Returning to paradise for the 2nd time in four years (and thus creating what we hope will be a long-standing tradition) Aires packed their bags this year and headed for beautiful Hawaii. Often the culmination of our year's work, and always our biggest single expense, The Aires endeavor always to make Spring Tour as memorable as possible, and this year was no exception.

We spent a total of 13 nights in the islands, both beginning and ending our stay in sunny Waikiki. We were once again hosted by the Sheraton Waikiki, one of the beach's premiere resorts, and spent five nights there, in exchange for one show per day in their lobby (a sweet deal, by all accounts). This year our stay coincided with that of a female a cappella group from Yale, who were kind enough to entertain a number of us with more than just their voices.

After our stay at the Sheraton, we split up, half the group flying out for four nights on Kauai, the other half remaining on Oahu, where they were hosted by '05 Aire Kekane "Fivo" Yuen's family. The Oahu group explored the locals morass of Hawaii life (downtown Honolulu is downright bizarre, like finding a forty block hunk of Cincinatti on a deserted tropical isle) while the Kauai group got in some hiking, sunbathing, and serious hot-tub time. Finally, we all met back once again in Waikiki for four final nights at the Ohana Reef Towers (a slight step down from the Sheraton) where the staff was atrociously rude and we shared the hotel with an entire high school marching band. We complained little though, for the $1 mai tais at happy hour downstairs and the all night-karaoke more than made up for the hotel's shortfalls.

To conclude the fun, we loaded on the bus and headed out to the Paradise Cove Luau, an over-priced, under-manned, over-advertised prostitution of native hawaiian culture featuring watered down drinks and unbearable singing acts. Never to be put off, a few enterprising Aires found their way to the secret punchbowls, and a good time was had by all.

All told, Spring Tour was everything we wanted it to be. Sunny, warm, beautiful, and a much-needed break from the crunch of classes and the drear of Hanoverian winter. I'm sure we all had the times of our lives. Even if some of us can't remember most of it.