Women Who Wander: Riley McBride

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new Women Who Wander blog post! Today’s blog post is about my friend Riley and her recent trip to Hawaii. Riley and I met in high school, and over the last few years, I have watched this girl come out of her shell so much. She is one of the kindest people I have ever met, and I have been so inspired by her. I absolutely loved writing this blog post, and I hope you enjoy reading Riley’s story!

Her Backstory

Riley has been wanting to go to Hawaii for years. In fact, when I went back to Jacksonville after my gap year, five years ago, she reached out to me and wanted to hear about my experience. We sat in my bedroom talking about Hawaii, and it was so clear to me how much she wanted to go. I could also tell that she really wanted to know how she could go in a respectful way. 

Hawaii was something she frequently journaled about, and she truly felt like she manifested this trip. Over the last few years, she’s worked very hard through social media and was able to take this trip on her own dime, which made it even more meaningful for her. Riley has also struggled with anxiety, so traveling across the country by herself was a big proud moment for her. 

Where She Went

Riley spent a little over a month in Hawaii. She stayed in an Airbnb studio apartment in Waikiki. She loved being super close to the beach and found the area very walkable.  

Her Highlights

The highlight of her trip was shark diving. Sharks are something she’s always been afraid of, and confronting her fears face-to-face taught her that she has nothing to be scared of. When she hopped in the water, everything went silent, and she said it was such a beautiful moment. She even described the sharks as “super chill.” She saw 16 sharks and loved watching them do their thing (for those wondering, she went with Ocean Outfitters).  

Another highlight was when she was surfing in Waikiki one evening. The sun was setting, and she was taking in the beautiful ocean views and Diamond Head. Then, a sea turtle swam up to her and circled her for 10 minutes. She caught a wave in and started tearing up because the experience was so special. She expressed so much gratitude for this moment when she was talking to me, and I love how simple and beautiful this story is. 

Her Biggest Challenge

The hardest part of the trip for Riley was the time change. She never fully adjusted, and it threw off her eating schedule. She also struggled with not being able to talk to her family for half the day because of the time difference. 

Her Experience

Riley absolutely loved meeting so many new, amazing people and learning more about Hawaiian culture. She talked about how Hawaiians treat the island so beautifully, and I couldn’t agree more. She also talked about how kindly the locals treated her and how willingly they answered her questions. Even though she had educated herself before her trip, she wanted to learn more once she arrived. By putting herself out there and staying curious, she gained a deeper understanding of the land, the ocean, and what it means to respect both. 

Her Recommendations

• Foodland: I second this! You can never go wrong with Foodland Poke, and they are literally on every part of the island. She also described it as the Publix of Hawaii, which couldn’t be more accurate.
• Koko Head: Now this is a controversial one for me, but she had good reasoning. She said the views were amazing, but most of all, she felt so accomplished after reaching the top. It’s a hard hike, and despite struggling on the way up, she did it.
• Watching Pipeline: She said watching the waves and surfers at Pipeline was incredible and a must-do if you’re on Oahu.
• Pressed Juicery: She went here several times during her trip and highly recommends it for a refreshing treat.

What She Learned

Although Riley always longed to go to Hawaii, she always questioned when people would say that visiting is life-changing. Halfway through her trip, it finally clicked. She experienced a moment where she realized that she didn’t feel resentment toward anyone or anything. She feels like she is a completely different person now, with a deeper appreciation for the small things, a clearer perspective, and so much more peace. After facing some challenges earlier this year, this trip put things into perspective for her and taught her how small her problems are.

Her Advice

Riley’s biggest piece of advice if you want to do a trip like this is to go big or go home. This means saving up as much money as you can, because Hawaii is very expensive. Her second piece of advice is that if you’re planning a trip with other people, make sure they have the same intentions as you. She also emphasized unplugging to get the full experience. She used her phone mostly for photos and tried to stay present. Her last piece of advice (and my personal favorite) is to bring a journal. Writing about her experiences helped her stay grounded, and she’s grateful that she can revisit those entries in the future.

Riley is fully in her travel era, and if you want to stay up to date on her travels, go follow her on Instagram @rileyymcbride because she posts beautiful content!

Thank you so much for reading, and in case you missed my last blog post, click here to read it!