It’s my last full day back home on Oahu. Tomorrow (if weather and airlines permit), I’m flying back to California to say hello to my cat, Cow, and to spend New Year’s Eve up north in a cool Sea Ranch-style house in Point Arena.

I woke up at around 5:45 AM this morning (that’s 7:45 AM California time) so that I could log into work at around 8 AM.

Before that, though, I need to make a cup of coffee (okay, multiple cups). I go into our upper cupboards to find the Fildago grounds that my parents keep handy. I’m the only one who drinks regular coffee (non-decaf) daily, so I can make it as strong as I like. The black liquid that I pour into my cup—I’m still using my holiday mug—is basically rocket fuel.

I sip it and answer emails as I stare out at the Ko’olau mountains through our windows. I think about how my grandmother designed this house and how she made sure that my childhood bedroom upstairs maximizes this epic view.

My workload today is light. Most people have decided to take time off, so it’s quiet online. I work on some reports and prepare to walk the creative team through some email briefs, but otherwise, it’s slow.

What I’m really doing is waiting for my three-year-old nephew to arrive. He’ll come in with pounding feet, ready to do his favorite activity: ABC puzzles. Or perhaps he’ll demand to use the new playdough kit that he got for Christmas.

The white noise he creates is my favorite background sound. Singing songs in his soft baby voice or chattering about this or that. Sometimes he calls out my name “KELLEN” because he wants to show me something.

Today, when he naps, I’ll grab my and my mom’s surfboards down from our hand-built wood ceiling racks and load them into the back of my mom’s black four-seater truck.

My request to surf one last time was met with more enthusiasm than I expected. A group of us will gather at Castles, a small beach break in Kailua. The miniature swells will probably not even reach our waists, but that’s perfect for my sloppy paddling and unstable pop-ups.

Whether we end up catching anything doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that we’ll be partially submerged in salty water, clear and cool. My friends and I will be out there, half paddling as we chat about our days, watching as the families who frequent the spot take off on the mini breaks.

Then it’ll be time for one last family dinner. We’re making pizza with a kid-friendly kit I bought for my nephew for Christmas. His mom is bringing over guava chiffon cake (a special request from yours truly) from Liliha bakery.

And that’s it.

An epic last day on Oahu before spending the remainder of 2022 back in California.

Sometimes all you need is a bit of sun, unimportant conversations, and something sweet to create a perfect day.