Swim-up bar dreams were crushed.

WHERE: San Juan, Puerto Rico
WHEN: March 2009
WITH: Diana
WHY: Spring Break

MEMORIES:
-We got really, really burned.  It was pretty bad.
-They were filming a Disney Channel movie with Selena Gomez at our hotel, thus closing off part of the pool that included the swim-up bar.  It actually became an annoyance.
-Visiting Old San Juan - some pretty buildings.
-Visiting the rainforest.  We saw some other people filming a movie with Johnny Depp.

It got a little bit cold...but those hammocks were nice!

Selena Gomez filming Wizards of Waverly Place movie.

Fortress or something in Old San Juan

Rainforest - see...we were burned.

"Sir, you forgot your Whataburger!"

WHERE: Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Galveston, Texas & Montomorosa, Mexico
WHEN: March 1996
WITH: Family
WHY: Spring Break, also to visit my parents' friends Lou and Larry (and their kids).  

MEMORIES:
-Not a lot, to be honest.  Lots of pictures, though; memories beneath.

Feeding seagulls from our balcony - they would catch the bread in mid-air.  What nimble birds!

Mexico

I thought is was so funny that there was a fast-food place called "Whataburger."  While we were at one once, some man asked us for money.  Mom declined, but said she'd buy him a burger.  He agreed.  I guess it took too long because he was walking away when they came out with the burger and Lou, in her heavy Texan accent yelled, "Sir, you forgot your Whataburger!" Mom and I found that amusing.

San Antonio

On USS Lexington

Dental office on USS Lexington.

San Antonio Mission

Texas Aquarium

Horseback ride on Mustang Island

Lou and Larry Radney.  They lived in Japan the same time my parents did.

Please note: Mickey Mouse "shorteralls."

Fishing at the Radney's beach house in Galveston.  I didn't actually catch anything, but I do remember some fish biting.

Sibling love.

More sibling love.

Free detour.

WHERE: Washington D.C.
WHEN: March 1998
WITH: Dad, Mom, and Diana
WHY: We got bumped on our flight coming home from Europe so we got to spend an extra day in D.C.

MEMORIES:
-It was the Cherry Blossom season/festival!  So pretty.
-Europe was pretty cold, but it was SO HOT here.  I remember wearing my flowy pants.

Windmills, cheese, and flowers.

WHERE: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany
WHEN: March 1998
WITH: Dad, Mom, and Diana
WHY: Spring Break

MEMORIES:
-1st time to Europe.
-Rijksmuseum
-Lots of bikes
-I was so incredibly tired once we got there...we took a canal boat to see the Anne Frank house and I remember falling asleep before my head hit my mom's lap.  I also remember really liking the visit to Anne Frank's house.
-We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Amsterdam...which was essentially this old lady's house.  Dad had to speak German to her.
-I liked going to Edam...a cheese town.  I remember trying some new cheeses but not being brave enough to try the really strong cheeses.
-Waiting late at night at a bus station and seeing drug deals take place.  They had blue lights in the bathroom so that people couldn't find their veins to use needles.
-We stayed with our friend Louise Gregory (she was my older siblings' 5th grade teacher) and her (then) husband Sjaak.  We went to dinner in Germany.  Diana and I were craving the American cereal we saw on top of Louise's fridge, but Sjaak insited we have a traditional Dutch breakfast.  We were pretty disappointed, ha.
-My big souvenir was a small clock-locket on a long chain.  My mom spoke French to a lot of the jewelers to ask if they had them.  I still have it and wear it occasionally.
-Going to a flower auction - so pretty to see all those flowers!
-Seeing windmills and touring one.
-Learning about pewter.
-Using our umbrellas a lot.
-Cities we visited: Amsterdam, Volendam, Edam, Brugge, Brussels, Luxembourg City, Clervaux, Liege, Maastrct, Heerlen, Brusnum, Aachen, Valkenburg, and Aalsmeer.
-Food I remember eating: dutch pancakes, lots of baguettes with peanut butter mom brought, orange fanta, smurf cookies, genuine Belgium waffles (so good), chocolate, and traditional bread/cheese European breakfasts.

Oldest home in Amsterdam.

Lady whose "bed and breakfast" we stayed in.

Edam cheese in Edam. 

Working windmill in Edam (someone's house).

Brugge

Chocolate shop in Brussels.  I bought my older siblings a hollow chocolate egg that was full of different chocolates.  I'm sure it broke on the way home.

"Manneken Pis" 1619, Brussels

Luxembourg City

Castle Cleraux

Waiting for the train...baguette in hand.

Louise and Sjaak's house.

Aachen

Inside a windmill.

Flower Market in Aalsmeer.

Look at all those flowers!

Aloha, Family

WHERE: Maui & Oahu, Hawaii
WHEN: March 1999
WITH: Family (Mom, Dad, Lanson, Amy, Kim, Mark, Darin, and Diana)
WHY: Spring Break

MEMORIES:
-1st time (for most of us) to Hawaii!  Lots of memories, we had such a great time...so many photos.  Memories will be underneath.

Waiting to take off!

Please note: Kim and Mark went tanning beforehand "so they wouldn't burn."

First time in the water - it was so warm!  Top 10 favorite family memory.

Being in Hawaii is tiring.

First time I had ever snorkeled.  Saw some great fish, and a sea turtle!  Made me feel claustrophobic breathing out of that tube, though.

Went sailing on a catamaran.  The guide, me, Kim, and dad went.  We sailed really far out and it scared me.  Then it was super windy and we almost flipped over the boat trying to turn around.  I was terrified at that point and couldn't wait to get back on land.

Happy to be back on land.  It was somewhat traumatizing for me.

Left to Right: Kim, Mark, Diana, Dad, me, Lanson, Amy, Darin, Mom

Darin climbs a coconut tree.

Whale watching trip - we were the only ones who wanted to brave the rocky boat.

Off of the Road to Hana

This ended up being our Christmas picture that year.

Shave ice.

Banyan tree in Lahaina.

I went through a horse-back riding phase...mom would find horse-back riding for me as often as she could when we went on vacations.  What a nice mom :)

Luau at Polynesian Cultural Center

Laie Temple

We went to dinner at Hilda and Roy Taguchi's home.  My parents knew them from when they lived in Okinawa.

I remember during the blessing on the food, Roy was so sweet and said, "we're grateful for this food prepared by the golden hands of Hilda Taguchi."  What a sweet man!