outside it's raining

the boardman at maunalua bay

The year of the monkey came and went just like that.  Every year, we always say that the year felt like it went by so fast.  This year is no different.  Perhaps there will come a year that will have felt like a lifetime to pass by, but 2016 was no anomaly.

It had gone by so fast that I had actually forgotten many of the things I did.  I forgot I went to Myanmar, I forgot I went to Korea, and I had forgotten and I had gone on two cycling adventures.  These events were meaningful to me, but they seemed like it was so long ago.

For the 3rd year straight, I find myself in Hawaii for the holidays.  I keep telling myself that I'll stay in Japan during the holidays but for some reason I always end up wanting to go home.  So I do, and I never regret it.  It's cold in Fukuoka.  It's warm in Hawaii.  That's a big enticing factor.

So what have I done in Hawaii?  I've tanned about 5 shades darker.  I've ridden my bike nearly everyday and I'm so happy that I finally finished the Festive 500 this year.  That's 500km (about 310 miles) ridden from Christmas Eve to New Years Eve.  This is a challenge that I tried to finish back in 2012 but didn't, and I didn't even bother trying since then until now.  It wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard too.  Perhaps the worst part as having ridden over half of this challenge solo.   It was windy, with the average winds being between 15-25 mph+ and of course, on the last two days, it decided to rain.  But I finished it anyway because why not.

Here are pictures from my time in Hawaii to close out 2016.
Hopefully 2017 will be a great year.







Of course besides seeing family and friends, there are a few other reasons why coming back home is great.  My cat, local food, and The Chew.





Spent lots of hours on the bike.  Took lots of pictures of the places I've ridden a bunch of times.





Went to Maui to visit my grandma and meet her cat.  Took the cat for a walk.  Saw some Christmas Lights (not her house).




Even got a taste of Fukuoka in Hawaii.  All these years I've driven past this Shrine and have never stopped to notice what exactly it was.  Going to my house from the airport, I looked and noticed that it said Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu.  So I decided to go and look at it.  It's a bit strange that it's here, but I thought it was cool.  Also found some Tagawa chocolate, although Halloween has long passed.  And Big Thunder is also in Hawaii.  Though the English packaging looks terrible.




To close out the year, I finished the festive 500 and took one last sunset picture atop Maunalani.


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