This Is Not A Dream (Part 1)

We've been home and back into the swing of all things that fall under, "reality", for just over a week now and I'm finally feeling like I'm officially "off the island" now.  It took me a couple days to let that euphoric feeling go and shake off my "I'm so sad I'm changing the litter box right now and not laying out under a palm tree, drinking a pina colada" mood.  I think I was getting on The Locals (Portland, that is) nerves, wearing my bathing suit under my Hawaiian wrap to the bank, leaving the scent of coconut lotion everywhere I went, constantly playing Bob Marley, sharing little random Kauai facts with anyone that will listen--there are no snakes in Kauai...if you see one, you have to kill it and call authorities; there are roosters everywhere, because they have no natural predators in Kauai; I had rainbow shave ice from the ORIGINAL shave ice stand--did you know it was in the movie, The Perfect Getaway?; I saw a flying fish-- and on and on.  I do this.  I made people sit down and watch unedited slide shows--I can explain-- of our vacation.  I was totally one of THOSE PEOPLE--Look, more BLUE water!  I think I lost a few Facebook friends over my "rubbing it in" updates.  But dang, you cannot just be in Kauai one day and changing the litter box the next all lickety-split like.  It's painful. 

Rooster & Shave Ice

Okay, so yes--Best Vacation Ever.  I totally recommend.  The Hubbs and I were so lucky to have been able to do this (a bonus to him leaving me with our children way more often than not--we joke that he has another family somewhere else--I think Italy...). Besides little trips to the Oregon Coast, this was actually the very first time we went on vacation without the kids--just the two of us.  It only took us nine years.  I don't recommend waiting that long, y'all.  I'm sure you're smarter than us.  But when our good friends and neighbors--Dale and Erin-- invited us to go, flashing a *very affordable* deal in front of our eyes for um...Paradise...we could not, not, not turn it down.  God bless time share owners that rent them out to people that don't own time shares.  10 days, in Kauai, at a resort, on the beach.  I mentioned no kids, right? Um...YES.  One of the best parts is that we went with friends--also recommended--along with a two bedroom/two bathroom (muy importante) condo, for 10 days, in Kauai, at a resort, on the beach. And yes, we are still friends.  We bonded...more on that later.

We arrived in Kauai on Sunday afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., Hawaii time.  We had been up since 5:00 a.m., Seattle time (we flew out of Seattle), flown in two planes, logged 8 hours of actual flying time, crossed an ocean, and went three hours back in time. All of that (hard work) meant nothing, we were on an island, WIDE AWAKE and ready to party.

Just off the plane--ALOHA!

 The first night we stayed at a Marriott.  Dale and Erin were worried that we would be disappointed to go from the Marriott to our resort (Don't be silly!).  They had stayed in Kauai, at the resort two years before, and felt we'd think the Marriott was "better" (Ridonculous). True, true, the Marriott was beautiful--let me show you the view from our room (rubbing it in)--

--just an incredible place, loaded with a killer circular pool with a bridge and five hot tubs, that the four of us took full advantage of (who knew swimming in a gigantic circle over and over would be so awesome?). We dined on huge plates of food and cold, colorful drinks by the light of Tiki torches and the blue/green glow of a gigantic, circular pool, and the constant song of the ocean.

The Marriott had a Grecian theme going on--elephant fountain statues, pillars, marble everything--total five stars. Trust me--I would be very happy staying there the entire time, but it was it's own little paradise--within a bigger paradise, if that makes sense.  It wasn't until we moved to the resort the following day, that we actually felt like we were in Hawaii. Once there, it felt like--we're really here now, this is what I had been imagining it would be.  Authentic.

This is not a dream...

This is only the beginning, as I have much more to say and show you, but I have children and need to get off the computer.  You understand.  Forgive me for "rubbing it in", which I totally don't mean to do, but this is all very blog-worthy in my world. This is like--Did this really happen? blog-worthy.  I need to document.  So, if you still like me and want to hear and see more.  Please come back.  I will tell you just about everything.