My Unique Trip to Hawaii

     Hi everyone, my name is Veronica Vera and I am going to discuss my trip to Hawaii and how I was able to witness the aftermath of the volcanic eruption that occurred in 2018. In 2019 my family and I took a trip to the main island and stayed at Kona, Hawaii. When we first arrived, we searched for our airbnb and decided to call it a day after our flight. We stayed in Hawaii for about a week and saw so many different sights. Kona Hawaii is the biggest island out of all the six islands but it is possible to take a trip around the whole island in a day, which is what we did. We took a hike through Akaka Falls in Honomu, Hawaii and saw the waterfalls. Everything was so green and beautiful and hearing the sounds of the surrounding animals was very calming. Once we were done with the hike, there was a stand nearby where a man was selling fresh pineapples and coconuts. We bought slices of pineapple and coconut water to quench our thirst from the hike. One day we had a delicious dinner while also watching hula dancers perform with the view of the sunset and the ocean in the background. We walked through the outdoor shops near the ocean and started to look for souvenirs to buy. Another day we went to different beaches and saw many animals such as sea turtles, fish, sea urchins, crabs and starfish. 

    While we were in Hawaii, my dad called one of his childhood friends that lived in Hawaii to let him know that we were on the island and they wanted to meet up. Once we got together, his friend told us about the most recent eruption that had occurred a year before our arrival. We were shocked to hear the news as we were unaware of the eruption. He told us how the lava from the eruption was close to his home but his house was untouched. However, he did tell us that many trees and homes were ruined and took us to see the destruction. When we got to the area where the lava had overtaken the land, we were appalled by what we saw. Where once used to be houses was now covered by black hardened lava and in some spots you can still see smoke arising from the ground because the lava was still hot, even after multiple months. There was a point where we could no longer drive on the road because it was entirely covered in lava. It was sad to see how a volcanic eruption can cause so much damage to the land as well as many peoples homes. It was also strange to see how on one side of Hawaii everything seems normal and fine while the other side is destroyed and has a completely different vibe.

    When our trip was over and had to head back home to California we knew that trip was going to be one we always remembered.