Alex McDonald Pro Triathlete

I am currently somewhere high over the pacific ocean as I write this. People who have been to Kona always talk about the “magic” in the atmosphere and the spirit of the Big Island. However, they never seem to mention the 14 or so hours of traveling that it takes to get there. Hawaii really is a very long way from the east coast of the US. My itinerary took me from Raleigh-Durham airport, to Charlotte, NC to Phoenix, AZ and then to Kona, which is really not bad, as many people have to fly through Honolulu and have yet another connection. The issues is that the flight from Phoenix to Kona is 6hrs, longer than many transcontinental flights in the US. Oh well, small price to pay to such a great adventure. All I can say is be ready for the long flight and bring plenty of water and a good book, (or Macbook as in my case). One more note, many airlines are charging $2 for a 16oz bottle of water, as a person who is morally and fundamentally against paying for water this can be annoying, to say the least, not to mention the fact I felt more than a little silly carrying on 4 bottles of water!