My Hawaii

I have been asked about my Hawaii story lately, again.
Some have heard it and some have not. I often am questioned on why I love Hawaii so much.
Either i am clumped into the crazy tourists category or I am just viewed as obsessed! LOL
But alas there is a real reason.
I guess I need to keep it in a blog so people know and I don't have to type my story out every few months.

#1 I never felt the need or want to go to Hawaii, I always wanted to go to Australia of all places.
Never even crossed my mind to go to Hawaii.
But my friend at the time Kim was graduating and her boss told her she would give her use of a condo in Hawaii if she wanted it. And she asked me to split the costs with her and go.
Well Kim did not graduate and no condo but we decided to go anyways because earlier that year Andrew was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. It was a bad year and very hard.
So we decided to take Andrew, and her gay friend Jeremiah. and get a hotel room and share all of it.
Well I got us tickets for 558.00 a piece for 8 days and nights on Oahu.
I packed up everything including a huge bathing suit and all these clothes.
and I freshened up my dye.
Kim dyed her hair purple.
Now keep in mind this is my very first real vacation anywhere except camping.
So we arrived in Hawaii and it was just beautiful!! I mean beautiful.
More than I ever imagined. and the people were so kind.
And the diversity!! OH MY goodness such diversity I had never seen. I was surprised by all the diversity! You know Oregon has some but not alot.

We first stepped on Waikiki Beach and I was fully clothed and I saw people of all shapes and sizes.
And everyone was friendly and kind.

The next day I got into my swim dress all covered and proper It was heavy and I was wet. I got out of the water and walked onto the beach as I walked along I saw the most beautiful striking woman I had seen, she was blonde and totally plus sized and tan and beautiful!
She was talking to a guy who pulled up on the beach, she had just finished surfing.
And the most amazing thing, she was in a bikini! Not one of those really heavy BBW gal who stuffs herself into a bikini, but a beautiful tan plus sized beauty in a red bikini top and board shorts. She was so smooth and took my breath away.
I looked at her and thought "I am just as beautiful as she is I mean I really am, why the heck am I all covered up and hot!?"
I went to the market right away and bought a pareo and board shorts and I did not wear a bulky bathing suit the rest of the trip! I wore a pareao tied into a bikini top and a skirt or shorts and I looked beautiful!

But that wasn't even the whole thing.
In Hawaii, I was like a movie star, it was so weird!
People took pictures of me. I mean probably 200 pictures.
*I was clothes not in the bikini!* haha
I drove to the other end of the island and there was a small market with 2 old men sitting on the porch and they spoke to me in Hawaiian , everywhere I went I felt 100% in place and accepted.
No one pointed at me and laughed, not one person did that!
I came from a place where even without pink hair people pointed and laughed or made fun of me.

I finally knew what it was like to feel loved and accepted.
I know it may sounds crazy but I had never been anywhere I felt like that before!
I came from a home where I was made fun of and told I was ugly and fat all of my life.
I have never felt such peace.

Women talked to me, even the locals. I was welcomed. Kim was afraid to go to some areas but I went anyways alone and I was welcomed and treated with respect like a human should be.

So going to Hawaii changed my life.
I went home knowing that if I felt to beautiful there, then i could feel just as beautiful anywhere I went.
Yes, I may get made fun of and pointed at here or in Oregon BUT I still feel lovely and beautiful inside.
I might not be a size 2 but my skin is smooth and tan and I have beautiful cures and no one can take that from me. It just so happens that it took Hawaii to show me that I could be just as beautiful as the blonde surfer, that i so admired!

I know I have told this story a million times and it may seem trivial but this is what opened my heart and changed my life. For the better I might add. SO MUCH BETTER!