Oahu?!
- lyonsmaddy161
- Mar 11
- 4 min read
Two days late, but I’m finally writing about last week—and it was definitely one to remember!
The week started off strong on Monday with a swim, worship, and a bonfire while watching the sunset on the beach.
The next day, Damaris and I found some fresh guava on the farm—a much-needed, rejuvenating snack after the tiring (but rewarding) task of reclaiming the tea garden.
Wednesday morning began with sweet encouragement led by our teachers. We all took turns filling each other’s cups with kind words, and that joy stayed with me for the rest of the day. A little later, I was reminded of the first few weeks when I went on a run with Annie. We got to yap it up and keep each other company. And as if on cue, God blessed us with rain right after—leading us to impulsively jump in the pool instead of heading upstairs for our meeting. Totally worth it!
On Friday, we headed to the south side, right in the heart of the town that inspired Lilo & Stitch. We checked out a rummage sale, visited the westernmost bookstore in America, and then stopped by a nearby beach. To top it all off, we watched the sunset at Shipwreck Beach while eating dinner—Thai food from a food truck, obviously.
And then came the long-awaited Saturday! Why? Because we got to venture to another island and reunite with bestie and fam! But first, the day started off with a great time at the farmers' market (per usual, because Annie and Adelle are just the best). After that, we made a quick stop at the beach to watch a little surf comp before heading to the airport.
Now, cue the storytime.
We arrived at the airport, walked up to the kiosk to check in, and—nothing. Neither of our confirmation codes nor ticket numbers were working. Weird, we thought, but no big deal. We’d just ask the lady at the desk.
We briskly walked over, hoping for a quick fix—especially since our flight was in just over an hour, and the security line was looking like something out of Disneyland. She started typing away, trying to figure it out. But the longer she typed, the more confused she looked. That’s when I started worrying.
She called over a coworker, who took one glance at our tickets and said, "Oh, these are for February 8, 2025, not March 8."
My heart dropped to my stomach. I looked at Calvin. Blank stare. My eyes started welling up. Meanwhile, Calvin (bless him) started asking helpful questions while I tried my hardest to stay calm.
The airline staff directed us to call a number that might be able to get our tickets switched. I dialed, only to hear that there was a 15-minute wait. We do not have 15 minutes. Finally, someone picked up, and she was super helpful—she got our tickets transferred so we could still take the same flight. We just had to pay the difference. Praise!
Crisis almost averted.
Now, we had 40 minutes until takeoff, but the security line still looked like it would take… at least that long. We went back to the desk to check in for real this time, and as we did, Calvin asked, "So, does your security line usually move pretty fast, or...?"
The airline worker replied, "Hopefully."
We nervously laughed, and then she looked back up at us and smirked. "Well… you could need a wheelchair."
Calvin and I looked at each other. Then at her. Wait… are you serious?
Before we could even process what was happening, another employee behind her asked, "You need a wheelchair?" She immediately answered, "Yes."
And just like that, I was sitting in a wheelchair with all our bags, bypassing the entire security line. We got through in less than two minutes, ditched the wheelchair once we were through, and made it to our gate—only to find out our flight had been delayed an hour and a half.
Honestly, that whole experience was wild—a full roller coaster of emotions. The Lord works in mysterious ways!
But despite all that, every second we spent with the Fabigs on Oahu was filled with so much joy. Reuniting with our home away from home was so sweet. We drove all around the island, saw some of the prettiest beaches in America, surfed on both the north and south sides, hiked to a stunning waterfall, and, of course, got some delicious coffee and açaí bowls.
It was so sweet to hug, laugh, and finally talk face-to-face with my bestie—for what felt like the first time in foreverrrrr (even though it had only been about two months). We had a full-circle friendship moment, realizing that we’d grown up dreaming about surfing and exploring Hawaii together—and here we were, actually doing it! Our time was way too short, but it was packed with so much joy, laughter and many sweet convos.
Thankfully, our flight home on Monday evening was smooth sailing—praise the Lord.
And that brings us to now.
Picture time!
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