I am really excited, but I’m not for Hawaii. It is going to be weird not having to communicate in hand signals and not have to mentally try to figure out exchange rates. Hawaii has its own unique culture that is very different than the mainland US. I haven’t fully comprehended that I am going to be in the US tomorrow. I will have my cell phone back. I can drink the water and have a salad without worrying about some weird parasite or getting sick. I don’t have to have the additional 2 inches on my waist that my lovely passport pouch/money belt adds when I wear it. I don’t have to worry about offending someone because of the way I dress. I will actually have to start carrying my driver’s license around again. I will get IDed when I buy an alcoholic beverage. The whole thing is just going to be weird.

The unique thing is that even though the majority of us are US citizens, the MV EXPLORER is not registered in the US, we are not officially going through customs and we are simply guests of the US. Even people who live in Hawaii can’t even take their bags off so they don’t have to fly with everything back to Hawaii. We have to go through security that is equal if not more tight than airport security. We can’t bring water or food off the ship. They basically told us that if we try to sneak anything on or off the ship we will go to jail. WELCOME HOME! Geez.

So plans in Hawaii include Pearl Harbor and the beach. I might throw in a Volcano or two, but that is all up in the air. We basically only have a day and a half and I really just want to relax and spend time with people. After this voyage, I probably won’t be able to see all these people for a while so I want to spend time with them. Mackenzie is going skydiving tomorrow. Kelsey and I are going to Pearl Harbor with her parents and then I am meeting Katie, Drew, and Paulo in Waikiki. Then in Hilo, I am doing a 5K for the $100 Solution. 300 people on the ship are participating, which is over half. That is awesome! So Hawaii here we come.