Oh, the places you'll go!

My aunt always gives meaningful gifts to my cousins, my sisters, and I during the big milestones of our lives. For example, when someone graduates from high school, on the graduation day she gives everyone a Dr. Seuss book called "Oh, The Places You'll Go!". While I was packing up my apartment I found the book and read it out loud. That book is so inspiring and perfect for a new graduate. It's not completely fluff about how you can do anything you set your mind to. It tells the truth like only Dr. Seuss can. It tells you that you will inevitably face obstacles, fall down, and perhaps go down the wrong path. The beauty of it is that you will have the choice to pursue those obstacles or let them get the better of you, to get up or stay down, or to turn around or continue without asking for direction.

Today I ventured to Diamond Head. According to my guidebook, Frommer's Honolulu & Oahu Day-by-Day, Diamond Head is "Waikiki's most famous landmark"; a "760 foot extinct volcano". I awoke bright and early to embark on my quest.

It took an hour of walking until I finally came to the entrance of the landmark.

The first views leading up to the actual hike were breathtaking. I caught myself smiling and giggling to myself while walking along the street up to the entrance. I still can't believe that I'm actually here. I cannot believe that I have actually made it to Hawaii. It's still so surreal to me. I called my mom and dad from this point just to say hi. It was nice talking to them.

While travelling to my destination, I had to pass through a small tunnel. There wasn't a lot of traffic and the speed limit was very low so I felt safe. Nothing can bring me down. This was going to be easy...I had thought.

Right after paying the $1 entrance fee, the trail went from smooth, concrete with a slight incline to rugged, rocky, and very steep. There were handrailing on the one side for two reasons. One reason was to assist a person's balance while struggling up the uneven walkway. The second, and more important reason, was so you don't fall to your doom. It still seemed pretty simple at this point.

Walked and walked and walked. The trail wrapped around the volcanic crate. It was about 8:30am by this point and it was starting to get a little warm out.

There were two very narrow and very dark tunnels. Since my guidebook had suggested to bring a flashlight for these parts of the trail I had downloaded a flashlight app on my iPhone. The app did not help at all. It felt like I was in the Touch Tunnel from Liberty Science Center in NJ. You open your eyes as wide as possible and you still can't see something 2 inches from your face. While walking through I kept hunched over thinking I may hit my head on the ceiling. This of course is ridiculous since I am only 5'2" and there were people mush taller walking in front of me. Still, I couldn't be too sure.

Just when you think you've made it to the top, there are stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. While the sun is beating down at your neck, you climb and you climb and you don't stop. You don't stop because there's no where to stop. Right after the stairs is the second tunnel where you can't see a thing. After this more stairs. This is about the time I realize that I may never make it up to the top because there is no end. It is just a continuous cycle. It's like you're a mouse in a wheel. You keep going and going but it never ends and you never reach your destination. 

Now, while people walk up the path to the top of the volcano, there are others also walking down who had already reached their destination. The path just fits one person walking through at a time. When another person is coming through in the opposite direction there is a bit of finagling in order to get by. At this point, the people coming down give you encouraging words saying that it's not much farther. LIES! That's when they hit you with a dizzying, 3-story, spiral staircase made of pipes. At least they seem like pipes. It couldn't actually be something sturdy enough to hold anything more substantial than one 10 year-old child at a time. However, you go on because you have yet to reach your destination. You climb those stairs with the people around you and just laugh at how out of shape you never realize you were until now. After the stair case you reach a "holding chamber". From here you climb a small ladder and crawl through a hole and then you see...

You see light at the end of the tunnel!! Hooray!! Woohoo!! Just give me 1 minute to catch my breath because it's not over yet. There's still a short distance until you make it to the very top.

And when you make it to the top you just look at the amazing sights in front of you.

Take a break whenever you need to, drink lots of water, and know that it will all be worth it at the top. Then just smile big and say aloha to everyone on your way down. =)