Honolulu, Hawaii, USA!

Before anything else, I have to make a correction to my last entry. The Islands of Hawaii are between 300,000 and 2 million years old, not 70 million. I'm not sure where I got that extravagant number from!

 

Hawaii was everything I expected and more. Hilo and the Big Island as a whole was just breathtaking. The locals are so friendly that us "SASers" didn't even know how to act at first! People gestured the shaka sign everywhere ("hang loose") even when they were walking on the street gesturing to drivers. I cannot believe that I have only spent 4 days in Hawaii because of all of the things I have managed to pack into the short time.

 

Monday was spent at the botanical garden, which housed some of the most gorgeous trees and flowers that I have ever seen. Tall thin trees lined that paths and bright pink, purple, orange, and yellow flowers sprung up beyond the bridges and waterfalls. After strolling through the peaceful and winding walkway, we spotted to ocean. Two prominent rocks stood out from the shore, and they are referred to as the Two Lovers. The story is that once there was a village near this shore, and two lovers were appointed to guard the village from outside danger. They stood guard until one morning, there were no lovers there, just two black rocks positioned as if they were about to embrace.  This was just one of many stories I learned about certain landmarks all across the island.

 

On Tuesday I went on an organized trip to Volcanoes National Park. It looked absolutely nothing like I though a volcano would! I'm not entirely sure what I expected, but maybe I've seen too many idealized textbook pictures? Regardless, the caldera of Kilauea was enormous. From the museum atop the crater I couldn't even see the caldera in its entirety, only the steaming smaller crater within the main caldera. (The only difference between a caldera and crater is size: caldera is big, crater is small, and in this case, inside a caldera.) Everything within the caldera was flat, hard, and gray, not like the bubbling close ups of live craters I've seen in geology lectures. Once I put aside my expectations, I was truly in awe. I couldn't help but stand at the railing, imagining the young history of this volcano. To think that it is at this moment sitting over a hotspot that has been fueling volcanic activity for 82 million years (this includes the entire Emperor Seamount Chain, the underwater continuation of the Hawaiian archipelago), was just incredible. There I was, standing atop geologic history in the making. It was so new to me since nothing truly exciting is happening on the east coast in terms of new earth being created. Anyway, that's me, the geology major, getting super excited about standing on a volcano!

 

From the park, some friends and I drove to Akaka Falls State Park, where a 400 ft tall waterfall drops down in the middle of the rainforest. Aside from the mosquitoes (whoops) it was one of my favorite places to be. I mean, this is REAL HAWAII. No museums or visitors centers or gift shops, just trees and waterfalls. Awesome.

 

So that's the essence of Hilo for you: super friendly people, and super cool nature! Now for Honolulu.

 

The feel in Honolulu is completely different. People are still nice, without a doubt, but its more likely to run into a tourist than a local. Luckily, no local that I've met gave off an inkling of bitterness towards tourists. I mean, that's really how the state sustains itself.

 

Yesterday morning I went to Pearl Harbor, and that was probably my best experience in Honolulu. I really thought that I would respond the same way I do to all of the war memorials on the National Mall. But this one struck me differently. I truly believe it's because I've spent the last 7+ days on a ship. I have absolutely no experience in war, but the fact that I was on a ship, am in Hawaii, and am currently embarking towards Japan, just culminated into a really interesting experience.

 

Today I spent seeing scenic views around the Island with my friend from high school who is currently enrolled in the University of Hawaii. I'm so happy we got to see each other! She drove me around to some really neat secluded beaches that I never would have seen using public transportation (i.e., NOT Waikiki Beach).

 

Tonight begins the longest stretch of ocean time I'll have, 11 days until Yokohama! And in two hours, I'm partaking in a Goodbye Hawaii/Forgetting Sarah Marshall Party in my friend's cabin. No complaints! (Class tomorrow...)

Hawaii! Pier One, Hilo

Aloha!

 

I realize I have not been updating this blog as much as I had hoped, but to fill you in on the last few days, we have class everyday regardless of the day of the week, so saturday and sunday were school days. It seems a little strange for now, but today starts the equivalent of a four day weekend! My classes are interesting and are slowly but surely giving me a new foundation in my outlook of the places I'm going to. If you didn't know already, I'm taking Global Studies, Sacred Places, Sino-US Relations, and Women and Power in India. The professors are all so knowlegable on both the topics and world travel. I'm excited to get to know them all better!

 

So after spending the last 5 or so days learning about the history and culture of the Hawaiian islands, we finally docked this morning at 5:45 am. A few friends and I slept out on the 7th deck last night and it was beautiful. It was amazing just lying down looking up at the stars as the shifted and swayed through the sky like a swing, as the ship rocked in the waves. Though we were all comfortable at first on yoga mats and in sweatshirts, around 2 am the winds got a little too cold. None of us got much sleep, but I stuck it out until 4 am when I relocated to my soft and cozy cabin bed. So I'm a little sleep deprived already but SO excited to leave the ship and set foot on land. And not just any land, but the 70 million year old volcanic island of Hawaii (more commonly known as The Big Island). I can see Mauna Kea from the window of the computer lab right now, and it looks majestic behind the pinks and yellows of the sunrise. I can even see the observatories from here, known as the best spot in the world to view the night sky.

 

Today I have a full day planned with 3 of my friends. We're going to rent a car and drive to the botanical gardens, spend some time on the beach, and then go to a Semester at Sea sponsered luau with University of Hawaii students. I can't wait for everyone else to clear customs so that we can all start exploring!

 

 

California, Mexico, and now, The Pacific Ocean

It's been five days since I left home and it feels like 20 days worth of events have happened. On Friday afternoon I arrived in San Diego. The flight, though nearly 6 hours long, has a beautiful view almost the entire way. I saw everything from farmlands to the Rocky Mountains, to the deserts of Sierra Nevada. It was just breathtaking to see from the sky, and I hope seeing the Rockies from ground level is near in my future. (After Semester at Sea, of course.) When I arrived in San Diego, it felt like I was already in another country. Of course, everything was in English and the airport looked like any other I've been too, but as soon as I stepped outside, the sun was shining and the palm trees were blowing in the wind. Beyond that, majestic mountains and canyons lines the roads and the shore. I spent all of Friday and Saturday with family friends, the Hoffmans, and we spent my birthday on Saturday driving leisurely down the coast. I saw the waves, stepped in the Pacific for the first time, smelled the salt, and listened to the seals basking on the rocks below. I couldn't have asked for a better January 16th!

 

Sunday began the excitement of driving to Ensenada to board the MV Explorer. I woke up from my 8:30 shuttle, and was overwhelmed by the huge number of students preparing to leave California. The two hour drive though the border an onward was probably my first humbling experience. I was shocked that in just a few miles, the entire landscape could change so drastically. The mountains and ocean were there, but they were sparsely lined with trailers, convience stores, and too many abandoned construction projects. Illegible graffiti lined every wall of the gated communities, and the run down shacks were interspersed with well cared for houses. On arrival in Ensenada, Corona billboards lined the road and beyond a giant Carnival cruiseliner sat our little baby, the MV Explorer. Though it looked smaller than life from the outside, inside this ship is like heaven. Aside from the constant rocking and swaying, its perfect. The crew is more than friendly, the faculty and staff are more than loving, and the students are certainly more than excited to meet each other.

 

Today begins my second day of class. It will be a full day, but classes just don't feel like work yet. Yes we have pages and pages of reading each night, but inside the "classroom" (converted cocktail lounges), learning isn't viewed as a task that must be completed, but more of an opportunity to get as much as possible out of fellow students, the professor, and lifelong learners.

 

I don't want to drone on for too long, but our current position is 22 degrees, 26 minutes North, 127 degrees, 20 minutes West. Five days til Hawaii!

Maryland, still

This is me, testing out the email-to-blog feature on blogger, as I am
currently in my room, saying so long to Facebook, and sitting amidst my
mostly packed bags and all of the stuff I've decided not to take. As of
now, I feel like the master packer! Four months worth of clothes,
toiletries, and knick-knacks, all packed into 2 modestly sized rolling
duffel bags? And you thought it couldn't be done. Yes, you.

So, in just 12 hours I will be sitting [comfortably?] in a cozy middle
seat of my Southwest Airlines flight en route to San Diego. Who knew you
were supposed to check in 24 hours before the flight to avoid Group C
boarding? The flight attendants better be hilarious because there is no
movie nor is there lunch on my 6 hour cross-country flight. Or maybe I'll
just finish and reread Everything Is Illuminated (which is, indeed,
phenomenal-- thank you Danielle!)

Either way, tomorrow begins my First of many Firsts. Step 1) Find
California. I hear it's West? I've never been West of Texas!

Maryland

Today is Monday. I leave on Friday... Friday!! Which means that all of those mental notes I have made for myself over the last two months need to materialize magically, now. Please.

Though I'm feeling overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, and even a little sad, I am without a doubt excited. I just need to keep reminding myself to breathe, and that no matter how many travel sized bottles I buy and travel books I read, the only thing that I can truly expect is the unexpected. I plan to board my plane from Baltimore on Friday with an open mind, an open heart, and most importantly, open eyes. I know that this will be the experience of a lifetime and I will be bringing with me all of the love and support of my family and friends. I will miss you all dearly and cannot wait to bring you all with me each step of my journey.

I know you all will want pictures, which I promise to take. I can't promise that I will be able to post them up with each blog entry though, as most of these posts will be published directly from my (extremely weak) semester at sea email account (amharburger@semesteratsea.net). I do promise to "paint pictures with my words" of the sites I see, the people I encounter, and the emotions I feel , with as much vividness as I can.

For the next four months, the ocean will be my home. I'll miss you Pittsburgh. Goodbye house-- World, here I come!