4:30 Am was here and unwelcome and its only saving grace is that its purpose for me having to consciously perceive it was due to a new trip. I have been working for dad for a short time now and we have a business/pleasure adventure awaiting us in Hawaii. This trip will also take us to California on the way back. There is lots of work ahead of us, but it will be well lubricated with sightseeing and travel. This time Dora is going with us. Dora is a practitioner in my dad’s practice and a royal pain in the ass. We get our thing together pretty efficiently and now wait in a long line at United Airlines. After getting through checking our luggage, we discover the security check is equally long. Thankfully we know the routine we have to go through because of our resume of travel experience. We get through security, get some coffee, and before you know it we were boarding. The plane ride will be a very lengthy one, so I will have to stay occupied and comfortable. I eventually decide to sleep a bit. After a lengthy 5-hour flight, over mostly Pacifica Ocean, we arrive in Honolulu. The day has basically consisted of us waiting on Dora. She has an instinctive way to make things uncomfortable and irritable as possible. Nonetheless, we made it to beautiful Honolulu! Dad got in touch with Jeff, the facilitator of the drug rehab place we were going to be staying at, so that he knew we had landed. The reason for our visit to the rehab facility was to help people overcome addiction. Jeff arrives in a white van and we load our bags. Mt dear friend Deirdre is in the passenger seat and I immediately feel a sense of comfort that always accompanies her aura. It’s the feeling you get when you meet a beloved friend, that all is well. As we drove through Hawaiian traffic and over bridges, I find myself dipping in and out of conversations and jests with everyone in the van. Mostly, my attention was outside the windows looking at the mist covered, green peaks.
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| Beauty |
Hawaii was beautiful. We arrive at the facility and we grab out bags. As we go in I immediately feel slightly uncomfortable. I suppose I hadn’t expected what I saw. There was nothing particularly threatening or unwelcome, but I felt very separated and intimidated by the people inside. However, we were invited to eat as we walked in. I met a few people once inside and found that they were very friendly. I got a plate of teriyaki beef, which was delicious. It felt like a prison cafeteria to me, but I also don’t know what a prison cafeteria was like. I could feel myself warming up to the place, yet my uneasiness hasn’t diminished completely yet. After dinner, we put our bags and equipment in our room. The room was a small, stand alone building. Inside, there were four bunk beds, a TV, and several fans to keep it cool. The windows behind the let the noise from roaming chickens and cocks fill the room. Dad and I shared this humble room with a few of the higher up attendees at the rehab, as well as Dave, another practitioner. Dad informs me that we have a practitioner meeting. This would be the first of many we were to have on the trip. In the meeting we discussed the facility and how it was ran, as well as what it was. I met all the other practitioners that would be taking clients. They were a lively bunch to be sure. The meeting adjourned and we to what the facility called “The Games”. As we were approaching a building I had not noticed before, I could hear many raised voices. We ascend steps and enter in what looks like a dojo. Inside there is, what looks like, the entire campus sitting cross-legged from each other. We are invited in. We all enter reluctantly, but with as much coolness as we can muster. The point of the games was to create an outlet for the attendees to express their feelings. This came in the form of yelling at each other, often times loaded with profanities. It was frightening and entertaining at the same time. I have never seen anything quite like this. The Hawaiian accent is unique as well. Once the games came to a close, it was late. We sauntered off to bed.
July 4th, 2012
Happy Independence Day! I wake up with chickens clucking and cocks crowing. I had been listening to it in my sleep for a few hours. Dave, one of our practitioners, is awake and he offers ear plugs to us. I head out to breakfast and see the familiar faces of some of the practitioners. I have some fruit for breakfast, consisting of pineapples, melon, grapes, and bananas. At breakfast we discuss plans to make a trip to the beach. So, Dad, Dave, Diana, and Dora all came along as we were chauffeured on an hour ride to the beach. Diana continually suggested we stop and began to get on my nerves a bit, but eventually everyone concurred in stopping at a local store on the way. After we got what we needed, for me that was turkey jerky, we proceed to the next stop. As we’re going down the road we stop at scenic spot and took pictures. This spot happened to be where they filmed the dinosaur herd scene in Jurassic Park. It looks like it hasn’t changed a bit.
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| Where we stopped. |
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| Where the stampede was filmed |
We load up after taking some pics. We see a shrimp truck as we are going down the road and decide to pull over to get something to eat. I order the coconut shrimp. While it is cooking I wonder to the vendor next to it and get an ice cold coconut with a straw in it. I find its taste and shape is different from the one’s I’ve had in Chinatown, New York, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, yet tasty. My shrimp got finished and it is delicious! I think it may be the best shrimp I have ever had.
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| Dave and Diana |
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| Snorkel shot! |
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| Dad at the beach |
On the way back we decide to stop at the Dole Pineapple farms. There were row and rows of pineapples. We really just stopped so that I could pee. We walked through the gift shop and I bought a postcard for my kiddo. After we leave, we start getting close to home. We took another route than we came. We pass by Pearl Harbor. I am filled with excitement suddenly. I have always wanted to go there! I see the ships in the harbor and imagine. I have to go there! We get back and I settle in. Time to crash… This time I will do so with my earplugs in to block the noise of the cocks. A Cock block….
July 5th, 2012
Today I worked in sessions all day. I worked with an ex-vet who I feel I helped quite a bit. We spent all day doing these on rotation. In the evening we decide to go into town for dinner. This resulted in us finding an overpriced bar and talking Diana into having a Pina Colada. Dave was a DD that night. We were quite the trio of buddies. Dave is a really nice guy, despite how huggie he is. He LOVES hugging. Good for him. We stop at Starbucks afterwards and listen to some awesome music. Then, we go to whole foods. I buy some beers for the beach later as well as some Kava. The bar from earlier we were planning to eat at originally, but it was pricey, so we end up eating at Maui Tacos, which are really good and affordable. We walk to the beach and all three of us are sitting on a bench, looking out at the waves. The air is perfect, the moon is high, and I am playing some Journey. We drank some of the Hawaiian beer and just enjoyed the company. This is relaxing and fun. I feel like Dave and Diana might have a thing?
July 6th, 2012
I wake up feeling like shit. It must be the kava I had? And mixing it the alcohol? Not sure, but I didn’t have that much to drink last night AT ALL. I don’t even bother changing from the night before. We have another meeting and then I was off to my first session, which Dora sat and observed. She’s just my favorite… (sarcasm) However, I have to opt out for a while to do some work e-mails for the company and kick this sickness. I decide to sleep it off and I wake up in time for lunch. I end up lying around a lot, but I do attend all meetings and meal times. July 7th, 2012 I wake up feeling slightly better, but not 100%.Again, I attend all the meetings, but I have no clients. After I eat lunch, I start feeling better. Jeff brought me some Pho noodles, which was a welcome gesture. I really wanted my nose to leak… I spent some time talking to a girl back home. We dated off-and-on. It’s complicated. I have come to realize through it all, that I love her. Every time I talk to her if feel something that just…intrigues me… This time I told her that I love her. I felt like it needed to be known even if nothing came from it. Kristin was a mother of twin girls who were two years old. They are adorable and I knew before I loved her, that I loved them. Hard not to. After all of our sessions for the day, Diana, who has been frequently and obnoxiously has been waiting outside my door, made plans to go into town again. Dave was leaving tonight, so he wanted to go body-surfing. The van was full, so Diana and I ended up going to Waikiki instead.
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| Me at Waikiki |
I pull my music out as we find a spot to chill. We talk for a bit while Kings of Leon plays and I try one of the small rum bottles. After a while, we decide that it’s time to go back. After I put my things away I see dad in the cafeteria area and join him. I had earlier stuffed my empty bottle of Hawaiian rum to perhaps collect sand in later as a souvenir. I put it in the bottom of my bag. I guess when dad was looking for some of his things; he had shuffled around the contents, leaving the empty bottle exposed. That did not bode well in a rehabilitation center and I was confronted on it. I was embarrassed. I see why it was an issue out of respect, yet I was defensive about it simply because it was ONLY a bottle. An empty one... Dad was furious and embarrassed and so was I for different reasons. We have a late night session that we will all observe while dad demonstrates the techniques. Afterwards, we are all tired and go to bed.
July 8th, 2012
Another day of sessions lie ahead, so I get showered and go for some breakfast. Tessa is leaving today, so we see her off. I take care of my clients and do a fantastic job. I decide to get some laundry done so that I have fresh cloths for California.
July 9th, 2012
Time to get to the airport and see California; it’s been real Hawaii, now it’s time to go.
