It should have been a disaster. If you look at my recent vacation on the surface, all you can see is what went wrong:

• I had accidentally packed the sunscreen in my carry-on bag — so we had to toss it and buy new.
• The flight from Washington, DC to Los Angeles was 9.5 hours late. You read that right — 9.5 hours. After a mechanical problem took 6 hours to repair, we sat on a runway for 1.5 hours, then the weather forced us to detour over Mexico, adding time and forcing our pilots to time-out. We were diverted through Phoenix, adding to the delay. The long delay meant that I missed the talk I was supposed to give and it cut short our touring time in LA, meaning that we didn't get to do several things we had planned.
• My bag arrived in Fiji a day late. (Apparently, the TSA decided that I was a risk and ran extra tests on it.) That meant that I had minimal clothing choices for my first day. At least I had the good sense to pack a swimsuit in my carry-on.
• Both my travel partner and I came down with colds, meaning that we had to change our activity plans.. That meant I didn't get to swim under a waterfall.
• The first 4 days in Fiji were cloudy and rainy with significant winds. That made ocean-kayaking quite challenging. (I overturned the double-kayak twice in about 5 minutes.) Paddle-boarding was right out.
• The shopping was astonishingly bad. All the stores we found had very generic souvenirs — not the sort of things I prefer to buy when I travel abroad.

But despite all of that, I have to say that I had an amazing time! I choose to focus on the many high points:

• I got to show my boyfriend Santa Monica — a place I lived for 6 wonderful years.
• I ate amazing food — from In 'n' Out Burger to the Border Grille to the masterful food from Nanuku's Chef Walter and staff to Carthay Circke at Disney's California Adventure.
• The best coffee I've ever tasted.
• Basil ginger lemonade.
• A wonderful couple's massage at the Nanuku spa.
• Long walks along the beach.
• Swimming in the ocean.
• Watching the firewalkers.
• An utterly gorgeous room (two stories with the most indulgent bathroom in history).
• A Jacuzzi on the beach.
• A wonderful kayak trip up a river into an unspoiled jungle. The only sounds were our paddles and birds.
• The sunset torch lighting ceremony.
• Live music at every meal — even breakfast.
• Learning how to weave a palm frond basket.
• The kava ceremony. (Kava is the non-alcoholic social drink of Fiji.)
• The fact that I got two (!) birthday cakes — one at Nanuku and one at Disney.
• The chance to celebrate Fiji Day with Fijians, including a flag ceremony and an afternoon of games.
• A chance to ride all my favorite rides at Disneyland and California Adventure, including 2 nighttime rides on California Screamin'.

But the absolute best thing about this trip was the people:

• My wananavu (Fijian for outstanding) travel companion.
• The amazing staff at Nanuku. They were willing to do anything and everything possible to make our trip enjoyable. I can't start naming staff or I'd have to name everyone.
• The two American guys who sell real estate at Nanuku and who welcomed us, even taking pictures of our farewell and emailing them,
• Our fellow guests of Nanuku. Special mention must be made of the adorable 5 year-old Australian twin boys, Liam and Hugo, and their lovely parents, Michelle and Chris.
• Our partners in crime: Mel and Tomasz, and Ekaterina and Andrew, from England and Russia, respectively. We spent every evening together, combining our tables for dinner, joining in an impromptu cocktail party and lovo (a Fijian luau) hosted by Ekaterina and Andrew, and sharing some birthday bubbly. Such lovely people that I wouldn't have met outside of this trip — yet we're already planning a meet-up in Moscow and Thanksgiving 2015 at my house.

I have to admit — I'd do it all again.