North Shore Sunset

Not all changes in the North Shore were bad, or maybe I should say, unwelcome. Even though we found ourselves back at our old favorites – Ted’s, Giovanni’s, and Matsumoto’s – we loved the range of new food options that didn’t exist eight years ago.

Maybe it’s the Texan in me but I always think that the best food after a day spent at the beach or out in the sun is Tex-Mex or Mexican food. So when we found a food truck selling just that we immediately pulled up, grabbed a bench, ordered enough food for five people, threw back a couple cold drinks, and watched yet another amazing Hawaiian sunset.

Nachos, tacos, mini cups of spicy hot sauce, guacamole…yes, yes, yes, and yes! Tex-mex is one of my favorite comfort foods, along with homestyle Viet…hamburgers…chicken wings…cheetos… So pretty much any food comforts me, I guess.

After dinner we debated whether or not we should return to our (hot) cabin and hang out or if we should maybe grab a drink somewhere in town. Sly suggested we catch a movie which, after camping out for several days, sounded like the most foreign and luxurious idea ever. Popcorn! Air Conditioning!

Mostly we just cared about the air conditioning.

We checked the movie times, found a movie we both agreed on (Mission: Impossible -Rogue Nation) and then drove to the nearest theater 22 miles away. The strip mall movie theater felt like any other theater in any other American suburb, and wonderfully so. I think it was the first time it felt like we were back in America after seven months. Strip malls, movie theaters, A/C, popcorn, ice cold coke. Yup, we were home at last.

The real show however occurred on the drive to the theater. From inside our car, as we sped alongside farms and old plantation fields, we witnessed such a vibrant golden sunset. I barely recall the plot of the movie we saw that night (I’m guessing Tom Cruise fought bad guys, smiled, and took his shirt off at some point), but this sunset, I think I’ll remember forever.