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Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008

We began our first morning in paradise by enjoying a cheeseburger... in paradise. The restaurant, that is. At 6:15 a.m. (read as: before the crack of dawn) a group of sleepy teenagers, some of whom did not arrive in Hawaii until 11 p.m. Hawaiian time last night, made their way to a quirky little restaurant called Cheeseburger in Paradise. Rest assured, mothers, we did not eat greasy cheeseburgers for breakfast. Instead, we were provided with a full breakfast buffet that included the most amazing fruit juice ever. Mr. Chumley says that he thinks there's some mango and some other tropical fruits in it, but I'm convinced that it was really just a cupful of sunshine and happiness. It was THAT good.

We appeared to be quite an impressive bunch as we walked around in our matching show shirts and mesh Thunderhawk shorts. We received much attention (and attracted many questions) from other tourists throughout the day.

After breakfast, we set out of Pearl Harbor. We spent some time viewing the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and U.S.S. Missouri from afar before viewing a riveting film about Pearl Harbor and World War II. The movie included footage of the U.S.S. Arizona's final moments, which was especially shocking to see.

We then visited the site of the sunken U.S.S. Arizona and the memorial dedicated to it. The mood was solemn as we crossed the harbor and headed towards the white memorial. A red wreath from Lakota East was left at the foot of the wall displaying the names of fallen Americans inside the memorial. Some students reflected in silence during their time on the memorial; others gathered around Mr. Whitt as he reflected on his memories of December 7th, 1941. We left the memorial as we came — in silent reflection.

A little after noon, the band played patriotic tunes — including our 2008 competition show — in front of the U.S.S. Missouri. The sound was impressive — it echoed off the massive battleship we stood in front of. After our performance, we took a group picture and enjoyed a picnic lunch before touring the U.S.S. Missouri.

For dinner, we visited a local park and had a traditional Hawaiian meal. The weather was beautiful throughout the day — it was sunny, but not too hot. Also, there was always a slight breeze from the ocean, which was absolutely fantastic.

After relaxing at the part for a little while, we parted ways. Some people chose to walk back to the hotel and shop on the way back and others chose to take the buses back to the hotel to enjoy the beach, pools, and shopping. Either way, we all enjoyed our free evening!

Tomorrow, we're off to hike up Diamond Head! Can't wait to see the view from up there (and I'm sure there will be some beautiful pictures to look forward to!)

Day One: Monday, Nov. 24

Aloha from Aimee!

I am pleased to report that as of 7 p.m. Hawaii time (midnight back in West Chester), about half of our flight groups have landed safely on the island of Oahu. The remaining flight groups are flying over the Pacific at more than 30,000 feet above the ground as I write, but by the end of the night, each band member, chaperone, director, and piece of equipment will have joined us here in paradise.

After time zone changes and a few flight delays, most of us can hardly believe that we left East only 24 hours ago! We all started out from the Indianapolis International Airport, but after that, Thunderhawks could be found all over the country, including in Minneapolis, Dallas, Detriot, Chicago, and Seattle.

When my flight group arrived at the beautiful Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, we were greeted in traditional Hawaiian custom with gorgeous purple orchid leis. After a quick briefing concerning tomorrow's plans (Pearl Harbor!) and safety, we were let loose to explore our new surroundings, to find something to eat, and to get some well-needed rest in a REAL bed (finally!).

Tomorrow, we're off to Pearl Harbor to honor our veterans and Pearl Harbor survivor Joe Whitt, who will be travelling with us for the rest of the week.