Solo in the Aloha State: The Trip That Changed My Life and Ignited My Passions

I didn’t have a clear plan or know exactly what I was searching for when I boarded that flight to Hawaii. All I knew was that I needed to go back, even if I couldn’t fully explain why. Was I chasing something, or simply hoping to escape the familiar? Maybe a bit of both.

It was the summer between my junior and senior years of college. I’d been to Hawaii twice before—once for a weeklong vacation and again for a whole summer adventure—but this time felt different. Something was calling me back, and when I scored an internship at a hotel on the Big Island, I took the leap. With a mix of excitement and anxiety, I set off, ready to embrace whatever lay ahead.

Putting my new life together was a wild adventure in itself. I found an Airbnb in Hawi, right at the northernmost tip of the island, and managed to rent a car through Facebook Marketplace from a woman living in the Volcano area. My marketing internship awaited, though it was unpaid, so I picked up extra shifts as a hostess at a hotel restaurant to make ends meet. It felt thrilling to be on my own, living this “adult” life—but the truth was, I was also lonely.

In a moment of boldness (or maybe desperation), I downloaded Bumble BFF to try to meet some friends. I thought I’d end up connecting with a bunch of weirdos. (Little did I know, those “weirdos” would become some of my favorite people ever.) One of the first people I matched with was a girl who wanted to grab coffee the next day. I had some serious doubts, even thinking she might have a strange connection to my ex—but we laughed that off pretty quickly and clicked immediately.

She was incredible: adventurous, spirited, and temporarily living in a tent as part of a work-trade arrangement. The two of us were both new to the island, and we became each other’s partners in crime, navigating our way through Bumble BFF meetups and turning strangers into friends. What started as a simple coffee date blossomed into a summer full of unforgettable adventures.

We spent our days exploring like characters in our own island movie: beach-hopping, snorkeling at sunset, tanning under the endless Hawaiian sun, and sneaking onto boat charters just for the thrill. We kayaked through turquoise waters, played tennis, hiked to breathtaking views, worked out with palm trees as our gym backdrop, and discovered the island’s hidden gems together. Our nights were filled with bar-hopping, whispered secrets during sleepovers, and the kind of laughter that leaves your cheeks sore.

Those friends gave me confidence and strength I didn’t realize I was missing. That summer transformed me, leaving me endlessly grateful for the experiences and the people who shared them with me.

Hawaii called me back for reasons I couldn’t understand at the time. But now, I know that I needed to go there to find myself—and I did.