I grew up in Kalihi, a small neighborhood in the city of Honolulu, the state capitol of Hawaii. Although most people think of paradise when thinking of the island, I mostly think about my large family and all of our family events. Every weekend is filled with dinners, birthdays, weddings and other miscellaneous events. On top of that, everyone pops in all the time to share treats like freshly baked bread, fruits, vegetables, and the traditional noodles for every birthday. Although I love seeing family and friends, you always have to be dressed and prepared to see someone which is probably the one thing I don't miss about living on an island where everyone knows each other. Whenever I am free from familial obligations, I take every opportunity to go out and explore.
My absolute favorite activity in Hawaii is snorkeling. If you are new to snorkeling, there are plenty of boat tours that take you to hot spots for great under water views of coral and its amazing biodiversity. I, however, enjoy driving to different beaches so that I can get both the snorkeling and beach experience. Additionally, I love driving around the island and stopping at different landmarks like the Halona Blowhole, Pali Lookout, and Byodo-In Temple. My advice for road trips around the island is to start the day early on the east side of the island to catch the sunrise while walking along Lanikai Beach and to then make your way west to eat dinner at one of the restaurants in Ko'Olina's resort town as the sun sets.
In Hawaii, I almost exclusively eat seafood. The freshness of the catch is unbeatable. For instance, the quality of fish at Local Boy Sushi, a hole-in-the-wall, take-out restaurant, is comparable to what you find at fancy restaurants in the mainland. Not only is seafood fresh on the island but it is practically available anywhere. On the north end of the island, there are a number of food trucks that serve a wide variety of shrimp from coconut shrimp, salt and pepper shrimp,...