Aloha State of Mind

Megan and her brother Justin (age 12) enjoy the views of Oahu

My favorite vacation was made up of two family gatherings on Oahu and the Big Island last July. I traveled with my grandparents and some of my relatives from California, but the best part was being able to play with my cousins who live in Hawaii and who I hardly ever get to see.

On Oahu, we took a tour of the Hawaii State Capitol building which was kind of neat. One of my relatives works there, so she got us our own tour! And we also went to the beach — usually Ala Moana — or the hotel pool, to play in the water. We also went to my great uncle Walter’s karate tournament and saw a few matches. My older brother Justin and I also hiked up Diamond Head with my cousin and grandpa, which wasn’t really that hard. The view was really cool. Later, we drove up to a lookout near Manoa Valley, where we could see Diamond Head and my cousins’ house — but only with binoculars.

In Hilo, on the Big Island, I got to play with cousins that I hadn’t really met before. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. My cousins in Hilo live in a place where there aren’t very many neighbors nearby. They have goats and chickens in their backyard. They showed me how to catch frogs. We also had fun playing games like baseball and freeze tag. We also swam in their pool. It was above the ground and was filled with water they catch every time it rains, which is often.

Looking back on the trip, I think spending time with family was my favorite part of all — I hope I get to go back sometime soon to do it all over again!

--Megan, age 11, California