P.S. MY NAME IS MADELINE: dreaming of paradise

I left you all in the middle of my Hawaii trip, didn't I?

Now you're swimming in the ocean, stuck there, treading water. You're probably tired, right? I hope you are wearing your floatation device. But even those don't keep your fingers from being pruny.

Pruny fingers are the weirdest thing.

Here's a photo overload so you can end the trip and get out of the ocean... if you haven't already.

Yes, this is the beach you see when you google pictures of Hawaii. And yes, it is even better in person. And yes, I got sunburned.

I just really liked this moment, because Stuart and Ian were digging a giant hole while some small children watched them. It just seemed backwards.

we're happy.

That night we walked to this place and watched the sunset. It was right next to a Nude friendly beach that was having a drum circle. So things got a little shady. But hey, it was spring break.

On this day, we went on a boat ride to Molokini crater and Turtle town to snorkel.

It was a really fun thing, but I didn't get a whole lot of pictures because I didn't have an underwater camera.

Which was probably an okay thing, because snorkeling and i didn't get along very well, and I really didn't have the presence of mind to be taking pictures.

a.k.a. I had a full blown panic attack.

But don't worry, I got it under control, dove back in, and had a blast swimming with turtles.

One morning we decided to drive to a special place that was rumored to have the most delicious pancakes in the world. THE WORLD.

It really did not disappoint. Hello white chocolate macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup. please let me eat you.

I also enjoyed the best ever shaved ice. the ice was so smooth it was like ice cream. and the flavors were almost too much for me. but, i survived. and had another one a couple days later.

On this day we did the famous Road to Hana. It was just as great as advertised. I sat at the top of this waterfall and just enjoyed life.

I thought I was the type of person who would swim in a waterfall like this one. But I guess after an anxiety attack in the ocean, I decided I would just observe. So I was a little boring, and would totally go back and do this again swimming and all. Only regret.

I don't regret not swimming in this one as much. I mean, this is a hard core waterfall. And I didn't have a floaty.

We found a beach with black sand. And I possibly got a bottle and filled it. And then I may have found out that if you take black sand from the island you will be cursed. So... sorry Hawaiian gods.

Oh, you know, just happy to be here.

Yeah, there was that time we got locked out of the van. But we found a wonderful Hawaiian woman who took one look at the van, said she could break in, zoomed off in a golf cart, and came back with a crow bar. We are forever in your debt, Loni.