We had such a wonderful trip to Hawaii to visit my in-laws and attend a family reunion.
It's amazing how much change is all around us, yet how much things stay the same. The island of Oahu feels more and more cramped every time we visit. Many of our 'old' favorite eatery's have closed down to make way for a 'new' store. In the last 15yrs, Kmart, Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Home Depot, Circuit City, Best Buy and others have made their way to the islands. With this last trip, I learned that Whole Foods, Target, and Walgreens will also show up soon. The smaller 'Mom and Pop' shops are closing down...they just can't compete. It's scary to watch these gigantic retailers emerging on every corner, every spare piece of land. Yes, they have given the people of Hawaii more choices and competitive pricing... but come on, how much 'stuff' do we really need??
On a lighter note, there is still plenty of beauty all around. We enjoyed the beach almost daily, and did a little hiking. Noah loved being out in nature and exploring. Bella loved sitting on the beach, digging in the sand and occasionally sneaking a rock into her mouth.
We arrived home to cooler weather, a little rain, and a garden that somehow survived my absence. Yippeee!! Our first day home was spent doing laundry, grocery shopping, checking email, sorting snail mail, and unpacking. It's good to be home!
2 comments:
I'm glad you guys had a great trip. I can't believe Target is finally going in there after we leave. I do understand having all the commercial stuff take over, just here in Pacifica we have a Starbucks in the safeway and one right across the street from it in the same shopping center. We are trying to keep walmart out of here as well. Oahu is getting cramped from what it sounds like, bummer :(
I love it Noah is snorkeling, just like mom and dad. I can't believe how big Isabella has gotten! Beautiful!
Thanks for visiting with us, it was great catching up...you have a beautiful family and you're such a wonderful mommy! We look forward to seeing you guys again.
Post a Comment