"Incoming"

“Incoming”

January 17, 2018 0700 hrs, Waikiki hostel. I woke up to my vibrating cell phone alarm just as I have been for the passed few days. Glanced across the room in a sleepy haze to see if I had woke up my roommate from Vancouver, he was still snoring. I rolled out of bed and put on the same shorts I’ve been wearing since the trip had started. Walked down two flights of stairs and made my way to Waikiki’s main strip. It was dawn, the sun was about to rise over the horizon, the streets were just starting to come to life. I jumped on a grab and go bike parked next to the beach and peddled to Honolulu Coffee shop, this was my morning routine.

By the time I made my way from bed, to bike, to coffee it was around 0730. I rolled up to Honolulu Coffee, leaned my bike against the shrub just outside the door so I could see it. I ordered a latte with almond milk, an Acai smoothie bowl and two egg wraps for breakfast. Usually after coffee I would make my way to Crossfit Kuleana to workout before I went off exploring the rest of the island. I was sitting next to an American girl, drinking my latte, checking my phone to see what my friends were up to back home via social media, and enjoying every sip of that Kona coffee. This place was Paradise. At around 0800 hrs I noticed an expression of panic on the American girls face, we made eye contact, she raised her cell phone, showing me the screen and asked if I had received this text. I read the message, picked up my phone with some urgency this time and looked at the screen. “Incoming ballistic missile, this is not a test. Take shelter now”.

At this point, everyone was looking at their phones, the energy shifted from holiday relaxation, to frantic panic. The panic began to rise and rise as word spread, I looked outside to the street, the sun was up and the streets were in disarray, it was straight out of a Hollywood movie. Fathers running with their children in arm, wife in hand. People screaming and crying. The employees closed the shop down, every store was closed. The Waikiki main strip was on lock down. The streets emptied, it was quiet, I hadn’t met anyone yet, I was alone.

I grabbed my latte and half eaten burritos. Reality set in, if there was an incoming nuclear missile, nothing would survive on such a small island. Everything would be gone. I made my way back toward the hostel, slowly, looking at the sky, waiting too see something. Looking at the ocean, the beach, and the trees. It was a feeling I have never felt before. Time had stopped, I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t panicked, I was empty. I knew there was nothing I could do, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be alive and here in Oahu. I tried to FaceTime a couple of my friends but the connection was bad. I continued walking back to where I had just woke up over an hour ago. I laughed to my self in disbelief that this could actually be happening, my first trip to Hawaii and I'm going to be hit by a nuclear missile, what are the odds?

The feeling of acceptance, gratitude and being at peace with my life and what I’ve done with it was still with me by the time I made it back to my room. Everyone and everything was dead quiet. I started to pack my bags, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, I thought this was my last morning on earth, the last morning of my life. I grabbed my socks, underwear, and the rest of my clothes and stuffed them in my bag. I sat on my bed when I was done packing and waited. Thought of my family, friends, and everyone I have had the privilege of meeting in my life. My closest friends, friends from stunts, and new brothers and sisters from the Fire Department. I sat there and waited for 38 minutes and thought I was going to die, until the staff heard it was a false alarm. I turned on the news and watched, the reporter confirmed, It was a false alarm. As the word spread, the energy released. People slowly started to talk again, returning to the streets and the beach, but there was an eerie energy for the rest of the day. You could tell people were still on edge and uncomfortable. Officials reported that if there was an incoming missile strike that it would take approximately 11-12 mins to hit Hawaii from North Korea.

I eventually settled back into to the trip, enjoyed the rest of my time in Oahu even more, soaked in the culture, met so many amazing people, and did as much hiking as I could. Having the experience of thinking your time is up was humbling, it reassured me that I will not live forever, life is fragile and our time here is limited. So enjoy your experience, say I love you to your family and friends, appreciate the small things and make sure you take time to do what you love!

Overall, it was one of the best trips of my life and I will definitely return one day.

The end