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!