...I had no idea what I was in for

After my year abroad, studying in Japan, I had the brilliant idea to head to Hawaii before going back home. I mean, the islands weren't that far away from Japan and I got tickets for a reasonable price. The plan was to head from Japan to Kauai, where Mary lived, spend a week or so there and then head to Estonia. Seemed like the perfect plan: to have a magical vacation before facing the harsh reality of being back home. I got the tickets, packed my bags and headed to the airport on the day I was supposed to leave. I even got and ESTA application so that I could stay in the US for a maximum of 90 days without a visa. Everything was going perfectly... until I got to the airport in Nagoya.

So, apparently the check-in lady had a hard time understanding what my plan was.

'So... You go to America?'

'Yes, to Hawaii. To visit a friend.'

'Ok. So... When you come back?'

'Uh... I won't. I'm going back to Estonia after visiting Hawaii.'

'But you don't have ticket back to Japan?'

'No, because I won't be coming back.'

'So... you staying in Hawaii? You have visa?'

'Ummm... no. I will go back to Estonia. Can't you check my reservation? I am going to Hawaii, then to Estonia.'

'Oh, okay. I will check.' A few moments later. 'Ah, I'm sorry but you have not bought ticket back to Japan.'

'Yeeees, I know. Because I will not be coming back. I will go to Estonia after visiting the US.'

'Ah, sorry! So you live in US?'

'No, I live in Estonia. You have my passport!'

'So... you go to... Esu... Osu.. Australia?'

'What? No! Estonia! Not Australia! But after I visit Hawaii!'

'Ah, excuse me for a moment.'

So I wait there, not even sure what's going on. I mean, it can't be that hard to understand that I'm leaving one country, visiting another one on my way home and then heading back to Estonia. So the nice lady returns and apologizes several times before going:

'Sorry, we can't print ticket to Estonia yet.'

'Yeah, that's fine. I won't need them for another week. Can I just get my ticket to Hawaii?'

'Ah, but where you live in America?'

.....what? Apparently you need to give them an address where they can contact you before you can enter the country. Who would've thought... They asked me for an address on the ESTA application but it wasn't demanded of me so I didn't think it mattered much. So after texting Mary and getting her address, writing it down on a little piece of paper the check-in lady gave me, I thought I was about done. I was wrong.

'Okay, here is your ticket and your bag go to Estonia.'

'Uh... What? No! I need my bag in Hawaii! Didn't we just settle this?'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I go ask.'

A couple of 'lost in translation' moments and many 'sorry's later they finally kind of got what my plan was. At least I think they did - I was still a bit unsure when I left them smiling awkwardly but I hoped for the best. After all, I had my tickets and they assured me my bags would be waiting for me in Hawaii. Great!

The flight was... less than perfect. For some reason the flight from Oahu to Kauai was super cold and I was freezing my ass off in the semi-arctic climate of the airplane. But before I knew it I was in Kauai where everything was vibrant, alive and so colorful it took my breath away. Mary was taking about all the amazing places she wanted to take me and I felt like I'd entered paradise. I never honestly thought that I would ever get to go to Hawaii but there I was. In the flesh... I couldn't wait for the amazing adventures the island had in store for me. 

Or maybe I could... The first place Mary decided to take me was Wailua falls. 'Yay! Waterfalls!' I thought like the naive child I was. 'What could go wrong around a waterfall?' I had no idea what was in store for me. A lot can go wrong near a waterfall. You could die getting to one. So, one morning we - me, Mary, her brother Carter, his girlfriend Caitlin and Kaia, Mary's dog - headed to Wailua falls for a nice refreshing dip. It sounded great. We packed our bags with snacks and beer, took an inflatable float with us and started driving. I remember being super excited. Carter and Caitlin were going to rappel off the falls - I didn't really know how they were going to do it but didn't put much thought into it. It was their hobby - I was just going there to relax. 

After like 30-40 minutes in the car we pulled over at a lookout spot and Mary announced that we'd arrived. Really? I could hear the waterfall but couldn't see anything. I looked up at the mountains surrounding us but couldn't see anything. Weird. We got out of the car and I could finally hear the waterfall but still couldn't see anything... until I looked down into the gaping chasm right in front of us. Oh... there it was... Now I understood Carter and Caitlin's plan. But that didn't explain how me, Mary and Kaia were going to get down there... I mean, the whole area was fenced off, with 'Danger' and 'Stay Out' signs everywhere and the occasional dead body of a fallen hiker sprawled out next to the road to serve as a warning. Okay, I might have made up that last bit but there was a fence and numerous warning signs.
Apparently, in Hawaii warning signs are for losers and tourists. And disregarding the fact that I was both, Mary dragged me through a whole in the fence, onto the edge of the chasm and told me we were going to hike down. 'How?!' was my first thought. The 'trail' went straight down and even the dog - nimble and confident - looked like she was having none of it. I have no words to describe the horrifying gaping abyss that was staring back at me as if it wanted to take my soul. It probably did.
We tried to get down using the path in front of us but that was too steep even for the locals, so we went around... crawling over branches and roots and trying to ignore the fact that there was a 100 meter drop right behind our backs. The way down was the most terrifying hike I'd ever taken. At certain points there were some ropes tied to trees that you could use to slowly make your way down, moving backwards to avoid looking at the chasm. Then there was the mud that made the hike even more slippery and difficult than it already was. Then came the rocks and roots that were trying to trip you up... And did I mention I had to do all that while carrying a backpack filled with beer and snacks? A backpack that kept sliding off and messing with my balance. My balance isn't very good on the best of days and this... this wasn't even a mediocre day. It was hell! I was terrified for my life the whole time so that when we reached the part of the trail that was basically flat I was still holding on to tree branches and vines for dear life.
'You do realize the ground is flat here, right?' Mary asked me while looking at me like I was a maniac cradling an imaginary baby, as I was slowly inching my way forward.
''I know! I just don't care, okay! I might still fall!'
I didn't though and in a few minutes I was down. It felt like the climb had lasted forever, where in reality it probably took like five minutes. But it had been the longest five minutes of my life. Was it worth it, though? Yes, yes it was. The pool was beautiful and the water just perfect to cool off in. The place looked like something out of a movie. Floating in the water and looking up at the falls I felt like I'd been transported to some sort of magical universe filled with fantastical creatures and probably unicorns. For some reason I was also reminded of the Jurassic Park movies... Everything looked so beautiful it was almost unreal - even the wildlife was something I'd only ever seen in movies. I could hardly believe I was there.
The climb back was much easier and less terrifying. For me climbing up has never been a problem since I can always grab onto something. Going down, however, is just the worst. So when we started going back I had no trouble making my way up the steep hill and back to the car. Sure, I was still a bit slow because I'm unaccustomed to climbing in general but I managed. The next day though... Well, let's just say my legs were not very happy with me. And even getting into and out of my bed was a challenge. I didn't even know your legs could hurt in so many different places in so many different ways...