A visit from the past

A friend from Hawaii came for a visit last weekend. It was an enjoyable visit. All the years we did not see each other seemed to have vanished. It was like only last week we said goodbye at Honolulu airport, yet it was 24 years ago. Suddenly all the Honolulu city lights bringing back all the memories. Memories of friends who skinny dipped in the blue pacific ocean. Memories of the party nights on the windjammer off the fishermen wharf. Memories of the trips to Maui and Kaui, sneaking the weekends away without the knowledge of my supervisor. Memories of the surprise find of a nude beach on Kaui. Memories of walking fully clothed on that beach and memories of seeing a professor you knew on a gay beach. Those beautiful bodies!!
And I was young again once more!!
Those days when I was young and invincible, riding a bus with bikini clad women and shopping in Ala Moana Mall in my swimming costume and Anne, my dorm mate in her skimpy bikini. Eating at Keo's and Mekong restaurants and licking Baskin and Robbins icecream cones, those days seem to float back in my mind.
My friend Ruth was on her way to a conference in Orlando Fla. decided to swing by and pay me a visit. Although it was a very short visit, it was a very enjoyable one. We caught up with all the years in between. We talked about those colleagues that have retired and those who are still there (East-West center) and i can still picture those faces I left behind.
Over a box of hawaiian Host macademia chocolates, we talked about those "swap meet" that we could buy a sack full macademia nuts for a few dollars. We talked about the "pakalolo" guava juice that I loved so much. wonder if they really have 'pakololo' in the juice. We talked about the 'kalbi' over rice at the food court in Ala Moana and the the korean kimchi.
Wished she could stay longer and we could talk forever.