Honolulu

Waikiki is an expensive mall with a beach that doesn't really justify the price tag. Everything around it is a chain restaurant and a souvenir shop. The beach itself is fine.

We went to a gay sports meetup outside of Waikiki, which was genuinely fun, until someone asked if we lived there. I had been actively avoiding the subject. The moment it came out that we were from the mainland, the vibe shifted. The message is pretty clear: stay in Waikiki where you belong.

To be clear, this isn't about being gay or being white. It's about being from the mainland. Hawaii has been overrun by tourism for decades and the locals have every right to be tired of it. I understand it. I just don't choose to go somewhere I feel like an imposition.

The contrast with San Francisco is stark. We love tourists here. They're always amazed by things we just walk past every day, and that energy is fun to be around.

More to write here.