A Christmas holiday without my brother C.J.

I have 9 years on my younger brother and although we are years apart, we are super close. In fact, our family, as a whole, is a close knit one. This year was the first year in 22 years that C.J. has not been home during the Christmas holiday. My brother began his Peace Corps journey back in August and will spend the next two years serving a village in Senegal. It was strange to see his stocking hanging, knowing I wouldn't see him in person. My parents and I were able to Skype with him a few times during the two weeks I was home. Our last conversation ended with my parents and I deciding we would plan a trip in November or December to visit him in Senegal for two weeks.

That said, mom, dad and I made the most of our two weeks together. This is the first of our adventures. My dad had to go to Oahu for a day trip to do a survey on a boat. Being the thoughtful, generous person he is, he bought both mom and I a ticket to join him on the island for the day. Mom and I ended up eating wonderful food at the Down To Earth grocery store that had an amazing spread of both hot and cold vegan items. We then decided to spend the bulk of our time together checking out the local Foster Botanical Garden. It was a beautiful landscape of trees, flowers and other interesting foliage.

When my dad was done, we headed to a place called The Peace Cafe and a friend from high school, who lives on Oahu, joined us for lunch. Visiting another island, something I have not done in years, was a great way to start my holiday vacation home.