Hawaii and Home

We finally made it the USA! We had our longest stretch yet on the ship –10 days—and it really went by much faster than I thought it would. First, because I was anxiously anticipating the arrival of my dad and brother Jon in Honolulu, and second because I had 3 papers, 2 presentations, 1 project, and various other assignments to complete. Everything seemed to pile up towards the end, but that’s just how it goes sometimes, especially when you’ve only had 6 days of class in the last 5 weeks. I managed to get everything done and still have 2 days to relax and hang out before Hawaii.

The morning we arrived I could hardly wait for them to announce the ship was clear so I could run off and meet my dad. He had gotten there a few days before; I was so excited to see him and just thrilled that he was there waiting for me.. We headed to Waikiki beach just a few minutes from the port, and sat by the beach and talked for a few hours. After, we headed up to the North Shore and jumped off some big rocks in Waiamea Bay, a beautiful beach where they hold the Pipeline surf competition every year. We also saw some huge sea turtles swimming around the rocks. We stopped at another beach on our way back down south and my dad and a friend that was with us did a little bit of surfing. The conditions weren’t great, so I was content to nap on the beach (unusual for me, but that just shows how exhausted I was at this point). It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Hawaii and the beautiful ocean water, white sand, blue sky and sunshine. We snorkeled, watched the sunset, and headed back down to Honolulu and picked up Jon at the airport! So glad to be with my dad and brother! After picking up some of my girlfriends, we went to a nearby Hibachi Japanese restaurant. My chicken teriyaki was delicious! That whole day it felt very different and weird to be back in America, driving in a rental car with my dad, and knowing that I could speak to anyone in English! I was a foreigner in my own country and realized that once I got back, it would be an adjustment.
The next morning, Dad, Jon and I surfed at Waikiki Beach. And by surfed I mean paddled around, tried to avoid the rocks, attempted to catch a wave or two, got a tan and a great workout, and watched Jon and Dad catch waves. My dad did great and Jon caught some waves and then crashed into coral and is still healing from that. Good times! We then went and climbed Diamond Head, a volcano that my dad had climbed the last time he was there when he was in high school. The boys ran the whole way up; I ran most of the way. The view of the ocean and the city of Honolulu from the top was beautiful! After our descent (much easier to running down), water and fresh pineapple, we headed back to the ship so I could give them a tour. They got to eat a ship meal (what a treat), see my cabin, and meet some of my friends. That night we sailed to the big island and they stayed in Honolulu. Jon flew back to LA the following night, and Dad stayed for a few more days. What a life!

Our time in Hilo, on the big island was pretty relaxed. The first day we went to Richardson’s beach, only a few miles from the port. With black sand and a rocky shoreline, it was different than any other beach I’ve been to, and there were sea turtles! We got some lunch down the street at Verna’s, then went back to the beach. The nice thing was that there were big white vans that shuttled us from place to place for $2 a person. That night, a few of us went to a volcano area and got to stand on the hot volcanic rock and see the orange lava flowing underneath. Pretty cool. The next morning I went on an awesome run with my friend Brittney which ended at Ken’s pancake house with a delicious breakfast of whole wheat banana pancakes, orange juice and scrambled eggs. We also went to Walmart to get duffel bags (yes, I left with more stuff than I came with), and boy, was it weird being in Walmart. Can’t say that I’ve missed that! Back on the beach by 12, we soaked up the sun and savored our last few hours in our final port. The mood was pretty somber once back on the ship that evening as everyone knew we were heading back to the mainland. The fact that we had exams over the next few days didn’t really help. So off we went…San Diego here we come!

The first 4 days were full of studying and exams, which ended up going very well, and the last two were full of packing (came with two huge duffels, left with 4), enjoying friends, the ambassador’s ball, convocation, map signings, and not a lot of sleep. It was truly bittersweet and the fact that this incredible voyage was basically over didn’t really hit until the second to last night. The tears came the night before, along with an hour of sleep before the 6am sunrise as we neared San Diego Harbor. It was a beautiful, clear, blue-sky morning as we pulled in (typical San Diego) and everyone crowded on the back of the ship as we docked to wave to the parents and families at the port. I called my mom and she was there with Jon and my friend Jessica from school to see us pull in. Then came waiting for clearance during which time we took pictures, finished last minute packing, and said goodbyes, more like, “see you laters.” Around 11, they finally announced that disembarkation could begin and since my sea had won the sea Olympics, that meant first off the ship! There I was, swiping my ship ID at the top of the gangway for the last time before handing it in. I paused before beginning my final descent off the ship and let the tears stream down my cheeks. Sounds depressing I know. I made it to the bottom, hugged our Academic Dean David and Dean Sue and found my bags in the baggage tent. My mom was there to meet me in the pick up area and the tears continued. What a journey it was; I was finally back on American soil. I waved to those still on the ship as Mom, Jon, and headed out to enjoy San Diego for the next two days! We arrived home in Nashville on December 15, 2010 and I hugged Joelle and Troy, my dogs, and slept in my amazing bed. It was wonderful; however, I felt like a foreigner in my own country. It felt strange to be home and I knew that feeling would continue. After a week in Pennsylvania for Christmas, and a roadtrip across the country with Jon, I am starting to ease back into normal life. I love being back in San Diego.

I couldn’t be more thankful for this incredible opportunity that changed me. I experienced joy and heartache. I laughed and I cried. I learned to trust humanity. I saw extreme poverty and extreme luxury. I made lifelong friends. I acquired a global perspective. I appreciated clean water. I bungee jumped. I slept on the Great Wall of China. I danced with orphans. I slept under the stars in the middle of the Sahara. I rode an elephant and a camel. I went shark diving. I stood in front of the Taj Mahal. I was in constant awe of God’s perfect creation. I circumnavigated the globe on the MV Explorer. I had the best time of my life.
The voyage is over, but the journey has just begun. Thank you to all who have lived vicariously though me. Thank you Semester at Sea. Thank you Mom and Dad. And thank you God, the One who created it all.

Please stay in touch. I hope to continue to update my blog (heatherhipp.blogspot.com) with my future adventures, although it will be hard to beat this! For pictures go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061267&id=1512240018&l=7ba7947636
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjZhadx-TS0 for a slideshow/video that I put together.

Love,
Heather