We feel we are living in an incomprehensible world. It is hard to imagine that we have left our families, friends, homes, routines and are embarking on such a trip. As of now we still feel like we are on a tropical vacation of which we should be counting the days until we head home. But home, for the next 19 months will be exactly where ever we are at that moment. What a concept. New beds, new faces, new foods, new challenges every day. What an incredible gift to be able to explore the world in this way together. That is the other incomprehensible thing. Together forever. We have chosen each other. From every other we have ever met to anyone we will ever meet we have chosen us. So many times a day I catch myself looking at Ofer and realizing as if for the first time, “This man is going to be my husband”. He will be at the end of the aisle on our wedding day, he will be holding my hand as I bring our children into the world, he will be the one to watch my face change as we grow together. Incomprehensible and perfect, I couldn’t imagine being happier than I am now.

The last week in San Francisco we spent moving things to storage, packing our suitcases and saying goodbye to our local loved ones. Day one came quicker than we could have anticipated and the largest carry-ons that we had purchased were looking smaller and smaller.

The first travel leg of the trip made us realize that we will be literally carrying everything on our backs. You start realizing that you don’t have a problem with your things being disposable as you try to lift your 56 pound ‘carry-on’ into the overhead compartment.








We spent our layover in Honolulu on our way to Lanai at a cute little Airport restaurant. Ofer had a few drinks (now I know it was to ease the engagement day jitters) and I played with our first fruity drink umbrella....soon after Ofer had enough drinks in him to participate.



With our new camera in hand we were quick to make fun of every sign we saw. I have a feeling this will be a theme of the trip!

Our trip started in Lanai. This was, of course, the location of our engagement on day 1. We stayed in a beautiful resort at Manale Bay.



We spent only two nights in Lanai and most of our time was spent at the pool, beach and looking at my ring ;). It’s my ring at the ocean, it’s my ring at dinner, it’s my ring by this amazing flower, it’s my ring at the gym, it’s my ring on the bus...I wonder how long this phase will last. We lounged as if it were our jobs. I thought I would get bored and would need things to do, but nope, I was incredibly pleased to lay around like a bum, taking the occasional dip in the pool and nap.



We took a few hours to go to the beach with some snorkel gear provided by the hotel. Ofer went right in like a champ and swam around for a while seeing some of the first tropical fish we will be viewing on the trip. I stayed back to watch our newly purchased Cannon Rebel camera and to call my nearest and dearest friends and family to tell them about the engagement. I loved retelling the story and I felt so much love and joy from everyone we told.

Then it was my turn to head to the ocean as Ofer stayed back with the camera. It has to be said that water and I are not the closest of friends. I get thrashed around in water, it goes up my nose, down my throat, it makes me sea sick, it brings fish and leeches to nip at me. But dammit if I wasn’t going to give it my best shot. With snorkel and flippers in hand I hit the water. Soon after the water hit back.

I got all the way in but was having trouble mastering the gear without having a buddy in the water with me so I decided to call it a day and head back in, proud that at least I had gotten all the way in the ocean and didn’t wimp out at knee level which I usually do. The water was not pleased with this. I was then thrown around in the waves for the next while. My gear was forced of my hands and as I searched in vain for them there came another wave to knock me down. And just at that moment I realized that my lovely new fiance had been documenting the entire endeavor. Classy bride I was not. Water: 1, Shayna: Nuthin.



We met the sweetest couple the day after the engagement; Ross and Lisa. They were taking a much deserved vacation, just the two of them, as their incredibly adorable little girl was home in good hands with their families. We spend a lot of our time with Ross and Lisa, the men talking shop and the ladies talked about engagements, weddings and babies. Suffice to say we were both on cloud nine.

The boys were a great match as they headed off into the ocean in search of a group of dolphins that had been hanging around the beach outside the resort. They must of have stayed out in the water for at least 45 minutes. They swam from one end of the shore to the other as Lisa and I kept an eye on them talking about all the reasons why we would do nothing of the sort ourselves (unknown ocean life below us, rip tides, jagged coral) I knew that Ofer has been a swimmer for a long time and I had seen him swim many times before but I was impressed at both Ofer and Ross’s ability to swim in the ocean for so long without seeming the least bit exhausted. Ross and Lisa were a wonderfully down to earth, engaging and loving couple. We genuinely hope we will see them again and are planning on keeping tabs on where they are in their lives.



After our two days on the serene island of Lanai, Ofer and I took a boat to our second destination: Maui.

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