Manifesting Hawaii

I want lots of things and my wall is a snapshot of my perfect life:  Paris, Dancing, Writer,Yoga, Acting/Comedy, Successful Business Owner, Poker Player, etc. One of these posters is 'Travel' and one of the places written on this poster is Hawaii.  This wall is no holds barred, man!  By society's standards, it's crazy to dream one of these things let alone all of them.  But I don't edit myself, what sounds awesome goes on the wall!

I had created 'vision boards' in the past but these collages always went from being big dreams to wish lists.  I would look at them sadly & think, "Gosh, that would be nice--someday,"  but I never really believed 'someday' would come because how on earth does 'someday' happen?  I couldn't wrap my brain around it and when I tried to make plans I'd always come up short-- not enough money, don't know the right people, etc.

This time, however-- maybe out of desperation, hitting rock bottom, awareness from the break-up? I don't know-- I just straight out believed.  There's no timeline to this wall, no pressure... Just the acknowledgement that I want these things in my life.  Not only do I believe they'll come to fruition but  I believe they are already true.  Every morning I wake up & think, "Well universe... It'll be real interesting to see how you make this happen but I know it does!  It's on my wall!  EVERYTHING RADICALLY CHANGES TODAY!"  It seems sooo silly, so simple.  And yet... like magic-- like magic!!!-- In the strangest way that makes ZERO sense... I was offered an all expense paid trip to Hawaii. 

How does that happen!?

My ex's mom-- my ex's mom!!!?-- had bought this trip ages ago as a honeymoon for her & her fiancee.  He tragically passed away a year ago and because she had no one to go with, offered the trip to me.  (Yes, comedians... "I went to Hawaii with my ex's mom on her dead fiance's honeymoon.")

When I got the e-mail I nearly crapped my pants.  I was VERY aware Hawaii was on my wall and VERY aware I had no way financially of making that happen on my own.  VERY aware that all expense paid trips happen to other people not me and yet here I was having it handed to me on a silver freaking platter!!!  (Which reminds me of Pretty Woman:  "You're like Cinder-f*ckin'-rella!)

For the record, I have NEVER been that girl. I've been the girl who looks at other girls wrongly with judgment & thinks, "Wow, must be nice for them-- trust fund baby."  But this time it was me.  I was going to Hawaii & I was NOT a trust fund baby.  WHO THE F BOMB GETS FREE TRIPS TO HAWAII THAT AREN'T TRUST FUND BABIES!!!????  ARE YOU LISTENING!!??  I DO NOT GET FREE TRIPS TO HAWAII!!!  ....OH YES I DO.  :)  :)  :)

Needless to say, learning to believe in possibility has changed everything for me over the past few years and this trip to Hawaii makes that belief even more 'ridiculous.'  I was the girl that believed anything was possible but now I'm the girl that also believes I can have everything!?  Who knows what I'll believe next year!  My wall is magic!!! 

ANYWAY!!!!  All that to say... HAWAII!!!  DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT!!!???  I WANT TO SHOW YOU HAWAII!!!  :)  :)  :)

This is Joan, my angel...

Regardless of the outrageous circumstances, I couldn't be more thankful to Joan for this absolute gift.  All she had initially asked is that I bring spending money.  That seemed easy enough at the time working a million hours a week at the pub.  Cut to the past two months where I've been jobless and completely broke.  She paid for everything, everything, everything.  I did my best not to feel like a ginormous butthead.

And just when I thought, "Stop beating yourself up.  This is a gift.  Enjoy it!!!"  I would start hacking so hard I was afraid I was going to lose an eyeball.  Because, oh yeah... I forgot to mention I WAS SICK.  I brought a sore throat & chest cold with me to Hawaii.  And to make matters worse, I did end up getting Joan sick by week's end.  :(

There are so many pictures this will probably take 4 or 5 posts!  We went to Oahu for four nights and then Maui for three.  Dreamy!!!  Don't worry, this blog is just precursor for YOU to go on your OWN trip.  :)

We stayed at the Aston Hotel on Waikiki Beach.  Big Toe was psyched!  He said he could get used to this.

This was the view from our room.  THIS WAS THE VIEW FROM OUR ROOM!!!!

 This was the pool from our view off the balcony.

Waikiki TOTALLY reminds me of Santa Monica except it's cleeeeean.  While it is SUPER touristy, the skies are blue, the breeze is constant and I didn't see one syringe!

This is exactly how I imagined California to be but its not.  HA!  Whoops!  ;)

Every morning in Oahu there was a complimentary breakfast poolside and a hula dancer would entertain us.  This is Miss Hawaii 2011 actually.  And a ginormous bird that apparently ate a tennis ball.



This was another hula dancer.  Oh my God, I looooved her red dress.  She was beautiful and mesmerizing.  As I wrote on Twitter, 'Hula dancers are the veelas of the muggle world!"

In Hawaii there are no seagulls only pigeons!  And they are not afraid of people, let me tell you.  This one swooped down and snatched a muffin out of some dude's hand.  DEVILS!  ;)

At breakfast they had this amazing toasted coconut coffee.  Yes, they have coconut coffee in the states but this had flecks of coconut hair in it.  See the floaties!?  You can't really tell in the picture but there was real, live coconut people-- It's not just old coffee flecks!  :)



One morning we got a free breakfast for listening to somebody's shpeal about what you can do on the island.  It might as well have been a McDonald's breakfast with the following exceptions:  1)  It was free,   2)  THERE WAS HAWAIIAN FLOWER ON MY PLATE!!!!  :)  :)  :)  (I'm easy to please) and   3) HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLE IS THE FRESHEST, JUICIEST, MOST FLAVORFUL PINEAPPLE OF ALL TIME!!!  :)  :)  :)



Then I had to leave the shpeal because this is what happened-- Cough, hack, wheeze, cough, cough... hold breath... wheeze, cough, bruise ribs, eye watering, prayers to God, cough, hack, cough, cough... Go to bathroom again for water. YAY!!!  In between bathroom trips, I took this picture.  I did try to find my joy where possible! 

At the breakfast, they also gave us flowers for our hair!  If you're single they go on the right side behind your ear.  If you're taken, on the left side.  They put mine in back because with all of the coughing, they thought I was allergic to the flowers-- HA!!  But seriously, nothing feels more beautiful than flowers in your hair!!!  Am I right, guys!?  ;)

Okay, I lied.  Nothing feels more beautiful than flowers in your hair and my SEXYTIME JAMMIES!!!!

Okay, even better... Flowers in your hair, sexytime jammies... AND THIS VIEW!!!???  *sigh*  This was my favorite moment on Oahu.  I had an hour of alone time and I just sat on the terrace & snot-drooled all over myself.  It was hideous... yet peaceful.  :)



At the shpeal there was a Maui Divers Jewelery Tour.  They picked us up, we toured their jewelry store & then they dropped us off at a souvenir shop called Hilo Hatties.  On the tour, we passed some pretty interesting places... Dog the Bounty Hunter, anyone?

This was an old palace back in the day.  And if I heard correctly, I believe this is where the 'police offices' are in the new Hawaii Five-O?  Is that right?  I was lucky to remember what bus I was on, folks.  Miss Karen, this trivia is for you!!!

And then this is where the old 'police offices' supposedly were on the original Hawaii Five-O.  In the older palace across the street. 

Joan & I had lunch at our hotel one day at The Tiki Grill.  I had pulled pork quesadillas.  It was DELICIOUS.  Pulled pork anything in Hawaii is to die for.  They know how to cook their pigs, let me tell you.  Tender, juicy, flavorful...

 Joan got some sizzling hot & spicy fajita thing.  That was ridiculously delicious, too!!! 



And we'll stop there for tonight, little lambs.  Don't worry, the story continues tomorrow as does our adventure! Tomorrow Joan & MandiCrocker will travel to Pearl Harbor & go to a luau!!!  But for tonight... sweet, sweet dreams... I can almost hear the ocean... xoxox....

And hey!  What do we think about this new layout!?  Do we like it?  :)

Juicy Pineapple & NyQuil,

MandiC.