Every country in the world before I Die....

I always loved the thought of Romance. A dazzling, tall, brunette, in tails whisking me round the dance floor of a hotel ballroom in Paris. Rose petals in marking a footpath to the bedroom, candles, and champagne. A private jet to tour the world, stopping in every continent with the man I loved. Wake up!

After a week on the island of Oahu I was celebrating the end of a 10-week business contract in the States. I woke up to that beautiful, tropical Hawaiian sea breeze. The one that makes you smile as you wake and thank the universe for being so spoilt. The sun was shining and its warmth, even at 6am just makes you feel ‘home’.

Today I was off to the beach and then Pearl Harbor. The beach was so relaxing and comfortable that I didn’t leave for Pearl Harbor until 2ish. Taking the bus in Hawaii isn’t a bad idea as for an island paradise the traffic is obnoxious. A lack of major highways sees traffic jams as the norm, so I would rather take the bus and spend that time reading a book rather than boring myself to tears driving the car – nowhere.

When I finally arrived in Pearl Harbor it was closing for the day at 4.30pm. Bugger! Now I had to wait for another bus to take me all the way back into Waikiki! By the time that ride was done I was in need of a may Tai! Hawaii’s famous drink of preference – amaz-ing! I found myself at the beach bar of the oldest hotel on the island – the Moana Surf Rider – a legendary landmark dating back to 1901. The sun was setting, the entertainment were playing ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow” on their ukuleles and life was perfect.

That’s when he appeared. A tall brunette American. Out of nowhere. He sat down next to me and ordered a…yes a mai tai and then without saying a word, turns his body away from me to face the ocean. Um, excuse me?! I am thinking. How do I get his attention without being obvious? “Excuse me sir”, I say to the barman, in a really loud voice. “What are they doing out there in the ocean?” “You don’t know what paddle boarding is?!” says the American. Yes! Planned worked, I think to myself.

At that was it. We were hooked. From that night on for three years now he has been my dazzling, tall brunette. My romantic holiday romance. From Hawaii, to Alaska, to Paris and New Zealand. That one moment of asking about paddle boarding has led to one of the most incredible, beautiful and most romantic relationships that ever existed. God Bless Hawaii ?