It’s Monday. I’ve got a few days untill having to go deal with TSA at the airport and all that stuff. I’m already sleepless, the whole process is just terrifying. I could travel without any luggage, anything in my pockets, having only leggings and a t-shirt – and I would still sweat rivers thinking they are going to find some reason to arrest me on the place – with being arrested is the better of things that could happen. Yes, I have a horrible fear of this whole thing.

Together with all this, my… I don’t know how to call it… very high displeasure with and discomfort I feel when being touched by basically anyone makes a pat-down the perfect horror-movie scene for me. My pulse races like crazy, I sweat, I want to cry (even though the tears, luckily, never come – but the expression on my face makes up for it), I panic – all that makes it probably look even more suspicious. Trying to get used to it haven’t worked yet, but I’m working on that.

So, obviously, I was trying to figure out exactly what I can and can’t bring in my carry-on. I asked my host mum – the family I live with flies quite a lot – a few things. Now, because I’m going to be camping on both islands, I need a stove. Ha, ha, ha… good luck with that. I was a hundred percent sure I wasn’t going to be able to bring it on board. But was told that there should be no problem with having it in the checked luggage.

Well, good thing I checked with the airline and then the TSA website! If I try to bring this essential piece of equipment – and am caught doing so – I can get ready to pay quite the amount of money ($330 to over $1000) – and, firstly, I don’t have that much money to spare and, secondly, I don’t feel like sending the aeroplane spiral down into the ocean in case the stove should act up. I’m terrified enough already.

So that makes surviving on cold foods on the Big Island and probably stopping by in some camping-gear store on my way from the airport on Kauai, where I’m staying longer and am sure I’ll appreciate something warm for dinner after running the whole day in rain.

Problem partly solved, I have no idea what to eat during my first part of the trip – but there’s still a few days left to figure that out.

The next problem that has arisen; I don’t own a free-standing tent (and am in no situation when I could afford to buy one). And, on the Island of Hawai’i, if I want to sleep in a tent, all the sites where I’ll be staying require it to be a free-standing tent. Well, sleeping under stars it is then! So far, it should rain only one of the evenings there. Yay!

I don’t mind sleeping under stars – it’s one of the most amazing things to do (unless, of course, thunderstorms, hails, snow,…). I don’t have any problem with the potential light rain, I have a problem with people. Hopefully, nobody will want to check on that huge caterpillar of a human in a sleeping back laying alone in the sand!

So, here we go! Hawai’i, I’m so (not) ready for you!

PS: The next two Monday posts are going to be “scheduled” which means it depends purely on the system to publish them. If I mess something up while scheduling, please be patient until I come back home, scold myself for being an idiot and then publish them manually.

Love,

Pina

You can find me and follow my adventure on Instagram! (if I happen to have any kind of service by chance.)