Hawaii 🌺 - Oahu

Close your eyes and softly say 'Hawaii'... I'm sure you're picturing dreamy beaches, hula dancing women in coconut bikinis and grass skirts, colorful flowers, and of course, attractive and fit surfers! Yes, the Pacific islands are a dream come true, which is why I really wanted to go there!

Here is an overview of the fantastic islands. Oahu is the third from the left and the most well-known and developed.

Now, I will share my experiences on Oahu.

Overall, I spent about 5 weeks on the island. However, because I knew in advance that Hawaii would be expensive, I definitely had to find work.

Au Pair

I found a family through a website called 'Workaway' who needed help at home for a certain period of time. I was really lucky to live with the Nonnenmans (Lindsay & Kieth), as the work was really manageable and they were incredibly generous.

My tasks included walking and feeding their dog, Loki, in the morning and evening. In addition, I also did daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, or taking care of the baby, Asher. I was supposed to work 4-5 hours a day, but most tasks only took 2-3 hours. That meant lots of free time! How wonderful!!

I received accommodation and food in exchange for this work. But it was truly amazing! I had a room with a TV, king-size bed, my own bathroom, and a small space for my clothes. I could help myself to whatever food I wanted, and since I often did the grocery shopping, I could even take whatever I wanted. I was allowed to use Lindsay's old laptop the whole time and even her car, since she was mostly home! I couldn't believe my luck and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just having a room all to myself was luxurious!

Mein tägliches Frühstück. Ich hatte wirklich eine Riesen Auswahl an gutem Essen!

Ich, endlich wieder ein bisschen zivilisiert nach der wilden Zeit in Asien :D

The Nightmare in Paradise

However, everything didn't always go so smoothly - that would have been too good to be true. The first two weeks were a torture.

On the day of my arrival, I learned in the evening that there had been a bomb threat in Hawaii that morning. All residents received a warning on their phones that the island was under attack. People were terrified until the confirmation came that it was just a false alarm. The whole island was in chaos. Well, if that doesn't bode well...

At first, I had a terrible jet lag. The flight left Bali at 2 p.m. on January 13th and after two layovers in Kuala Lumpur and Japan, I arrived in Honolulu at noon on January 13th. In between, there were over 20 hours of flights and my entire rhythm was thrown off balance. Then, after 2 days, I got terrible stomach problems. Apparently, I had picked up some bacteria in Asia... a classic. So, I had to go alone, super sick, to the doctor (in an automatic car, which I had never driven before, in a foreign country), and then pick up the medication. The $200 doctor bill was a shock compared to the $13 for the eye doctor in Indonesia. And then, it got even worse when Lindsay almost kicked me out. The problem was that I wore shorts in the kitchen and apparently she almost saw my butt. In my opinion, it was nonsense because I was even wearing a dress over them... anyway, she wrote me an email (!!! She couldn't even discuss it in person) saying that I had 4 days to find a new place to stay... that was definitely one of the worst days of my entire trip. Just when I was finally looking forward to some peace and quiet after 3 months in Asia, this happened! It shocked me how much love I had experienced in Asia, and then I was just kicked out in Hawaii. I was really devastated...

However, the next morning, Lindsay apologized and said that her hormones were still crazy after giving birth to her son. Although I felt a bit uncomfortable afterwards (e.g. when I received a long text message from her), but since I knew how lucky I was to be with them, I stayed. The relationship improved in the following weeks and I was able to enjoy a few nice days!

Experiences and Discoveries

Since I had weekends off and access to a car, I went on many trips. Of course, not alone! I met Felix at the airport in Kuala Lumpur. He is 21 years old and a computer science student in Bayreuth. He had done a semester abroad in Korea and then traveled afterwards. We got along really well right away because he has a cool, funny, and laid-back way about him, and it was just crazy that we both wanted to spend 1-2 months in Hawaii.

Felix and I (this picture was taken a bit later)

We went on some cool trips together!

I also spent a lot of time with Sean, who comes from Montana and is currently stationed in Oahu with the Marines.

Sean and I at the beach

And occasionally, I also did things with Lindsay and Kieth!

To give you a better idea, I won't just monotonously tell you what I did by date, but rather by direction. Why? Because the island is really small, which I never expected! Therefore, we could always choose a new destination and spend some time there.

South

I'll start with the south, where Ewa Beach is located. This is the area where I lived with my host family and where I spent most of my time. The house and neighborhood were beautiful, just like in the movies: all the houses looked the same, the front yards were perfectly maintained, and the large pick-up trucks were parked in the garages. Even the newspaper was thrown like in the movies. I was really excited when I went on my first walks with the dog. Near the house, there was a small lake/lagoon that residents, including me, were allowed to use. They had loungers, paddleboards, and kayaks available for me. It was nice to spend my afternoons there, and on Sundays, we even went there for yoga on surfboards.

The view from my balcony made the feeling nearly perfect.

The houses, all looking the same.

Look at all the beautiful things children can create.. :)

A pick-up truck that is probably twice as tall as I am.

The stand-up paddleboards ready for us to do yoga on.

And Lindsay and I ready for yoga!

Honolulu, the famous Waikiki Beach, is also located in the south. I went there twice to see it. Although it was really beautiful, it was just too touristy for me personally. There are definitely more beautiful places in the world! But still, you have to see it!!

I also visited the popular hiking trail called 'Diamond Head' with my family. I really liked it because at the end, there was a great view of the city.

Direct view of Honolulu! What a fantastic view!

But I'm still not sure if these high-rise buildings fit the island, but oh well..

Lindsay, Asher, and I!

Then we had coffee and an açaí bowl! Delicious fruit with a kind of ice cream made from the açaí fruit, which is a superfood and is supposed to be very healthy!

Still on the same day.

This picture captures the moment I enjoyed the peace and the sound of the water all by myself. Also, I wrote postcards to my loved ones.. perfect!

East Coast

I spent a lot of time on the east coast, and for me personally, it's the most beautiful place on the island! In the east, there are the mountains that catch the rain. That's why it's so green there and causes the south and west to be mostly dry. Sean showed me his base there. It was the first time for me to see something like that, and it amazed me that it was practically an entire village of military members. Sean said that it wasn't particularly nice for him personally because he feels like just a number in the system, he's not free, and is constantly being watched. He can't really look how he wants, as they require short hair, tattoos cannot be visible, and he can't even keep a beard, he has to shave it.

I visited him at the base once. The whole area impressed me a lot. When I entered, I had to show my ID, and once again, everyone was amazed when they saw where I came from. Strangely, I always get positive responses when I tell people where I'm from. Strange for me because what can I do to deserve the special treatment just for coming from Germany?!

Your typical snapshots from the car!

The runway from a different perspective :)

Seeing how close quarters Sean lived in with his roommate really put me off. It didn't look comfortable to me, but it was enough.

On the other hand, my host father is super excited and loves it. He has been obligated for 13 years, is in the diving unit, and sees it as an opportunity to shape his life. Not to mention the money he makes with it. Help! Here are $3000 for accommodation costs, there are $3000 for salary, $500 for meals, $250 for being a diver, and here and there a little extra... it adds up. But is it worth it to be relocated every 4 years and have to start over every 4 years?

Well, to each his own :)

What did I like the most?

That's an easy question because there is one thing that I enjoyed to the fullest and because of which I fell in love with Hawaii! The car rides!! Because they were always like in the movies.

Windows down, music turned up, sunglasses on, maybe a coffee, and then driving along the highway at 60 miles per hour in the bright sunshine!

A dream!

When I look at this picture, I want to go back immediately!!

This picture doesn't do it justice either..

A big cup of coffee is a must... because:

:D

Overall

All in all, it was a time with many ups and downs. I had too many expectations at first, which was my big mistake. But once I understood that I needed to erase those expectations from my mind and instead enjoy and let everything impact me neutrally, I truly enjoyed my time and fell in love with Hawaii piece by piece. I was incredibly sad when I had to leave the island. Even though the next adventure was waiting for me. I could have stayed there for a long time, everything was just so perfect. But well... life goes on, and so does my big adventure!

I still think I'm dreaming and I'm in my rosyworld. How good it feels. How happy I am.

Please never wake me up from this dream 🙏🏻🌺

🌈🌈🌈