All for the 'Gram

One of my favorite family vacations was when my parents, brother and I went to Hawaii for two weeks. One of those weeks was spent on the Big Island. The Big Island has a lot of really interesting things to do and sights to see. There are volcanoes everywhere, and the terrain is littered with black volcanic rocks. A lot of people choose to go to the other Hawaiian islands because they are more colorful and scenic, but I would argue that the Big Island has a ton of unique and interesting features which you can't find anywhere else. However, one downside is that there aren't a lot of people inhabiting this island. My family and I didn't think much of it at first, but we would soon realize what a challenge this would pose.

The first day on the Big Island, my family and I went sightseeing. There was a beautiful sunset that I was determined to get some nice pictures of to show to my friends and post on social media. I decided to venture further out into a field of volcanic rocks so that I could have the best quality lighting in my photos. Unfortunately, I'm not that graceful, so I did end up tripping and falling. I sat there for a minute, kind of dazed, but I felt fine. Suddenly, my dad came barreling towards me, exclaiming that we needed to get to a hospital and asking me if I was able to walk. I didn't notice it immediately, but when I looked down at my foot I realized that my shoe was completely soaked in blood. It didn't really hurt, but the combination of my dad freaking out and the sight of blood gushing out of my foot caused me to also start panicking and believe I was dying even though I was still in no pain and completely fine otherwise.

As my dad and I were both freaking out, my mom tried to find the nearest hospital or someone nearby who could help us. However, because there are very few people on the Big Island, the nearest hospital was 1.5 hours away. So, my family and I sat on the side of the road for some time, praying that a kindhearted soul would pass by and offer assistance. Thankfully, a woman eventually saw us while hiking and agreed to help. She had a first aid kit in her backpack, and I was able to successfully disinfect and bandage my wound. My entire family spent the rest of that trip making fun of me for tripping and injuring myself.

I still have a scar on my foot from that incident. But aside from that hiccup, I got to ride in a helicopter, go zip-lining, and make so many more memories with my family on that trip. I learned to appreciate the unique features that every place as to offer, and now I make a point to bring a first aid kit when I go on vacation. I really hope to go back to Hawaii one day because of the beautiful landscape and endless opportunities for fun. I just hope that next time I'll be able to keep my balance.