Day 246: June 1, 2025 – Honolulu, Hawaii

After 8 straight days at sea, the sight of land stirred up a lot of excitement on the Odyssey. And not just any land, but (for many of us) our homeland. (There are 25+ countries represented on board, but in terms of numbers, the majority are American).

The ship’s entrance into Honolulu was captured by friends and family waiting on shore, and residents waiting to re-embark. A flurry of “we see you!” photos began arriving from them on our group chat as we made our way into the harbor. I especially love this photo, taken by my friend Ruthanne, of surfers watching us sail in. (Though I imagine they might be thinking, dude, you’re interfering with my waves😆).

This is our first stop in a U.S. port. For many of us, it has been over a year since we sold our homes, packed up our lives and ventured out into this unknown. Though we pride ourselves on being seasoned sailors by now, there is no denying the comfort of the familiar.

It’s a relief to be able to make a phone call without having to first figure out the country-specific exit code. No need to get local currency or do mental gymnastics to convert store prices. (Though Hawaii prices were a bit of a sticker shock!) Be able to converse with the Uber/taxi driver without Google Translate. Some of us made a beeline to the closest Walmart/Costco/Sam’s Club to stock up on essentials that proved difficult to find abroad, or a favorite brand of beverage. Others headed to pharmacies to stock up on prescription refills.

In a few weeks we will be off again to foreign lands, but for now the Americans on board are embracing this time in our homeland.