Hubby and I went to Hawaii and stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

We flew into the Honolulu airport and the hotel is in the heart of Waikiki. Getting there was easy since we had our GPS. The street names are Hawaiian and all seem super long where the consonants "K" "L" and vowels "I" and "U" are used in great frequency in various combinations. Needless to say, we depended on the GPS to tell us where and when to turn.

This hotel is on the beach and in walking distance from a really nice mall. A hotel’s proximity to a mall or shopping center is always a positive in my book.

First of all, staying anywhere in Hawaii is very expensive. Since that is the case, we thought it would be better to go with a recognized hotel chain that is known for quality and good service. That is what we received at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Everyone was smiling and welcoming as we arrived.

The complex is so big that there are several check-in desks. We went to the first check-in location we saw, but our room was located on the opposite side of the village. I think they need better signage because it was all a little confusing for me. They were doing some construction, so I think that some of the obstructed roads usually would have been open for passage. This created additional congestion, but everyone seemed really patient considering the slow traffic. I think the island air has a calming effect on people.

Calling this a "village" is an understatement. The resort is huge with plenty of pools, restaurants, and shops. You do not have to leave for anything, if you do not want to. Everything in the village is very "touristy" priced, so if you step outside the complex, you might get a better deal across the street. I know we ended up eating at the food court at the mall instead in the Village. We walked instead of driving there. For souvenirs though, if you go to one of the many ABC stores, you can find little knick knacks for all those family and friends back home without spending a fortune.

Knowing this trip was going to "break the bank", we opted for a resort facing room in an effort to economize. The views of the mountains to our right were breathtaking. We had a great view of the resort and could spend some time people watching as we relaxed on our balcony. And our room was on a high enough floor that if we squinted our eyes just right, we could see a little bit of ocean. Considering that we were in a veritable paradise, we could not complain that there was an unpleasant view. There is no such thing as "unpleasant view" in Waikiki, Hawaii.

Since our hotel was on the beach, midnight walks on beach were mandatory. Feeling the soft, cool island breeze on my face convinced me that the 12-hour plane flight to get there was worth every minute for that moment.

If you decide to rent a car for your trip (I advise it so you can see more of the island), valet parking is around $30 per day. Self-parking is only a few dollars cheaper, so it is worth it to valet park. Since Hawaii is a very popular vacation destination, be prepared to wait when you request your car from the valet. Use that time to take in the pretty views of the ocean and the greenery. Listening to the sounds of the ocean can be so relaxing.

Overall, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is a great resort for your trip to Waikiki Hawaii especially if it is your first trip. It is in a good location and the service level of the everyone working there is top notch. They show that they want to make sure you have a wonderful vacation. You will hear "Mahalo!" a lot. That means "thank you".

Getting dirty: I did this on purpose

Jun3

This was the dirtiest I have ever been in my entire life. How did this happen?

It all started with a conversation between me and my friend:

My friend: You know what would be really cool? This Mud run 5k. It is 3.5 miles with obstacles through the mud.

Me: Ummm sounds dirty.

My friend: Check out their website. It looks like a lot of fun.

Me: Yea. I am not making any promises.

A little history about me: Even though I married Mr Outdoors, I am not an outdoorsy chick. Under normal circumstances, I do not like to get dirty or sticky. I am a germaphobe. Antibacterial gel is my best friend. I do not like to wet unless I am swimming or in the shower. And in stereotypical black girl fashion, I worried about my hair. Laugh at that if you will, but I do not want it looking jacked up.

***checked out the website***

Me: It does look like fun. I am concerned about how dirty we would get.

My friend: Dirty? That is what soap and water are for!

Me: I just don’t want mud to get in my mouth.

My friend: (laughter)

***about a week later***

Me: You know what? I’m going to do it.

My friend: Awesome!!! We need a 4th person for our team.

My hubby: How come you get to have all the fun playing in the mud?

Me: You’ll do it with us?

Hubby: Yea. Why not?

My friend: Yay!

***two months of cardio. I am too busy working on my abs to worry about my upper body strength. This mentality was my downfall as I would find out later.***

Day of mud run.

I am wearing sports shirt and tennis skirt (my usual active wear)
Remove all jewelry. Check
Shoes duck taped to feet. Check.
Put on gloves. Check
Get team number 796 put on arms and legs with Sharpie marker.
I am ready. Let’s do this!

One and a half hours and 35 obstacles later, it was over. Crawling on knees through mud, sliding down mud hills, walking through mud pits waist deep, climbing over rope walls, and scaling 6 and 8 feet walls were some of the many obstacles. Thankfully, I did not get any mud in my mouth. Yay! But it was in every other crick and crevice. In my hair, behind my ears, between my toes, my belly button, and underneath my fingernails.

Overall, it was a memorable experience. It was a lot of FUN but I was so sore. Muscles I did not know I had were sore. The whole event made me realize two things (1) mud is slippery but gritty and (2) I have NO upper body strength. I thought I was strong but when it came time to lift myself up over obstacles with my arms, I was weak as a baby.

Thank goodness Hubby was there to help us, especially getting over all those 6 and 8-foot walls. He is a real team player that knows how to help get a job done. He definitely gets the MVP for our team.

My friend said, “Let’s do this again next year!” As you can probably guess, an adrenaline rush is a powerful thing.

Fortunately for me, my body’s muscle groups were screaming louder than any hormone could in an attempt to cloud my judgment, so I replied that I was not ready to commit to that…yet.

Would I do it again? Maybe. Getting dirty did not bother me as much as I thought it would have. I could have done without so many obstacles. And I know that I need to strengthen my arms. I am going to suggest to Hubby that he builds us a chin up bar. So if I am prepared physically, I could do it again.

If you are looking for challenge, I encourage you to try a mud run or similar event in your area. It is an unforgettable experience. And getting dirty was not too bad either.

Run your ice off 5K style

May14

I do not DO mornings, especially on weekends. I do not DO cold.
But on a cold Saturday morning in February, I was up and dressed by 7:30. When I say "cold", I mean water was freezing. The thermometer showed 28 degrees.

I thought that I was crazy.
But there was a reason for my madness. I had decided that in 2013, I was going to run/walk in a 5k. It was my "good health" personal goal for the year. I was resolved to participate. No matter the temperature. It is my opinion that when you set goals, if you begin to make trivial excuses, it is harder meet the goal. It is better to make every effort to do it and then you have achieved something you wanted to accomplish. Once I registered online a couple weeks before the race, I knew I had to do it or lose my money.

Checking in was easy. I got my t-shirt and little gift bag, which I put in the car. I saw some friends and we chatted in high pitched voices indicating our excitement.
As I made my way to the starting point, I was anxious to begin. I was bouncing, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. I saw people stretching, so I figured I better do that too. That helped calm me down.

And then I began to feel the cold on my ankles. I went back to the car and put on my extra pair of socks.
Hubby was supposed to come out and I was feeling a little despondent because I did not see him. But then, like a beacon of light, I saw his car pull up. It gave me renewed energy. He is a great supporter of whatever I do.

By this time, it was getting close to 8:00 am. Runners began to gather near the starting line. Time to do what we came to do. Run this race.

Ready. Set. Go.

I was like a shot out of the gate, but within probably a quarter of a mile, I began to go at my regular stride. I knew that if I wanted to finish, I needed to pace myself. I had only been training for about a month, so I knew I do not yet have the endurance to run the whole 3.5 miles.

I found that I run best when I kept my eyes closed. I focused on the movement of my feet hitting the pavement. Two friends were running alongside me, but they both have longer legs so I had to take two steps to their one if I wanted to keep up with them.

I thought that I would have my iPod blasting with music to keep me pumped up, but the ear buds kept falling out of my ears.
In the end, I talked a little with my friends when we walked.
When we were running, we yelled encouraging phrases at each other to motivate: "KEEP IT UP!" "YOU GOT THIS!" "WE ARE ALMOST FINISHED!"
When we saw the finish line, the adrenaline kicked in and we gave all we had to run that last little bit.

My ending time was 48 minutes.

I did not win, but I did not come in last place either. That was my goal for my first 5k.
Hooray for me.
I had fun with good friends. Most importantly, I proved to myself that I could do it.

This was a great first 5k race for me. I recommend anyone who wants to exercise to participate. The race is usually the couple of weeks first of February in Greenwood SC.

Announcing: The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest II!

Jan24

I’m participating!

Girl Boner

Words, stories and music… I struggle to think of entities more powerful. When I was enduring the darkest time of my life, the eating disorder I shared in my last post, this poem struck me like a dart between the eyes, pinning me to a wall of “What if?” What if its words hold true—not just rationally or solely for other people, but in my heart, soul and beliefs? What if we’re all beautiful and the truest, deepest beauty has little to do with shape or size? What if the “something more” so many of us long for exists inside of us, waiting to be unlocked and cherished? What if I wasn’t afraid of being large, but living large? And in doing so, missing out on the most remarkable beauty of all?

The Beauty of a Woman