7 Feb 2022
As pretty as snow is, I’m not a fan of winter- it’s cold and I’m not built for that kind of weather:
So around January/February, I’m ready for warmer temperatures- it’s time to head back to Hawai’i!
Unfortunately, I think they must have changed planes because when I went to check in for my flight, the aisle seat I had picked had become a middle seat, and there were no open seats unless I upgraded, which it wouldn’t let me do. Fortunately, the gate agent found me a window seat, which just happened to be the seat next to my old middle seat, and that middle seat was never filled, so me and the guy on the aisle had plenty of space!
My flight this time connected in LAX, which was under construction, so I got to ride a bus across the tarmac to my new terminal:
I found a blimp!
I got even luckier on the second leg- a row all to myself!
I rented a condo at Kona Plaza, where I’ve stayed on my past few trips- I like that there’s parking for my car (which can be hard to find in Kona, though they’ve removed the gate so while you need a pass to park there, it’s now open to the public), it has a washer/dryer (so my towels are always dry) and a lanai (where I can hang wet scuba gear). Since I booked this trip rather late (less than a month in advance, oops), all the cheaper places were booked so lodging cost and arm and a leg.
Note to self: book sooner
My initial plan was to grocery shop and set up my dive gear in the morning, but when I got into the condo, I found a note saying there would be flooring work outside my place starting Monday and Tuesday, and that I would need to be out by 8am and not return until 5pm, or just stay in all day- rather inconvenient. So I stayed up long enough to get my gear set-up and packed up, and set an alarm so I could be up and out when the stores opened at 7am and have time to get my groceries back before 8am, then crashed for the night.