I definitely got to load up on a lot of Aloha today, but a different kind of Aloha than what I'm used to.

Honolulu to me feels like the Las Vegas of Hawai'i, so busy and very unlike the cities on Hawai'i, Kaua'i or Maui. It's also the holiday season, so the beach felt a bit like a big can of sardines, not to mention the various catamarans that came and went more frequently than the waves to drop off and pick up people. The water however was fantastic: such a beautiful turquoise, and not to mention the sea turtle that stopped by to say hi and swim with me for a minute.

I also had the best udon noodles ever (Marugame, and yes, they apparently DO have restaurants in SF, Berkeley and San Ramon!) and the obligatory shave ice was top notch too.

Oh, and did I mention I saw my first-ever green flash at sunset? Depending on which camp you're in, that either means I will never again go wrong in the matters of the heart, or it means that a soul came back to this world from the dead. Unless the latter is Iz Kamakawiwo'ole, I think I'd prefer the first option...

Beach and aloha is not what comes to my mind when I think about the holidays and Christmas, but there was definitely still a lot of mele kalikimaka in the air around town.

This may be one of my favorite Christmas trees yet (I'm open to any intel on where to get those beautiful plumeria ornaments!)

And below, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch some hula dances and some mele Hawai'i.

Tomorrow, it's really off to Down Under: Sydney, here I come!

Scientists say time travel isn't a thing. Well, they clearly have never traveled from Australia to Hawaii, because I did just that: travel back in time.

I left Sydney at 9pm on Thursday and arrived just after 10am that same Thursday in Honolulu. It's like Groundhog Day, or for my German readers "Und taeglich gruesst das Murmeltier." It's like getting a do-over for a day in case it didn't go well the first time. Mine definitely isn't a do-over though, because my last day in Down Under was great, with lunch and a fun afternoon with a friend. I'm calling it 'you only live twice' so you may as well make the best of both days (or is it one day?).

The flight was supposed to be 9:54 hours but we definitely had a pilot with a lead foot (or hand) because he dropped us off in Honolulu almost an hour early, after just 9:06 hours. Frankly, I don't know how people spend 16+ hours on a plane. When I go back Down Under, I will do it just like I did this time around: A stop over in Honolulu on my way to and from Australia.

So after a long day already, I checked in my hotel and headed straight to the amazing water at Waikiki Beach. It wasn't quite as crowded as on my first stop-over (I guess the Christmas holiday does make a difference) but it was still busier than any other beach I have been to in Hawaii.

The water was just as fantastic though and it felt like every wave was a reminder of the amazing time I had these past 3.5 weeks. Floating in the water, I looked back at everything that I experienced since the last time I was in this very spot:

I saw a play at the Sydney Opera House on NYE followed by the most amazing fireworks show I've ever seen; I drove on the left side of the road and not once drove the wrong way; I hiked three of the Great Walks in New Zealand; I hiked some more to a glacier and saw #thatwanakatree; I was a zoo keeper for a day and fed penguins, meerkats, servals, pelicans, wallabies, kangaroos, quokkas and koalas on Kangaroo Island; I cuddled with Alfie, the koala; I saw hundreds of fairy penguins come ashore at Phillip Island; I had amazing city views from most of my rooms; and I saw world class tennis at the United Cup in Sydney, the Adelaide International and the Australian Open.

And it all started and ended with a sunset over Waikiki Beach. It was the most relaxing end to this amazing trip of a lifetime.

Thank you for reading along and following me on my adventure. Can't wait to see you all again! A hui hou kākou!