Ahhh, the trip I never knew I needed to take! On the way to our new home in the Marshall Islands we were lucky enough to extend our layover and stay in Honolulu for a couple of days... boy do I wish we could have stayed forever. As a newbie to the islands, The Laylow was the perfect home base for our time on Oahu. Of course, we spent most of our time wandering back alleys leading to the beach, soaking up the sunshine atop our towels and laying in the sand while the waves crashed at our feet. Even so, I was always super excited to return back to our hotel.

I stumbled upon The Laylow's insta-feed while frantically stalking anything that might prepare me for the awesome three day Hawaiian vacay ahead and was immediately smitten. Mid-century modern meets island vibes are right up my alley and I knew we needed to book a room ASAP. A cute little coffee spot for my morning java, an epic pool and the Hideout (a rooftop bar / restaurant with ahhh-mazing Hawaiian style eggs benedict) sweetened the deal.

Our room was comfortable with two king-sized beds (perfect for jumping) and came equipped with a ukulele for strumming and a basket of goodies to get us in the island spirit. I definitely enjoyed the pineapple soda and squirreling away sweet little branded post cards to send home or display as a reminder of our trip.

Perfect pool sitch? You bet!

Taking a trip to Waikiki? I couldn't recommend The Laylow more!

supplemental images via omfgco

We've got an incredibly busy week ahead of us but it's all slated to end on the gorgeous beaches of Waikiki (trust me, the thought of laying on a white sand beach is the only thing getting me through during this seriously stressful time). Instead of trying to play catch-up on the blog while movers swirl around me, I'm stepping away from my office for now. I'll meet you on the other side of the International Date Line with tropical city guides and a new address in tow! Want to keep up while we explore Honolulu? Be sure to follow along on Instagram (I'm sure I'll have a ton to share)!

photo via Matlida Djerf

To say that I'm excited for our trip to Oahu is an understatement! I've never been to Hawaii before and I can't wait for a few days spent lounging in the sun with something cool to sip on and some fun in the waves. By this time next week we'll be on our way to Honolulu and I'm pretty deep into planning it all out / packing for the trip.

We'll be on the island of Oahu for a brief three day extended layover between the mainland and our new island home. So far our plans are shaping up to be mostly relaxing with a bit of activity thrown in for good measure. Since we're pretty sure we'll be back to The Aloha State a couple of times per year, there's no pressure to cram everything in during this particular vacay. We probably won't even make it to the North Shore. We've booked THE CUTEST hotel, The Laylow, and I can't wait to explore the grounds (a cafe, bar/restaurant and live music every night) and lay by the pool.

So far, here's what I have on my must-do list:

- explore The Laylow
- hike Diamond Head National Park and take in the view
- chill out on Waikiki Beach
- enjoy a luau (Lorelai is so excited for this!)
- visit Arvo for coffee
- hunt for treasure at the flea market
- check out the Polynesian Cultural Center
- beat the jetlag

for my suitcase