Aloha Hawaii, goodbye Coachella Valley. The Lady Arabs varsity softball team traveled to Hawaii on March 2, 2008. A five-hour plane flight seemed like eternity, but it was all worth it when the team first set foot on Honolulu, Hawaii.

“Hawaii is a beautiful place. Everyone had the opportunity to see the island. We went to a lot of beaches and it was the experience of a lifetime. Most of all I enjoyed getting to know my teammates well,” says Arcelia Vidana, a senior.

Getting this trip to happen was not an easy task. “We had to raise $20,000 to make this trip happen,” says Coach Paul Salow. “We raised the money with fundraisers and donations. We also had some left over money from our club account from last year. I decided to take them to Hawaii again because two years ago we did not get to do the things we planned because it rained a lot.”

Getting to scrimmage against three different softball teams in Hawaii was a great opportunity for the girls to check out the competition, from a different state. “I enjoyed playing the other teams; they were very competitive, and also very nice to us,” says senior Shileen Perea. The CV softball team got to compete against Kailua, Castle, and Kapolei high schools.

Going to Hawaii was a great experience for most of the girls; not only did they go to play, but also to experience the cultural aspects of the island.

“The thing I enjoyed the most about the trip was getting to go snorkeling because it was the first time I had ever done something like that,” says Amber Galindo, a junior.

Christina Ramos, a junior, had something similar to say, “I enjoyed the snorkeling the most because we got to see the colorful fishes up close.”

“Our trip was very fun. It was a great experience because we got to see a whole bunch of stuff we would have probably never seen. Some places we went to were Pearl Harbor, University of Hawaii, snorkeling, and too many beaches. This trip I can say I’ll remember forever,” says junior, Celina Alba.

Stephanie Garcia, a junior, says, “I enjoyed getting to know all the girls, and going to the beaches with them. It was a blast!”

Coach Harding also got to travel to Hawaii with the softball team. “This was a business trip first and foremost. These girls were given the opportunity to get behind the scenes, look at what the state of Hawaii is all about within its people and culture. Making new friends from opposing teams will give these girls a chance to remember this trip forever. Can you say, “Aloha na ke oi” [hello and goodwill]?