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into the china cabinet

Well, to make up for my previously low key blog, I have managed to find some time to do a little adventuring for this episode of life in Hawaii.I was given the opportunity to explore the Hilo botanical gardens, and they were gorgeous. The pictures speak for themselves.Not only do they fill the acres of the gardens with loads of beautifully colored flowers and plants, you can also find a massive waterfall and oceanfront views while exploring the property. I am definitely glad I got to see what nature had to offer in Hilo.That Saturday, I got the majority of the day off! Theo and I headed to Diamond Head crater and took the hike to the top overlooking Waikiki on Oahu. As you can see, it was very windy, but the views were great!My dream is to someday live in the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. However, if that does not work out, I think I could settle for this light house we spotted on the way down from our hike. I feel like a light house would be a great place for entertaining. Whenever people ask where the party is going to be, I can just tell them to "Follow the light!"
Right as we reached the bottom and were headed for the bus stop, my phone rang. It was Erin calling to check in and share the news that SHE IS ENGAGED! I am so excited for both Erin and Corbin and am looking forward to all of the happiness they will share! Yay and congratulations you two!Later that week, Sam, Josh, and I decided to try out real Hawaiian shaved ice. Although I am pretty partial to Tropical Sno in Pittsburg, this was good too. I must say Tropical Sno still ranks at the top of my list and is too close to my heart to be replaced. This place, however, is home to massive servings. The ones we got were the smallest size they have!
The next night was another one of those epic nights on the town. What started as an innocent little night out with friends, ended with chicken fights in the street, toilet papering the rooms of friends, and a slumber party that included no slumber but a lot of party. It was such a fun night, and one that won't be forgotten anytime soon. The next night, I pulled another all-nighter of movie watching and fun with friends, and swore that would be my last for a while. A girl has got to sleep right?!?Wrong. Two days later, I was up again, headed to Haleakala crater for another sunrise with the guys. We wanted to experiment with some fun night shots, but the wind was so intense, the tripod could not stand up and our freezing fingers could not stay out in the cold for long.This being my fourth time to see the sunrise, I abandoned the straight horizon and did some experimenting with angles as the sun rose.
On Wednesday, the waters were too rough for us to port, and we were forced to spend the day at sea. Unfortunately that meant the rafting trip I had planned was canceled, but Theo made up for it by letting me chill in his room watching movies and having a big breakfast in bed that consisted of omelets, bagels, and fresh fruit! He is such a good pal, and always knows just how to take care of me!Saturday night I was not going to get a dinner break until 9:00pm. After discussing how hungry we would be, Josh and I decided to try out the Japanese steakhouse on board. When we got there, we discovered that our entire table was a group of our friends and were excited to be spending the evening with them. Even better, the executive chef on board decided to be our teppanyaki chef! Chef Casey was the original teppanyaki chef on the ship's maiden voyage from Europe, and has since moved up to the executive chef on board. He has not worked the teppanyaki table in years, but decided to show off his skills and give us a special treat! All of the other chefs were peering through the window as he cooked our food and cheering as he did sweet tricks! Afterward, we headed up to Pink's Champagne bar to see Dave play the piano. He let Julia and Dewitt come up and sing while he played, and Emily danced around the piano. It was such a perfect way to end the night!
Right now I am sitting in the laundromat and blogging. I have been too busy staying up at night and sleeping during the day to get any laundry done, and it is much faster to do it all at once here! Of course, if the biggest consequence of my adventuring is that the laundry doesn't get done, so be it!

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