Hello everyone! I know that it’s been a few months since I’ve been on here. Last month has been a big change for our family and with my Mom’s passing, life hasn’t been really “normal” lately. Thanks for sticking with me all through this during my hiatus. It means the world to me.

My two best friends and I always try to go on a trip once a year. This is our way of catching up about life and as it turns out, more of a tradition for us. This year, we decided we wanted to be somewhere tropical, beach vibes. Enter the island of Hawaii. Originally, we wanted to go to Tulum (I know, I feel bad writing that but blame it on social media lol) but when Patrick and saw the plane tickets, we thought okay some other time. But we said to ourselves, it couldn’t hurt to check Hawaii and BOOM! we hit the jackpot to an awesome deal and we booked it ASAP!After a few days of planning where we wanted to go, and beaches we wanted to hit up, we were finally on our way to paradise. Now, I want you to know that this is not a guide but simply to give you some inspiration on what we did, what we ate, and where we took pics, and what I wore. Cause let’s be real–if there are no pictures, did it really happen?

Day 1: Landed in Honolulu went straight to Waikiki to pick up Maynard and hang out for a bit–Also we were super hungry and wanted some good food.

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Day 2: Exploration Time–Woke up early to see the sunrise at our hotel. The Mariott’s Ko Olina Beach Club was a dream! You can do so much in this place. I loved taking classes in the morning. I did Hula fitness with Patrick. After our early morning, we went to Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens. Totally fell involve with this place! It was so peaceful, loved the view and Jurassic Park was filmed here.

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As if going to a huge botanical haven wasn’t enough of an activity, we wanted to go to the beach. Our favorite–Lanikai Beach. Another paradise! We also went back here on our last night! The water was so warm and so pleasant.

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Day 3: The North Shore: This part of the island is different from the rest. It’s more like a village. So many cute shops and there are just so much to see. We started the day with some food. Giovanni’s shrimp truck is a must! The wait in line for almost an hour is worth it and it’s not all that bad because we had the most refreshing drink at Mack’s —I want more of that Mojito refresher! The Sunrise Shack was also a popular place in the North Shore for their coffees, smoothies, and bowls. We ended the night watching the sunset at Turtle Beach. This was a true healing time for me. I walked by myself, watched the sunset, and thought of my mother. It was calm, beautiful, and it made me happy.

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Day 4: Our last night– Since we wanted to go back to Waikiki and explore and know a little bit more about the city. We also went back to our favorite beach to spend our last night relaxing and watching the sunset at Lanikai Beach. First stop, Olive and Oliver at the Surf Jack Hotel. Very much a Portland vibe inside this one so we felt right at home. I feel like at this point, we just wanted to eat–A Lot! We went and visited one of the oldest hotel in Waikiki, The Royal Hawaiian. So chic with it’s pink walls, this is one of the place that pictures are a must. There’s so many pockets of opportunity where you can get a good one. Another place that was sooooo delicious was Banan. I mean, the presentation itself was already appetizing and the Acai bowl was delicious!

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This trip was one for the books. I had so much fun with my besties and most of all, I needed this trip. I had a lot going on and with all that, I wanted to take time and really honor my mother one on one. I’m excited to also go back home in the Philippines and lay her on her final resting place. I hope you enjoyed my little travel diary. Comment down below of any places that you loved and a must have in Hawaii. Definitely will be back!

Until the next one,

MARCH