I was laying down on the sand and I closed my eyes… I took a deep breath in and knew this was exactly what I needed.  I had no worries. Julianna was playing at a distance and laughing with Carl.  I touched my stomach and rubbed my 6-month belly.  I couldn’t be happier.

Our trip to Oahu was perfect.

You know how most people come back from vacation and say they need a vacation from their vacation?  That wasn’t the case for me.  I came back from this trip ready and relaxed. For this trip, I didn’t want to be extremely busy.  Usually, Carl comes up with a detailed itinerary where every hour of the day is filled with activities.  I told him I didn’t want to that this time.  The less we had to do, the better.  That is exactly what we did.  We didn’t do much and I was perfectly content with that. This was my second time in Hawai’i – we went to Maui about 3 years ago and also took Julianna with us.  We did a lot more on that trip, but Hawai’i will forever have a special place in my heart.

A lot of people ask me how it is possible to fly with a toddler since it can be intimidating, and we’ve absolutely had our fair share of troubles in previous flights. Although it can be intimidating it doesn’t need to be if you are well prepared.  We usually fly at night so that Julianna will sleep most of the time.  She did sleep some of the time, but not all.  When she was awake, she was perfectly happy watching movies on the flight (specifically Bumblebee!).  I also like to take activity kits to keep her busy, such as crayons, small toys, or even candy!  My husband and I are trying to come up with the bravery and do 5-hour+ flight with Julianna soon.

I have put our itinerary below!  As you can see, we only spent one day in Honolulu.  If you are looking for the traditional tropical vibe that Hawai’i is known for, I don’t recommend Honolulu.  Honolulu is very much an urban environment, with buildings after buildings as your focal view.  The beaches are beautiful and Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world, but you don’t get the Hawai’i vibe at all!  Once we went to the North Shore, where we started the majority of the time, I had more of the relaxation and vacation vibe that you desperately want when you’re on vacation.

I can’t wait to come back to Hawai’i!

Hello! I am Janet. I love connecting with people through all things creative. I hope to hear from you. xo