the water, especially in a place I’ve never been before. It offers a different perspective, especially in place like Hawaii where these waters are honored. Watching the waves or these little fish scurry around us was so therapeutic, so calming. That night, Baylee and I continued a tradition we’ve held for the past couple of trips we’ve been on which is having a pizza & sushi dinner. We gathered the goods and ate on the beach, watching the sun set and talking about the loopty loops of my twenties. Whatta ride.
And now, we’ve reached it. The day I turn 30. The day I swim with sharks. Our plan was set for the day - we rented a car from a local via Turo and headed to the North Shore. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I fell in love with the North Shore and it’s long stretch of blue waters, shrimp shacks, and local artists. If I had one more day on Oahu, it would be spent there. The weather was absolutely beautiful that day. We made a stop for breakfast at Coffee Gallery and then my gals dropped me off at my meeting point. Although they were a bit too nervous to join me, I had 5 year’s worth of conviction to do this whether anyone was coming with me or not. I made sure to tell Chloe that morning that she had influenced me all those years ago and I was where I was because of her recommendation. The wonderful and sweet gentlemen of Islandview Hawaii made me feel completely safe from start to finish, and made sure to make me feel special on my birthday. They only take 8 people out at a time, so it was me and a family of 7 (mom, dad, uncle, grandma, and three teenage kids) and we had the best time. We went about 3 miles off shore to a random spot in the middle of the ocean. The current was strong that day, so the decision was that the family would have a rope to hang onto so they wouldn’t be struggling, and I would swim a few feet away from them since I had been snorkeling before. It also worked out with photos and videos, so the photographer could capture the family without me in it, and ones of me without them.
It was, hands down, the wildest thing I have ever done. I’ve done many adventurous things, but nothing like this. The absolute wonder and awe I felt was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It’s one thing to see sharks on tv, but to be mere feet away from them is an entirely other thing. A long rope was dropped with a shiny tassel at the bottom to attract the sharks. Before we knew it, three Galapagos sharks (two pregnant!) were hangin’ around. A barracuda also made an appearance but kept its distance. Our safety diver stayed in between me and the family, where we communicated with hand signs when I needed to come closer and to see if I was doing ok. Galapagos sharks are reef sharks, meaning they’re more curious than anything. While their intention isn’t aggressive, the ocean is not a petting zoo and we are on their turf - meaning they deserve respect. As a shark started swimming around my area, I quickly came up for breath as did our safety diver. He assured me to just stay close and he’d get the “birthday money shots.” And that man DELIVERED.
We stayed in the water for 30-ish minutes and then got on the boat to head back. The pure adrenaline I felt lasted the entire day. We were given our pictures and videos as soon as we returned and I, a little bit different than an hour before, hopped back in the car with the girls and we headed straight for Fumis. One of the many little roadside shacks that don’t look like much, but their food packs a punch. Another stop at Ted’s Bakery and then numerous stops at shops like The Cove Collection and Polu Gallery, topping it all off with the famous Matsumoto Shaved Ice. We made sure to stop at the many beach pull-offs and get ourselves in the water and just relish in the moment. Although planned, the flow of the day was just perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day than exactly like that.
We topped off the day with a dinner at Hau Tree, just steps from the beach with delicious pasta. A truly wonderful 30th! The following day was another adventurous one. Breakfast that day was a smoothie from Banan and guava and other various flavored malasadas from the famous Leonard’s! Abby and I made our way to Kualoa Ranch, a lush wonderland that has been the setting for numerous tv shows and movies, most notably Jurassic Park. We embarked on the 2 hour ATV Raptor Tour, which entailed us driving on dusty roads through endless greenery. We were told beautiful stories of the history of that land and what it means to locals. We giggled so much as we drove this contraption on rocky terrain, getting completely covered in dirt.
Dinner that night was served from a little local joint named Goofy, just off the Hilton property! Our last day was a chill one. Laying by the pool, reading, and sipping cocktails. It led into a lovely last evening, where we got in our bathing suits and took a night swim in the ocean as the Hilton set off fireworks on the beach. It really felt like a magical end to an amazing week. We snagged dinner from the property, got back to our room and in our robes, and reminisced on what part of it all we loved most. Swimming with sharks was huge as I had waited for that experience for so long, but having my best friends with me was the most meaningful part of all. I’ve got some good ones.
