I’m currently sitting at 36,000 ft. above the Pacific Ocean on a Boeing 777, in the middle seat of the middle aisle, my arms crammed against my sides as I try to eek out a few words as fast as the perspiration flowing due to these cramped quarters.

Laura found a family run parrot sanctuary that was kind enough to give us a tour of their rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

Today I learned: the television show “Hawaii Five-O” got its name because Hawaii was the fiftieth state admitted to the Union, NOT because “five-oh” was some sort of common radio code for police officers. After the show aired, the term “five-oh” became slang for cops.

Also: saw a coffee plantation, lava flows, a black sand beach, the small green rocks that make “green sand,” an orchid farm, a macadamia nut factory, waterfalls, botanical gardens, popsicles, views, and the diverse landscape of Hawaii.

I’m currently in Hawaii on vacation. This is the farthest I’ve ever been from Cincinnati, the longest sequence of flights I’ve ever taken. Yet, I’ve still never left the borders of the United States.