As I flew above the ocean blue water,my mind began to wonder. I realized how big the world was, and how small I am in this world. With my mom and best friend by my side, I knew this was going to be a great trip. I come from the big city of Houston, Texas, and for me to transition into a local paradise, would be hard to take in. I have seen Hawaii in pictures, and the animated miovie "Lilo and Stich", but it does not compare to the setting in actual life.
Since I was little, my parents planned to celebrate my "quincenera". As a Mexican, it is traditional to celebrate the maturity she is suppose to obtain. All the dancing and reminiscing, it is such a memorable night. On the other hand, I do not like to dance! I am always the girl who is forced to dance on the dance floor, I depise all the attention! Since the whole night is based on the girl, I knew I was going to feel uncomfortable, so instead I asked my parents if I can celebrate my quincenera in a different way. After a long process of thought, we decided to take a six day trip to Honolulu, Hawaii.
The citizens of Hawaii welcomed us to their homeland with alohas and leis. The lifestyle is definitely different than in Houston, Texas. People do not acknowledge each other when they pass by, but in Hawaii, everyone greets each other and assists them of any need. Everyone always had a smile on their face, I loved it! I met people from Australia to Asia, even back in Texas! They were all so relaxed and well-spirited. And so were the citizens, they would question us about our visit and recommend us to visit places. They also knew how to keep the area nice and tidy. Hawaiians really care about the looks of their environment and their vistors! It was such a great escape!
At first, I thought a six day trip was going to be good enough to explore the new surrounding, but it was not. The days came by so fast we didn't have time to visit the other islands, or book an event because everything was already scheduled. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have researched the location and book events before I landed! There is so much to experience, I wish I knew about all of the adventures before I arrived. My point of view in Hawaii was very sterotypical; I imagined a tropical beach, hula dancers, and luau (which is a traditional Hawaiian food). I also didn't imagine Hawaii to be so crowded, turns out that Waikiki is very much like a city. There were fast food restaurants, malls, and even a zoo!
The trip to Hawaii was a life changing experience. It helped me become more social and welcoming to others. Even though I did not have a tradtional Quincenera, I can definitely say I reached some part of adulthood. I got to see the world from a different perspective and it helped me realize that there is so much more out there rather than a cell phone. I learned not to take things for granted, and appreciate every little thing because they do make a big impact. Overall, it was a great escape and I will never forget the paradise in the Aloha state!
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