Hawaii Bucket List

Our remaining time on our little island in the middle of the Pacific is unknown, so I decided we should make a Hawaii bucket list to try and make sure we do the things we've been eying.  I was able to do quite a few of these while Nic was deployed (great friends make life easier!) but they won't be crossed off until we can do them together.

This list will be a work in progress, but please post anything you love about our island that I may have missed!

1. Visit the USS Arizona 
2. Dive Sharks Cove, blog post here
3. Snorkel Hanauma Bay
4. Snorkel Electric Beach
5. Go to a luau
6. Eat at a North Shore Shrimp truck
7. Matsumoto's shave ice
8. Visit the Dole Plantation
9. Watch the sunset on Sunset Beach
10. Watch a surf competition 
11. Visit Kauai 
12. Visit Molokai
13. Visit The Big Island, blog post(s) here
14. Visit Maui, blog post(s) here
15. Road to Hana, blog post here
16. Visit Lanai 
17. Mermaid Caves
18. Keana Point 
19. Pele's Chair & Alan Davis Beach jump  
20. See the Volcano, blog post here
21. Koko Crater Arch, blog post here
22. Koko Crater Stairs 
23. Diamond Head
24. Lanikai Pillboxes 
25. Kayak to the Mokes, blog post here
26. Kayak to Chinaman's Hat
27. Swim with turtles 
28. Visit Kualoa Ranch  (where parts Jurassic Park and Lost were filmed!)
29. Lanikai Beach 
30. Makapu'u tide pools (to swim in the one to the left)
31. Climb Mt Olympus 
32. Climb Mt Ka'ala 
33. Ride the Harley around the island 
34. Fireworks booze cruise of Waikiki
35. Corsair wreck dive 
36. Find a sunrise shell (fingers crossed)
37. Rock jump Waimea Bay
38. Eat at the original Roy's
39. Attend the lantern festival 
40. Manta ray night dive, blog post here 
41. Find a tako while diving or snorkeling (and hold it)
42. Mac nut farm tour
43. Manoa Falls
44. Rock bridge, blog post here
45. Find a Jackson Chameleon on a hike
46. Do the Dole Planation Maze 
47. Swim with dolphins 
48. Get open water dive qualified, blog post here
49. Get advanced dive qualified 
50. Go to the Swap Meet
51. Go to the Kaneohe Bay Sandbar

Koko Crater Arch

This hike has been on my bucket list for a while.  For a lack of any better description -- it's just darn cool!  If you look up #kokocraterarch on Instagram you'll see a bunch of really pretty pictures of the arch; some at sunrise, some with people doing cool stuff in it, and some plain pictures.

We want to go back again for sunrise, but I'm glad we've did it first in the light.  Nic and I went on our own first, and then went with some friends.  We were lucky enough to see whales breaching off shore while we were one our way down -- it was amazing!  The hike is super easy and short which makes it great if you're looking for something quick and fun to do. When you get to the arch I recommend going left.  The ground is pretty crumbly so make sure to take your time.  Also, only go on top if you're comfortable.  There were high gusts of wind the first time we went, so Nic didn't venture up there until we went with friends on a pretty calm day.  Park at the Halona Blowhole parking lot and walk across the street. You have to climb a few rocks and then you'll get up on the trail.  You can see the arch from the street which will direct you on where to go.

2016

Nic and I were trying to figure out our New Years Resolutions; namely whether we wanted to do a main resolution and work towards that, or pick a word and make resolutions/goals for each month that have us following the word.   In 2014 I participated in a "Directive" where you made monthly resolutions and goals.  I stopped once we moved to Hawaii, but the idea of only having a month to complete something really pushed me.

I've decided to use that directive as a model and pick a word for the year and do monthly goals to try and have me living in better terms of the word.  Picking a word was a bit difficult, but I finally decided upon completion.  There are a few things that I really need to focus upon simply to increase my quality of life.

We've had making a budget on our "to do" list since we got married two and a half years ago.  We have credit cards that we would love to pay off, and also really want to start saving for a more family appropriate car and house when those times come.  After a lot of reading (and genuine positive reactions and recommendations) we've decided to embark on the Dave Ramsey envelope method.  The goal for January is to see how our spending is on a normal month with us both home, and then come up with realistic budget goals and breakdowns.  I'm extremely excited to see where this journey takes us, and how we do with it. If you've done the method and have any tips or recommendations, we'd love to hear them!