From 2:45 AM to Paradise: The Long Road to Waikiki

The alarm clock has never been a friend, but hearing it blare at 2:45 AM—a time only pilots and bakers should be awake—felt particularly harsh. But this wasn’t just any early start; it was the beginning of our Hawaiian adventure.

We stumbled out of bed, met our driver at 3:30 AM, and sailed through the airport for our 6:00 AM departure. Thankfully, the rush of the early morning made our arrival at the gate completely uneventful.

An Unexpected Flight Experience

The first leg to Houston was a quick, few-hour hop. But then came the big one: a grueling 9-hour flight to Honolulu. You expect a nine-hour flight to be decked out, so we were all a little surprised—and a bit cranky—to discover the plane lacked in-seat entertainment screens.

Instead, we had to connect to their Wi-Fi via an app and watch everything on our own devices. It worked, sure, but pulling out a phone or laptop for nine hours isn’t exactly the blissful, vacation flight experience we’d pictured. Still, we made it work, powered by the promise of sun and sand.

The First Glimmer of Worry

We finally touched down in Honolulu at 1:30 PM, grabbed our rental (a wonderfully big Chevy Suburban—we needed the space!), and headed straight for our house rental to check in. Tired, hungry, and a bit disoriented by the six-hour time difference, we quickly dumped our bags and headed out to explore Waikiki and find some food.

As we drove the main drag, a small voice of worry crept into my head. Waikiki felt very touristy, and parts looked a little rundown. It wasn’t the sparkling, postcard-perfect paradise everyone dreams of, and I started to fret. What if this isn’t what everyone expected? What if the trip doesn’t live up to expectations?

What truly makes me happy on any trip isn’t the destination itself, but seeing the people I’m traveling with smile and enjoy themselves. My own fun is completely tied to theirs.

The Walk That Was Worth The Wait

After dinner, with everyone else understandably collapsing into bed, Jeremy and I stayed up a little later, trying to push through the initial exhaustion and adjust to the time change. It was a good excuse for a quiet moment.

We took a late-night walk down to the main road along Waikiki beach. And there it was.

Stepping out onto the “the wall”, we were met with a stunning view of the ocean and the hotels lining the beach. The water was dark and soothing, the lights of the buildings twinkling—it was the quintessential, beautiful view you expect Hawaii to deliver.

It was the perfect moment to experience with him, a quiet, simple, beautiful slice of paradise. Little did I know, that peaceful, late-night walk down to the beach with Jeremy was only the first of many we would share.