April 18th
And so it ends. Well, almost at least. As I was patted down under the watchful eyes of my favorite security guard Rufus, he reminded me that this would be the last time I would be getting back on the ship. The last time I would have to worry about being late for on ship time, the last time I had to have my bags search, the last time I had to swipe my card into the computer system, the last time I stepped on to what has become my home for the past 100 days. And you know what? It’s kinda sad. This journey I have been so blessed to be a part of is ending. Hawaii was our last stop, and the next time I get off the MV Explorer I’ll be taking all of my belongings with me, closing the door to cabin 2034 for the final time. But it’s certainly not all sad, and ill try to save most of the melancholy reflective writing until after I finish talking about Hawaii, because nothing was really sad about Hawaii except leaving.
We actually arrived in Honolulu Hawaii on Saturday, but the cruel immigration and customs employees of the USA decided we couldn’t get off the ship, and instead had to sit in port, imprisoned with a paradise island all around us. However, we were technically back in America, and that meant one thing: that our cell phones worked again!! Literally the ship went dead as soon as we reached port since everyone was on their cell phones instead of doing the normal activities we do to keep ourselves occupied while deprived of technology. A few hours of refueling in Honolulu (the ship got fuel, and I refueled by talking to friends and family) and we were off to the Big Island. We arrived in Hilo the next morning around 8am, and after a patriotic and heartfelt production of the National Anthem over the loud speaker (I was the only one to yell “O!”) we were off the ship by around 8:30. Several things were nice (and felt really strange) about being back in America. Everyone spoke English, the US dollar was the main currency, the food and water was safe, and the traffic laws were American (duh). You might be thinking how dumb I must be to be impressed by these normal American things, but you have to remember the past 100 days have been anything but normal and/or American.
Myself and about a dozen other friends loaded into a couple taxis and left the dock for the airport to rent cars. Apparently you can rent cars in America when you are 21, but unfortunately they don’t accept expired driver’s licenses (guess I can’t drive till I get a new one). Fortunately, there were two other kids in our group who were 21 so we rented a massive Suburban (American, right?) and a smaller sedan. After piling in we headed to Wal-Mart (not my choice) to get some food items, but mainly because people wanted to go to Wal-Mart. We also stopped at a Safeway to buy some beverages for that night, and even though it was my first time (legally) buying alcohol the clerk didn’t ID me, which was really disappointing, but I guess a testament to my awesome beard and mustache. Next we were off to our beach house about 40mins south of Hilo. The house was really cool; secluded from any touristy stuff, right next to the ocean and some tide pools, and had Internet and TV (American television of course). There were 3 bedrooms, which the girls divided up between themselves, and the five guys were left to fight for couch and floor space. I ended up outside in a hammock, which definitely was the best decision. The other thing that was weird was the house had a kitchen. Literally, I think it was the first kitchen I had seen in a house since I left home in early January. It’s tough to describe, and I know it sounds weird how I think it was strange to have a kitchen, but being in that house with my friends on the beach was so different than any other experience I have had on SAS.
Later in the afternoon we drove down to Volcano National Park. It had been overcast and drizzling all day, so we weren’t able to see any super great views of the park and the coast (and unfortunately there weren’t any visible lava flows) but it was a great experience driving and hiking through the old lava fields. We also went to this huge lava tube that basically was a natural underground tunnel where lava used to flow. The first half of the tunnel was lit, but the second half (probably about a quarter mile or so) was completely pitch black. We used our ipods and phones to provide just enough light not to run into the walls, random boulders or low ceilings, but it was definitely eerie and maybe a little scary (in a really cool way) on the way down. Once we reached the end and started heading back, we got a little confident, and would turn the lights off for a few seconds and then flip them back on to see what weird positions we had got into.
After the national park, we headed back to the house, and started grilling up some burgers and dogs (again, such a different experience than what we had been used to). As I was out on the porch grilling, I noticed the moon was full and probably the brightest I have ever seen in my life. I quietly slipped out alone and walked down to the tide pools, with the spot light of the moon illuminating my steps. I climbed out on the lava rocks past the tide pools and to where the ocean waves were crashing and spent almost an hour just having a conversation with my Father. I can’t even begin to describe how bright the moon, and how divinely awesome the sounds and silence of the water was. Recognizing my friends probably thought I had drowned somewhere; I eventually went back to the house, wishing I could spend forever sitting on the rocks watching the water. The rest of the night was a lot of fun; a rotation of hanging in the hot tub, watching sportscenter, and eating cookies from the oven, but remember, I’m still earning college credit.
I slept great in my hammock, listening to the ocean and rocking myself to sleep. We woke up late and waited around for everyone to get ready (a drawback of traveling with 9 girls). We made it back to the town of Hilo around 1300, grabbed some lunch and checked out some of the local shops (another drawback of traveling with a bunch of girls). But Hilo really was a cool little beach town, and I’m glad we spent a few hours there. Eventually we made it to a beach, which had a little bit of sand and a lot of really sharp lava rocks. The rocks extended out into the water a pretty good distance, which of course gave us the opportunity to climbed out on them (barefoot of course, which really hurt). We found a little ledge to jump off of into the ocean, and once we were in the water, we decided to swim out to the furthest collection of rocks and climb up on them. The water felt great but was really shallow. We were barefoot and since the sea floor was covered in sharp rocks and possibly poison coral, we basically had to float over this shallow water while occasionally being tossed around a bit by bigger waves. We made it out to the furthest rocks, but since the lava rock was so sharp and uneven there we basically had to walk on our feet and hands to distribute weight and keep our balance. Fortunately no one suffered any cuts, just a few scratches and sore feet to remind us of our adventures. We didn’t have too much time at the beach, since we had to return the rentals and make it back on the ship for the last time.
And that was Hawaii, short on time but big on fun and good memories. We just left port for the last time, and have six days crossing the rest of the pacific until we arrive in San Diego on Sunday. A few finals, a big paper, a formal ball, lots of packing and even more goodbyes will keep me busy for the rest of the voyage. Then it will be back to the “real world” although that expression certainly means a lot more to me now then it did a few months ago. I’m neither super sad to leave or super excited to get back home, just content to go with the flow, although I will say I am already itching to plan my next adventure and think another full year of school is gonna drive me crazy until I’m free for at least a couple of years to do cool stuff around the world before med school.
Be Blessed
-Ben
And so it ends. Well, almost at least. As I was patted down under the watchful eyes of my favorite security guard Rufus, he reminded me that this would be the last time I would be getting back on the ship. The last time I would have to worry about being late for on ship time, the last time I had to have my bags search, the last time I had to swipe my card into the computer system, the last time I stepped on to what has become my home for the past 100 days. And you know what? It’s kinda sad. This journey I have been so blessed to be a part of is ending. Hawaii was our last stop, and the next time I get off the MV Explorer I’ll be taking all of my belongings with me, closing the door to cabin 2034 for the final time. But it’s certainly not all sad, and ill try to save most of the melancholy reflective writing until after I finish talking about Hawaii, because nothing was really sad about Hawaii except leaving.
We actually arrived in Honolulu Hawaii on Saturday, but the cruel immigration and customs employees of the USA decided we couldn’t get off the ship, and instead had to sit in port, imprisoned with a paradise island all around us. However, we were technically back in America, and that meant one thing: that our cell phones worked again!! Literally the ship went dead as soon as we reached port since everyone was on their cell phones instead of doing the normal activities we do to keep ourselves occupied while deprived of technology. A few hours of refueling in Honolulu (the ship got fuel, and I refueled by talking to friends and family) and we were off to the Big Island. We arrived in Hilo the next morning around 8am, and after a patriotic and heartfelt production of the National Anthem over the loud speaker (I was the only one to yell “O!”) we were off the ship by around 8:30. Several things were nice (and felt really strange) about being back in America. Everyone spoke English, the US dollar was the main currency, the food and water was safe, and the traffic laws were American (duh). You might be thinking how dumb I must be to be impressed by these normal American things, but you have to remember the past 100 days have been anything but normal and/or American.
Myself and about a dozen other friends loaded into a couple taxis and left the dock for the airport to rent cars. Apparently you can rent cars in America when you are 21, but unfortunately they don’t accept expired driver’s licenses (guess I can’t drive till I get a new one). Fortunately, there were two other kids in our group who were 21 so we rented a massive Suburban (American, right?) and a smaller sedan. After piling in we headed to Wal-Mart (not my choice) to get some food items, but mainly because people wanted to go to Wal-Mart. We also stopped at a Safeway to buy some beverages for that night, and even though it was my first time (legally) buying alcohol the clerk didn’t ID me, which was really disappointing, but I guess a testament to my awesome beard and mustache. Next we were off to our beach house about 40mins south of Hilo. The house was really cool; secluded from any touristy stuff, right next to the ocean and some tide pools, and had Internet and TV (American television of course). There were 3 bedrooms, which the girls divided up between themselves, and the five guys were left to fight for couch and floor space. I ended up outside in a hammock, which definitely was the best decision. The other thing that was weird was the house had a kitchen. Literally, I think it was the first kitchen I had seen in a house since I left home in early January. It’s tough to describe, and I know it sounds weird how I think it was strange to have a kitchen, but being in that house with my friends on the beach was so different than any other experience I have had on SAS.
Later in the afternoon we drove down to Volcano National Park. It had been overcast and drizzling all day, so we weren’t able to see any super great views of the park and the coast (and unfortunately there weren’t any visible lava flows) but it was a great experience driving and hiking through the old lava fields. We also went to this huge lava tube that basically was a natural underground tunnel where lava used to flow. The first half of the tunnel was lit, but the second half (probably about a quarter mile or so) was completely pitch black. We used our ipods and phones to provide just enough light not to run into the walls, random boulders or low ceilings, but it was definitely eerie and maybe a little scary (in a really cool way) on the way down. Once we reached the end and started heading back, we got a little confident, and would turn the lights off for a few seconds and then flip them back on to see what weird positions we had got into.
After the national park, we headed back to the house, and started grilling up some burgers and dogs (again, such a different experience than what we had been used to). As I was out on the porch grilling, I noticed the moon was full and probably the brightest I have ever seen in my life. I quietly slipped out alone and walked down to the tide pools, with the spot light of the moon illuminating my steps. I climbed out on the lava rocks past the tide pools and to where the ocean waves were crashing and spent almost an hour just having a conversation with my Father. I can’t even begin to describe how bright the moon, and how divinely awesome the sounds and silence of the water was. Recognizing my friends probably thought I had drowned somewhere; I eventually went back to the house, wishing I could spend forever sitting on the rocks watching the water. The rest of the night was a lot of fun; a rotation of hanging in the hot tub, watching sportscenter, and eating cookies from the oven, but remember, I’m still earning college credit.
I slept great in my hammock, listening to the ocean and rocking myself to sleep. We woke up late and waited around for everyone to get ready (a drawback of traveling with 9 girls). We made it back to the town of Hilo around 1300, grabbed some lunch and checked out some of the local shops (another drawback of traveling with a bunch of girls). But Hilo really was a cool little beach town, and I’m glad we spent a few hours there. Eventually we made it to a beach, which had a little bit of sand and a lot of really sharp lava rocks. The rocks extended out into the water a pretty good distance, which of course gave us the opportunity to climbed out on them (barefoot of course, which really hurt). We found a little ledge to jump off of into the ocean, and once we were in the water, we decided to swim out to the furthest collection of rocks and climb up on them. The water felt great but was really shallow. We were barefoot and since the sea floor was covered in sharp rocks and possibly poison coral, we basically had to float over this shallow water while occasionally being tossed around a bit by bigger waves. We made it out to the furthest rocks, but since the lava rock was so sharp and uneven there we basically had to walk on our feet and hands to distribute weight and keep our balance. Fortunately no one suffered any cuts, just a few scratches and sore feet to remind us of our adventures. We didn’t have too much time at the beach, since we had to return the rentals and make it back on the ship for the last time.
And that was Hawaii, short on time but big on fun and good memories. We just left port for the last time, and have six days crossing the rest of the pacific until we arrive in San Diego on Sunday. A few finals, a big paper, a formal ball, lots of packing and even more goodbyes will keep me busy for the rest of the voyage. Then it will be back to the “real world” although that expression certainly means a lot more to me now then it did a few months ago. I’m neither super sad to leave or super excited to get back home, just content to go with the flow, although I will say I am already itching to plan my next adventure and think another full year of school is gonna drive me crazy until I’m free for at least a couple of years to do cool stuff around the world before med school.
Be Blessed
-Ben
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