This summer I took part in a grand journey to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. There, I participated in an international water polo tournament. Our own high school water polo team took place with three players from other schools. As this was an athletic event, I thought of it as a vacation. The tournament lasted a week in the middle of the summer. While staying there, we also got to visit some sites on the island. With one of our players being born in Oahu, his father accompanied us on the trip to show all the interesting places in Oahu. A couple of days during the tournament, we had no games so we could explore the island a little. On one of those days we visited a cliff that overlooked a side of the island. This spot was historic because King Kamehameha won the decisive battle to conquer Oahu by pushing their enemies off the cliff in 1795. Once the king conquered Oahu, he established the Kingdom of Hawai’i and united the eight islands. This site is called Nuuanu Pali Lookout and it overlooked the windward coast of Hawaii. Another cultural event other than the tournament was the bonfire on the beach of Makaha on the west side of the island. The bonfire was done by the locals on the island and there we bodysurfed and watched the sunset. There, we watched the sunset lower in the cloudless sky as a hint of pakalolo drifted in the breeze. When the journey came to the end, it left an impression of the culture of the Hawaiian Islands.

As I spent a week in Hawaii, I found out a lot about them. The historical information was pretty amazing since it was a view from the towering mountains that overlooked Hawaii’s coast. The scene was magnificent as you saw the rural area of Hawaii and the green mountains covered with life separated by this cliff. At the cliff, there were drawings of the men being cornered off the cliff by the massive army led by King Kamehameha. I couldn’t imagine falling such a great height to my death in one of the most important battles in Hawaii’s history. The site was memorable, but as the wind picked up, the climate became very cold and we decided to depart.

The last night of the journey was the bonfire in West Makaha. This was a local gathering where they came together and expressed their culture. On this beach, the waves were perfect and the sky was perfectly clear. The sunset lit up in colors and we saw red and purple hues streaking the sky. The sun grew bright orange and slowly descended out of our vision. As I watched the locals, I felt some unity and familyhood between these people. The were proud of their culture and expressed it openly. I learned that the Hawaiians are different than the rural people that live around me. The locals are more attached to nature and have a sense of unity. They live in country style areas instead of the big city. They are brought together by their culture and heritage. As tourists populate the islands with the formation of resorts and houses, the culture is beginning to be diminished. Life isn’t easy as a local, and it amazes me that they can come together and unite as a family during the bonfire. These two experiences have made this tournament memorable. Instead of spending most of the time in Waikiki at the overcrowded beach and tourist malls, I wanted to get a little more of the Hawaiian life. I was glad that my team and I went on some trips around the island that wasn’t inhabited by tourists.

Hawaii wasn’t always about the scenery. The food there to die for. Since one of the dads used to live here. He showed us all of the great food places. My favorite food stop was Rainbows. This lunch stop had all the best hawaiian foods like chicken katsu, macaroni salad, maui maui, and others. This classic joint had the best food and they made it fast. Although I could not resist California Pizza Kitchen and Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki, the culture in Oahu’s food was delicious. The culture is so much different than the life I live back home. I am fascinated with Hawaii’s scenery and history.

Hawaii taught me a lot about the true meaning of life. Joy is made when people come together in unity and rejoice over the good times to forget the harsh ones. As they live together, they also live with nature. They surf the waves on the coast and swim in waterfall oases in the towering mountains that rule the island from above. The activities of cliff jumping and bodysurfing give them a thrill as they play in their white sandy beaches. They live with the earth and are proud of their culture. I believe that there life is better than the big city life where people stress to get their work done. In Hawaii, they try to live a stressless life and believe that the earth should be respected. I believe the Hawaiian life is the life to be.