In September, I traveled to Hawaii for a wedding and spent 2 weeks exploring the island of Oahu. I found Hawaii to be so excellent that it made me prouder to be an American (which can be tough at times, these days), knowing this beautiful tropical gem is part of my country.

Immediately after landing, we picked up our rental car and drove to a beach in Honolulu for an inaugural dip.

I found a lost dog wandering around in the dark in Waikiki, promptly fell in love, gave her a bath, got her a new outfit and began planning how I could take her home to Boston (You can pack a small dog on Delta, FYI). Long story short, I eventually … — I found a lost dog wandering around in the dark in Waikiki, promptly fell in love, gave her a bath, got her a new outfit and began planning how I could take her home to Boston (You can pack a small dog on Delta, FYI). Long story short, I eventually (and begrudgingly) reunited her with her owner but I was THISCLOSE to finally owning a dog and already had a shortlist of Hawaiian names picked out for her. Her real name is "Penny" but I think she looks more like a "Aliikai" (Hawaiian for "Queen of the Sea").

For the first 2 nights, we stayed in an Honolulu AirBnB surrounded by misty mountains in the Aina Haina Valley. Jetlagged, we would wake up at sunrise and get an early hike in before hitting the beach.

I liked Hawaii so much it actually made me a morning person.