Who Would I Take to Hawaii?

After spending a much-needed vacation in Hawaii, I have to say that it probably wasn't the best place to be single.

A lot of people go to Hawaii for their weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries, etc. Just to be together in paradise. Of course there are other things to do there, but you'll never escape the obvious nature of the couples.

I found myself envious of them. Wanting someone to hold hands with (which is a little bizzare for me anyway), dance with, watch the sunset with.

I've been to Hawaii five times now - never with a significant other. I think the only trips that I've ever taken that were "romantic" were Paris and Scotland about 10 years ago and Canton, OH.

Now, I know Canton, OH doesn't sound like a romantic place, but it turned out to be.

It was a first date too. Our plane rides were nonstop conversation and taking turns at the window seat. He was ruggedly handsome, probably still is. One of my friends and I nicknamed him "The Bass Fisherman." I always seemed to have nicknames for my boyfriends or dating adventures. It was more fun that way.

A few fun ones: The Lumberjack, The Citizen, Red/Green, Trip, Spot, Dot, and Tot. I dated the last three at the same time, and it was easier to have rhyming names for them in order for my friends to differenciate which one I was talking about. Tot actually turned out to have many names after that (#2, Mr. My Dating Life Sucks, and LAB to name a few)because I guess you could say that he became the "chosen one." I think that's only because Dot didn't have the talent of Whitman and Spot moved to the other side of the country. When I first started dating those three, it went in that order of preference: Spot, Dot, and Tot. Boy was I surprised when Tot ended up being the one that I really wanted to be with.

Anyway, back to the romantic Ohio date. He was SO excited to go. He said he'd "always wanted to go to Ohio." But then again, he had a child-like spirit about most things in life. He had the soul and eyes of a child, a heart of gold, the arms of a body builder, and the hair of a "Can't Believe It's Not Butter" celebrity. He swept me off my feet without even trying. He was naively thoughtful and brilliantly bashful. He could sing and dance. But he got my vote when he told me that he moved home to take care of his sick father and help with the farm.

He was too good to be true. In every aspect of his being. There was only one part of his life that he couldn't control. And during those times, he wouldn't call or come over for weeks at a time, which made it hard to be stable.

But Ohio hadn't revealed that yet. We did nothing special and yet it was the most special. We went to the Football Hall of Fame and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame during the day and lavished in romantic candlelit dinners at night. We talked to the locals and retired to each other's company after midnight.

I'm happy to say Ohio wasn't the end of our time together. And it didn't stop being special and magical. But it did end.

He would've thrived in Hawaii.

It's funny though. I go to Hawaii once every year, at least. And there was a time when I swore I'd never go there. I refused to even mention it. I took the first step by actually going there, but now I just have to try to go a step further and be in love while I'm there.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Baby Can I Hold You Tonight" by Ale'a
I adore Hawaiian music, especially IZ's version of "Over the Rainbow." Their music almost makes you want to fall in love. It's soothing and holds your heart. I heard this song by Ale'a the 2nd time I'd been to Honolulu. I was waiting on hold for an activities operator to come on the line. This song was played over and over and over and over. Seriously, it was the only song they played. Needless to say, I got to know it very well and stayed in my head for years. Everytime I think of Hawaiian music, I think of this song.