Hawaii 2016 - Candice's Reflections

researching our vacation destination with Totoro.

Last year when Arden was a newborn, my family and I had discussed a few different options for a family reunion. My brother Gabriel isn't able to travel too far (he gets very sick on airplanes), so hosting them in Melbourne wasn't an option. A visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan would have been wonderful, but four flights with an infant sounded like a huge hassle for a relatively short trip.

Ultimately we decided to meet "halfway" for a relaxing destination reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii. It would be an equally significant journey for everyone, but worth it for the beautiful scenery and warm weather (especially for us, as July is the middle of winter in Melbourne).

In a nutshell, Arden traveled well - babies are relatively easy fliers, especially compared to toddlers and antsy children. But from the moment we landed in Honolulu, she totally fell apart. The combination of international travel, brand new experiences (her first taxi ride was more traumatic than her infant immunisations...) and the sudden season reversal took its toll on her. For the entire U.S. trip she was very anxious and not her usual cheerful and happy self, immediately reverting back to her terrible 5-month old sleeping habits. But carrying Arden for all her naps was actually more convenient for our travel situation, so it all worked out just fine!

We rented a two-bedroom condo with a gorgeous view from every angle. Being on the 30th floor meant spectacular views, especially of Diamond Head... but it also meant a not-so-spectacular experience when the hotel fire alarm went off one night and we all had to evacuate down - and back up - 30 flights of stairs!

Ben and I enjoying some downtime on the balcony

My parents were more than willing to take care of Arden as much as they could - especially my mom, who always wanted to hold and play with her. Ben and I took advantage of the free babysitting by going on some beautiful hikes during the day, including Koko Head Crater and of course, Diamond Head. (for more details and photos, see Ben's blog entry!)

at the top of Koko Head Crater, with Honolulu at my feet.

Vacations with my family are usually packed full of activities (my mother is kind of a super-planner), but we really held back on this trip since we didn't know how Arden would travel. But for a trip with no agenda, we sure did a lot of fun things! Some major highlights included a Luau for Ben's 32nd birthday and brunch at the Disney Aulani resort with some familiar characters.

Ben's birthday luau

meeting Minnie Mouse at Aulani Disney resort!

It was so wonderful to finally introduce Arden to Gabe, her namesake (her middle name Brie comes from the name Gabriel). He is so thrilled to be an uncle, and throughout the trip he fondly patted her head and chatted excitedly to her. In return, she conveniently rested her foot on him whenever he was nearby. 

Gabe is the best uncle!

Gabe and Arden all dressed up for the 4th of July

Arden wasn't too fond of being held by my dad, but she loved smiling at him around the condo. It was very sweet, and I've never seen her smile so much! And even though it's been a while since my mom's first time meeting Arden, she took almost every nap snuggled on my mom's shoulder.

Our family vacation in Hawaii was a wonderful experience, and I'm grateful that we got to make some awesome memories. Despite Arden's difficulty adjusting to the new environment and people, it was worth it to see her happily interacting with her uncle, being held by her grandparents, and wearing all the cute Hawaiian outfits my mom bought her.

The end of the trip was pretty bittersweet. While I was emotional and sad to part ways with my family, on the other hand I was excited to see Ben's family in Seattle, looking forward to the second half of our trip.

I guess it's one of the aspects of having a family scattered around the globe. As my mother often says of her own experience with international family, "you're always saying goodbye to someone".

But on the other hand, we're always saying hello to someone, too. And that's not a bad thing at all.

CK

Hawaii - July 2016 from Candice Kortlever on Vimeo.