Hawaii Couples Vacation Recap with BFFs Aubrey, Wood & Max!
46m 18s
The hosts of RealPod recap a joyful, unplanned vacation to Hawaii with their best friends and partners—Max, Victoria, Wood, and Aubrey. The trip began unexpectedly when Victoria and Aubrey booked it without consulting Max and Wood, who discovered it only through a detailed PowerPoint presentation. They stayed at the Westin Hapuna Beach, drawn to its public beach access and lawn chairs—reserving them early to avoid conflict with locals who had long reserved them. A highlight was a real-life encounter with a man from New York who had protected his chairs for years, leading to a touching moment of shared serendipity. Personal quirks, like Wood’s strict sunscreen rules and Aubrey’s aversion to the beach, added humor and authenticity. Despite the lighthearted tone, a deeper emotional connection emerged through shared laughter, candid conversations, and mutual support—especially during group dinners and quiet moments. No actual arguments occurred, but a playful debate about life fulfillment percentages revealed how deeply each person values the others. The trip also highlighted the importance of shared, unstructured time and the emotional benefits of being together without obligations. The hosts celebrate the uniqueness of the experience, emphasizing authenticity, connection, and the joy of being fully present with friends and partners. The episode ends on a warm, reflective note, with plans for future trips and a heartfelt reminder of the value of real, unfiltered connection.
The following podcast is a Dear Media production.
in all of us. I crave the type of content that you're talking about. I actually felt insecure.
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Yay. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to RealPod. Joining me today,
and pinch me while I say this, here to talk about a couple's vacation is me,
my best friend, and my best friend.
My best friend's husband, his best friend, who's my husband. We're here to recap our most recent
couple's vacay, which was so much fun. I don't know how it's possible that I already missed
you guys and was super excited that we were going to do this. That was the best trip of
our lives. That was so fun. It was Wood's first time in Hawaii. Wood, what did we think?
It was great. I mean, it was nice to pop my Hawaii cherry, but it was great. I mean,
like I see all the hype. I see what everyone talks about. We can get into it more and you'll
hear more.
Okay, we're going to get into it. I love that little cliffhanger. Wood,
it's been a while since you've been on the pod. We've missed you on here.
I know. When was the last time? I remember I said long-time listener, first-time caller
last time I was on.
I think it was when we went to that wedding. We were in the same hotel room
to have a better bang for our buck in separate beds.
It was close quarters. It was the day after. It was a mobile pod studio. That's it.
Like I got like 20 words in that episode. So I've already reached more than the bedroom episode.
I need to go back and re-listen to that.
But okay. So I have a little list of like, you know, some questions we're going to go through
today. We're going to talk about our trip, who planned it. There was a little Mike White sighting.
We're going to talk about funniest moments. We're going to talk about if there was a trip
couples fight. Stay tuned to find out about that. And then we're going to answer questions
from our audience. So does that sound good with everyone?
Dude, I can't believe that there's actually an episode to recap this trip. I'm so stoked.
No, it's the way that like I'll slave away to get like mental health experts on all month. And this
is going to be a lot of fun. So I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to
the one that people enjoy the most. Okay. So how did the trip come about?
Obzy G, you want to take that one? Max and Wood were on a golf trip and
Victoria and I were left unsupervised for far too long on FaceTime and booked this entire trip
without them knowing or consulting them. And then they came home to a beautiful PowerPoint
presentation that we had put together for them. And the ending slide kind of just said,
okay, cool. I'm glad you guys are on board because it's already booked and paid for.
So, which we were grateful for. It did catch me by surprise a little bit. I was tired after that
golf trip. And then I got home to a full, Hey, can we FaceTime Vic? And I'm like, sure. Why not?
Well, you guys like loaded it up where like, we had no idea what was coming. Like I was thinking
there was a world where like, you know, it was like semi-serious or like something was about to
get dropped. And then it was like, Oh, vacation. I was like, hell yeah.
Could you imagine if we told them about our pregnancies at the same time?
It's kind of, that's what I was thinking. That's what I, it was something like that. I'm like,
we have devised a plan and a timeline that we're going to adhere to.
No guys, that's coming in the next couple of years. That'll be the next podcast.
And also Wood, was it a little shocking to you? Because we always joke, everyone listening that
in our relationship, I'm more of the type A, Max is more of the type B and in their relationship,
Wood's the type A and Aubrey's the type B. And we'll frequently find ourselves in situations where
me and Wood are in complete agreement and Aubrey and Max are in complete
agreement. So Wood, what was it like when Aubrey had said, I planned a trip?
All I had to hear was I was on FaceTime with Vic for four hours and I was like,
Oh, so Vic planned it. All right. Sounds good.
That is so funny, which leads me to the next topic, which is where did we go? Where did we
stay? So we went to Hawaii and we stayed at the Westin Hapuna beach. The reason is because Max
and I went to the Mauna Kea resort for his work trip a few years ago. And I had never been there.
Really a great experience. And so that's actually the first place Aubrey and I looked, but it was
fully sold out. And we have since learned that the people who go to Mauna Kea, like it's a cult,
like they love it. It's you can't get in. They have like room groups. Oh my God. It's similar
to Priest Lake. You have to, you get your next room for the next year, but you have to book it
like a year in advance or something for Christmas. And if you don't go the next year, you lose your
spot. So they're just running it back, baby. Decades upon decades. It's like a, it's like a
frat house. It's like, yo, who do you know a brother here? But then they get, they get squished.
Or they get squeezed when the kids grow up and they get significant others. You got too many
bodies. A lot of people stressing out during cocktail hour. They got to go down to the Westin.
Yeah. Which is maybe why they opened up the Westin. So we stayed there. The reason that I
was really passionate about this particular set of hotels is because in Hawaii, all the beaches
are public. I'm pretty sure. Fact check me. I'm pretty sure. Yeah. So if you stay at a hotel,
you're mainly like staying at a hotel to pay for pools. And I once stayed at like a really nice
five-star hotel with Natalie. And I was bummed. I was like,
I want to be at the beach. Like I didn't fly all the way here to just be at like this adult pool.
So I think what's really unique is that the Westin, Hapuna beach, and then the Mauna Kea
have like these lawn chairs on the beach. It still has public access, of course, but you at least get
to lay on a lawn chair by the beach that you didn't have to bring yourself. And so that to me was like
the deal breaker. Let's, uh, let's talk about the lawn chairs and the strategy there. Oh, wait,
the one that found out first that they go down to reserve them at like 4.00 AM. Who told us that?
I think one of your friends that you had run into there said they do that at the Mauna Kea.
Yes. That's crazy. They wake up at like 4.00 AM to put shoes on beach chairs to reserve them
because it's, it's that much of a hot commodity. So then the first morning of the trip,
Max and I woke up kind of early. And actually I will say I had put this on Max after doing all
the work that we did. I was like, tomorrow, I want you to wake up, please reserve the chairs.
I happened to wake up at the same time as him.
So I was like, I'll go, but you got brownie points for being willing to do that.
You were just up and at him. I was like, Whoa, what's going on? It was like, what a
6.00 AM alarm or something like that, but it was unnecessary. Like we were by far the first
people there. It was not, we were the first people there. I will say, wouldn't I were dead weight.
So thank you guys for reserving the chairs every single day. We all carried weight in different
ways, but we were awake anyway. So I go down and I reserve the chair. And then literally like 15
minutes later, a guy comes down. Wait, what was his name? What was his name? Vinny.
No, it was like, it was like bill from New York. No, it was like Dale from New York. Yeah. It was
like Mike or it was a quintessential New York name. And he just puts out his hand. He goes,
yo, Mike from New York. I got to say, no, one's ever beat me to these chairs. I'm really impressed
by you. I'm like, this was like, you could tell the night before, like, this is this dude's job
for his family. It's like alarm front row chairs. I've done this for the past 15 years,
seven years ago, I had to fight Karen on the beach. Cause she tried to drag my chair and he
was impressed. Every, every time I do this, the Yanks make the world series. So I got to keep
literally, he verbatim said, no one's ever beat me to these chairs. Where are you from? I'm like
California. He's like, oh, I knew it had to be California. So anyways, that was funny. And then
I was like, are your kids going to give you shit? Like we can switch chairs. And he was like, no,
no, no, it's fine. And then his daughter later in the day was a fan of Aubrey's. So that was
a fun. She said, hi. Yeah. She said, hi. Did I not tell you that? Yeah. It was very sweet. Felt,
felt serendipitous. Yeah. Great chairs guys. It was a full circle moment. She was like,
I love you guys. And I was like, we love your dad.
No, something in common. We've heard the law of your family. We love them. So, okay. My next
question says, who's the most high maintenance traveler of the group? Ooh, I might raise my
hand for that. I might give it to Wood. Wood is like so particular about sunscreen and it like,
it like ruins his trip if the sunscreen is not clear. And since we did not check bags,
Wood couldn't bring his own sunscreen. So we purchased every sunscreen available. I bought two.
I bought two different sunscreens and they were like. Two available. Yeah. They said,
oh, this will dry clear on your skin. And I was like, perfect.
That's all I heard about the whole trip. The sunscreen wasn't rubbing in.
I looked like Aubrey took a white paintbrush to my body.
Wait, in hindsight, that's actually really funny you address it because why do I feel like Wood
was always like 1% out and it was the sunscreen. It was the sunscreen. No, truly.
He doesn't like the environment. Sunscreen is supposed to be a protected environment and he's a
Yeah, I know. You know, I know the Hawaiian, the Hawaiians, uh, take care of their ocean.
No, he's an aerosol only guy, which just isn't environmentally friendly.
I can do a cream that dries clear, but when it starts drying white, I'm out.
He takes my unseen sunscreen for his body. I'm like, that's like $40 and it's for my face.
What's unseen sunscreen?
It dries invisible. That's the whole point. I want to just say I validate this Wood. And if there
was something annoying me, like someone chewing behind us all day, or if we were slightly in
chairs facing something weird, I would have been hyper fixating on it.
Yeah. Is that the only high maintenance thing we had? What else?
I'm not an ocean person. Is that how?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Aubrey went on a beach vacation and didn't tell me she doesn't like the beach.
Yeah, it's wild.
She likes the idea that there's a beach close by.
Love that.
Yeah. Palm trees. The sound of the waves.
The sound is lovely.
What is it? Is it the water?
and the
potential sharks is it the sand is it i don't like when sand dries on my feet it's my biggest
pet peeve i don't like the feeling just miss me with it i like being in the in the pool what about
water shoes yeah get you some i look i literally say they should make beach socks make beach socks
for me wait but can you just go into the ocean go back and like wash your feet with like the little
like you know hose situation oh there are plenty of solutions so many solutions none i'm willing
to take though yeah unfortunately and if she wore beach shoes i think she'd have to sit like six
chairs down for months you know well we did get her in the water i think once maybe twice but once
and then other than that max and wood had so much fun boogie boarding i was in the ocean yes we we
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who's the don't talk to me before coffee person i would say max is maybe the morning i don't know
morning guy we had a great morning setup though that was like the best morning vacation setup i
had get up get a little sweat situation whether it's gym or hike and then go straight to the
little buffet breakfast that was big time yeah we'd never been on a trip before with people where
we're all aligned i was trying to work on this on the trip it's like exposure therapy but i really
am most happy when everyone's doing the same thing at the same time so like i get a little stressed
when like the group is divided i almost feel like i'm a dog and it's like my my parents are in
rooms and i'm like which room do i go in so it was nice that we were all on the same page of like
morning workout because when someone else is like oh we're gonna work out from three to five i'm like
great so my three to five now doesn't exist like i will say that max was the solo vacationer at some
points yeah i would say that max max is the opposite max would love for me to go do something
for the 10 hour day and actually not see me and he would say what a great day that was let's catch up
in the solo boogie board sesh kind of bomb the solo solo beer at the bar sesh chat chatted up with
the random ohio state fan at the bar kind of bomb you know you get a break from this crew for a hot
sec the solo workout sesh you know solid yeah but no me and vick and wood had a wonderful trip we
missed you max we went the three of us went on two morning hikes together well that that's my
beef yeah true true true like that i feel bad when you like i can
see it when you know i'm like like 20 minutes behind you to get ready or whatever and it's
almost like your day doesn't start until everyone is like lined up in the beach chairs which is like
yo that doesn't need to happen like sorry i love you so much also i know i feel bad though because
i don't want her to get gypped at a vacation time no it's on me and i need to be no but that's it's
totally normal and i need to be able to like enjoy my 30 minutes without someone and be cool with
that so i get that from my mom but we're working through it okay who
would be most likely to survive if stranded alone on an island in hawaii without resources
victoria you'd find a way you'd find a way i'm first to die for sure i was gonna maybe i'm glad
you said it off the island i was gonna maybe say max it's not me like i could see wood getting
gritty yeah wood how do you think you shape in that situation you know it's not my preference
to be uh stranded on a on an island it depends is there clear sunsets
available if i get on survivor one day then we'll test this theory i like to believe that i could be
really calm and be like okay we're here acceptance now what's the plan but you never know until
you're in the situation i'm walking right into the water just give it up everything okay wait
i forgot this question and i do want to ask it who is most likely to pda on vacation you guys
you too really yeah yeah
all the all the kids at the kid pool were just like
i just can't keep my hands on my wife just get vacation mode i feel like it's pretty
see there's so much time away during the vacation there's so much time away from one another so
whenever we rekindle yeah you gotta disconnect to reconnect i like it don't turn off the jets
in the hot tub who knows that's funny i thought it was pretty equal that's what i wanted to ask
you seem frustrated you okay with that i feel like no i'm okay with it but i don't want it to
seem like i teed it up for them i don't want it to seem like i teed it up for them to say us so i'm oh that's fair i'm specifying that i by the way who do you think is the cutest it's either them or us unless the rose like wood wood vick combo who do you think is the cutest but you just probably wouldn't be oh one of my highlights of the trip was the picture that wouldn't i did get together we were doing so many pictures like rotating between couples that i think on the final night new year's we were like hey get one of me and wood
I have a picture saved specifically for Valentine's Day.
that Vic may or may not let me post.
But then if you're listening to this,
hammer her in the DMs to let me post it.
It is PG.
It's totally fine.
Yeah, it's all good.
No PDA.
It's the funniest picture ever.
But it's got to see the feed.
So good.
So funny.
So funny.
Okay.
So now we're going to move into some questions
from Instagram.
Are you ready?
Yeah.
People want to know,
how did we balance friend and friend time
with partner time?
I actually have a good answer.
Max mentioned it earlier.
He said solo drinking at the bar.
But I feel like it was that prime hour
between pool slash beach
and then getting ready for dinner.
And while the girls are getting ready,
Max and I would go to the bar
and have a beer and just chat it up.
So it was like that was our friend time.
And then we'd come to dinner with that energy.
And it was just. Yeah.
There's positive energy coming into dinner.
That chunk is such an underrated chunk
of vacation time.
The like three
to five slot.
You know,
you guys got to go get ready.
Boys just chilling at the bar.
It was great.
It's such a good slot.
Also,
I think that it was cool
that we like mixed up
where we were sitting
on the lounge chairs.
Like I felt like Aubrey
and I were laying next to each other
for the during the day
and we could yap and talk,
which was nice
because,
well,
I feel like we're all close enough
that we can like talk about that.
Whereas like if I showed up
on a vacation with another couple
and like the girl was on the far side
and the guy sat to her right
and then I was on the far edge,
I'd be like,
okay, well, this sucks.
Okay.
Might as well be having
alone time at this point.
Literally,
I need to talk to her.
So that was nice.
And then I think naturally
throughout the day.
Yeah,
I was going to say,
I feel like once you live
with your partner,
any outing is like an excuse
to hang out with other people
and then you come home
to each other.
Like I felt like Vic,
I was with you that whole trip
except for like group dinner.
You know what I mean?
You were so funny.
Aubrey's like,
so we're going to room together
and the boys will go in that room.
And I'm like,
wait,
I kind of want to room
with my husband.
I'm like,
that's crazy.
Okay,
I guess I'll go back
and it was also easier
because we stayed on site
the whole time.
I feel like the root
of this question might be like,
you know,
if you're doing activities all day
and everyone had to do
the same offsite activity
that might feel like,
you know,
I might want some time
with just my wife.
But also genuinely,
and I think this is like
the insane luxury blessing,
whatever you want to call it,
of the four of us being so close
is like we even had things
where like in the beginning
of the trip,
there was something
Aubrey wanted to tell me
and Max was like,
wait,
I want to be there for that
and like vice versa.
So it was funny
because we didn't need
like time to just talk
without two of the others there
because I genuinely consider
Wood like one of my best friends
if not a brother to me.
So it's like,
you know,
he's a buddy.
Everything's a group discussion.
No, fully.
And I would say like
this circle square of people,
like I value everyone's opinion.
And I think like
if I bring something up
to Max and Vic chimes in,
I'm like, oh, good point.
Like, I'm like, oh,
that perspective makes sense.
It's not just like,
you know, I'm telling Vic something
and then her weirdo husband chimes in.
That's what I was going to say.
Like I'm a helicopter husband,
so nothing can go through my wife
without clearance for me.
So that's kind of
where I'm at with that.
We got some natural alone time
and we all four enjoy
being together.
Genuinely, we don't live
in the same city,
so it's nice
to all be together.
OK, someone did ask
any trip fights.
I had something come to mind.
What happened?
Think really hard
at the thing
that was most close
to becoming a fight.
The percentages.
Yeah, yeah.
Guys, I screwed up.
Guys, I screwed up.
Max, you are being called out
point blank right now.
OK.
All right.
So there's this thing
in our dynamic that
Aubrey and Wood being together
has improved our lives
by three percent.
OK, wait.
When we were talking
about Aubrey and Wood
getting back together
and I think when they
finally got back together,
I think I was like,
I was like the way
that this makes my life
like 50 percent better.
Like I said, some extreme
and Max was like,
let's be real.
It's three percent.
It's a real three percent.
And I'm all I know.
And so the joke
has always been that
that's way too low.
Like our best friends
marry each other.
So that's where
the conversation was
is Max brought up again
that Aubrey and Wood
together is three percent
to which we're all like
you're BSing.
It's way more than that.
Well, if the whole pie
and it's like a fulfillment
pie of life is 100 percent.
And if Aubrey and Wood
have three percent,
I then said my wife
had 60 percent.
In my mind,
I was thinking
I got my parents.
I got my brothers.
I got other friends.
I got football.
I got SoulCycle.
SoulCycle.
Hey, five percent.
Easy.
SoulCycle is more
than your guys' love.
But of all the like
fulfillment in life,
I was like,
all right,
that's the proportionate pie chart.
Which I was just blown away
because I was like,
are you kidding me?
I'm like, you're my 100 percent.
Like, well, that is BS.
I am not your 100 percent.
But I appreciate the energy.
I needed to meet you
somewhere in the middle of that.
Anyways,
so that was a funny moment
on the trip where
we didn't get into a fight,
but there was a real like,
I'm not going to glaze over
the fact that you just said
I'm a 60 percent
of your life's happiness.
Like, I literally
I should be.
What do you think you are?
You're fucking everything.
That's what you told me
in our vows.
He was like, nah, 60.
I ran the numbers
this morning.
It's a D.
So that, OK, I guess.
Yeah, that was maybe
the closest.
Any couple got to it.
What if we just came out
of Love Field?
We're like Vic and Wood
had the biggest blow up fight
in the entire world.
Yes.
Or Aubrey and Max
just got into it.
I don't think that actually
going in that direction.
There have ever been fights
between you and Max or me.
No.
We've had deep chats
to be like, hey, let's align.
And like, I want like we've
we've had deep talks.
We're not like pretend
everything's OK,
but we don't ever get
in arguments.
No.
When Wood and Aubrey
got back together,
it was nice for Wood and I
to have a conversation.
Have a chat and be like,
oh, I missed you.
And like now I feel like
we can talk more freely
and whatnot.
You know, that's it.
Did you guys have any
secret fights in your room?
No.
No.
What a fightless trip
for all of us.
Blush it out.
What do you got?
We save all the fights for home.
You guys woke up really weird
on the third morning.
Something happened
the night before.
It was just the sunscreen, dude.
That's it.
We just got me on a run.
I did run my questions
through chat to be like
any additional things
you think I should add.
And it literally suggested
what's a tiny thing
someone did that annoyed you,
but you didn't say anything
because it was vacation.
Stir the pot.
Why is it so spicy?
I don't have anything,
but I was curious
if that brought up anything
for anyone else.
I have nothing.
Usually on every other trip,
I would have something
like any group trip.
I feel like you always come out
with something.
This was the perfect trip.
Like it was truly magical.
It was so great.
I agree.
It was so nice.
And we,
we've never done it before.
We'd never,
the four of us planned a trip,
done it like not involved
with the brand,
not with other friends,
not with family.
So it was really nice.
Someone did ask Max and Vic,
would you move back to SF
to be near OBS and Wood
or vice versa?
Ooh,
it's so tough.
We're Aubrey and Wood
are close to her family.
Me and Max post.
Oh,
what's grabbing the mic?
I was going to say,
I'm not fucking leaving.
I'm not fucking leaving.
I feel like this topic
or a version of this question
comes up on every pod
that me and you do
where it's like,
we're wired
where we always like
are assessing like,
ooh,
anything's possible.
We could land there.
This could happen.
We could do this,
which I don't always think
is the best thing,
but like,
I think there is a world
where we would move up there.
Yeah.
I do think there is a world
where if we were not
feeling content in LA
in like five or seven years
and you guys had this
great setup
and we would,
in the suburbs,
Max and I don't want to live
in San Francisco,
but if when they move
to the suburbs,
we love the setup.
Like your guys' place?
No.
We hate it there.
You guys go suburb.
You know what?
Fuck LA.
Yay.
I know you guys do feel
that way about LA.
So we're just being honest
about the different cities,
which is funny.
To be fair,
Vic grew up in the Bay Area.
I spent 11 years in LA.
I always tell people
I squeezed what I could
out of LA
and it kind of squeezed
what it could out of me too.
And then this one
brought me up to SF.
But I think SF Bay Area
suburbs is where we'll. I think that's probably
where we'll end up.
Settle.
It's hard when our families
are in different places.
Yeah.
You know?
You guys deal with that too.
What would have to get you guys
to be like,
this is where we're going
to end up?
Aubrey always says
she doesn't want to be
the first to leave the city.
That's what it is.
Like, I think
the progression of our life
is moving a little bit faster
than some of our friends here.
So I know they won't be
out of the city for a while.
But like,
once everyone jumps
on that train,
I feel like we will
realistically be
the first to move.
Once we feel like
we don't have enough space here,
I think we'll just be
jetting down to the burbs
in two years.
I will say when I see
those posts on Instagram
that are like,
people move for love
and they move for family.
Why don't they move for friends?
And I'm like,
you know what?
Maybe I would.
Maybe I would
if it was right.
So we'll see.
But for now,
we just visit each other
and we have couples vacations.
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Not to get a little sappy, but does anyone want to share like,
one of their favorite moments from the trip?
I mean, I think the group dinners, like, I haven't laughed that hard in so long
for so many nights in a row. Like, I just needed that.
Yeah, she's miserable at home.
Every night we laughed so hard.
I just haven't smiled in a while. And it's good to smile with you guys.
Shut up.
Just like hysterically laughing with our best friends. Like, nothing beats that.
And not to be sappy here, but I think there is a difference between our laughter
and shared laughter with other people. We laugh all the time, like whatever, but it's like
about stupid stuff, you know, whatever. But when we're in either NSF or with you guys,
like it is so much more invigorating for the laughter and the joy of other people. Again,
not to be sappy, but going to be sappy.
Wood sometimes comes out with like the most beautifully said, like eloquent phrases.
It's baffling.
It's so baffling.
It's the clip right there.
He just goes, it wasn't just laughter with us. It's shared laughter.
It's so true though.
Yeah. All right.
And I feel like we're all on such a similar mental wavelength that actually for me,
it's really fun. It's like, you know, when they say play on the team that's better than you and
be the worst player and grow. I feel like when I'm in this group of four, I'm like trying to
be really funny, trying to see the joke, trying to get it out before you guys. Like I'm exercising
my comedic muscles.
Vic, you have your strengths too, okay?
But there are times, and this is not like shit on Vic, but there are times where like the three
of us are laughing and you can tell Vic's like, should I be laughing? Okay, got it. Yes.
Yeah, we're in this laugh.
No, Foley, I'm always like five minutes a little too late. Or wait, there was something I did say
on the trip that was really witty. And you guys were like, whoa, what was, what was it?
It was like, what, written it down.
It was, shoot, I do remember it though.
I should have printed it out and framed it for you.
Super, super unmemorable, I guess.
No, Foley.
Me, what was that thing that cracked everyone up? No one can remember.
Just love cracking up.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
Max, you go.
Max, being at the bar by myself.
No, when I had a few beverages and was chopping it up with the bus driver.
Oh, that was so funny.
And just bantering with the bus driver.
Wait, that was so funny.
I don't remember really what I said.
You were just egging him on so
much.
But he was like playing ball too.
No, but he didn't, I don't think he knew.
I think that he thought you were his new best friend and you were just totally joshing.
I wasn't.
Yeah, he was like, he was like, I got a funny story.
Do you want to hear it, Max?
Like, yeah, tell me.
I wasn't boying him, but if he's going to bring that energy, I match it.
No, that's why it was funny is because he walks away thinking that was such a great,
friendly, talkative guy.
He doesn't think anything negative.
That's why it was so funny is because we knew you were not acting like yourself.
He's like, yeah, I just had a lot of people on the bus.
Stack like sardines.
And he was like, wow, like shoulder to shoulder.
And the guy was like, yeah, man, shoulder to shoulder.
And like, he was bringing that energy, though, because it makes me sound like a bully.
He had that energy.
He doesn't make fun of people.
Like, it's not a making fun thing.
It's like, oh, that's your energy.
I'm going to meet you there.
Yeah, we're going to we're going to see where this goes.
And then the conversation died and the car was silent for like four seconds.
And Max is like, wow, 36 people in here.
He just jumped down analyzing the bus.
Like, yeah, there's not a lot of space.
Wow.
That was the one night where Max was maybe a little bit of a liability, but it was fun.
And so Aubrey and Wood were like, this is incredible.
And I was like, is it?
Is it?
I was fine.
I was fine.
We had a loud table and no one else was matching our energy.
And you're telling me the high schoolers with their parents weren't matching our energy.
Someone's got to bring it at Copper Bar, you know, every single night.
I do feel like there are people looking at our table.
Every time we laugh, just like yearning to be a part of like this funny table because their dinner was boring.
Sorry.
My least favorite part besides the sunscreen was on that same bus.
I had the hiccups for like three hours.
And that that usually would kill a vacation for me.
Yeah, it almost killed my night.
That's that's just embarrassing.
I need to be better.
Overall, takes of Hawaii.
Why did I hear whispers you were liking it?
Where are we at?
Hawaii.
Why Hawaii in general?
I loved it a lot.
It wasn't really a negative.
It was just discounting the sunscreen and the hiccups.
I think it was like, this is the exact vacation we needed.
Like I needed to sit at a hotel by the pool, by the beach, whatever it was, and be calm.
I think the typical vacation I envision is like going out, you know, like not to the bars, but like just seeing the culture and feeling the culture in the city.
And at that specific hotel in that area, that's not really possible, which is totally fine.
But I feel like I didn't get to experience Hawaii.
Yeah, no, I think you're 100% correct in that we did talk about we we looked into hikes, trails, other outside excursions to which we were met with that will cost you $800.
Yeah, no, it's crazy.
We're just like, okay, we're good on these lawn chairs, rotating seats between people.
Yeah.
It was pretty expensive to leave for things, like you said, nearby that we weren't in that area for that.
And honestly, like we were craving a really relaxed, do nothing vacation.
And I think.
Stop complaining, dude.
No, if there's a round two, I'm so down.
I feel like it's more of a Oahu or Kauai.
Maybe every year should go to a new area of Hawaii and then just become like Hawaii.
Sounds lovely.
Extraordinaires.
Let's all critique the person to your right in terms of their performance at the vacation.
I love that.
I love that.
Okay, you go first.
Does that mean Vic has to critique me and Aubrey has to critique me?
Yes, I already have mine for Max.
Let's go.
Let me see here.
Let me see here.
Oh, wait, sorry.
Can I pause real quick?
Yeah.
I want to I want to give flowers and or celebrate something that happened.
And this is not a critique at all, but Vic had her booked in balance planner.
She had her book launch while we were in Hawaii, and you could have thought that she wasn't
on Instagram at all or like didn't have her phone.
She had prepared so much for it that like that day, she was so calm and like, Oh, posted
and we're like, nice, like that's like cool.
Yeah.
And like, no one would have known how big of a deal it was, how cool it was, how cool
it was that you sold those out.
But it was just so like, that was a new Vic that I've seen.
Oh, thank you.
You're so relaxed.
I appreciate that.
That's Vic's content superpower is you're able to like crank out content.
And so many times I've been with you where people were like, when did she do this?
When did she edit this?
When did it get up?
But like, which is a compliment because I feel like so many people think content creators
like they're constantly on their phone.
Like it's a distraction.
They're not living their life.
And you do a big time job of that.
Thank you.
Thanks, Wood.
That's so sweet.
So you think I've grown?
Yeah.
You're getting there.
Oh, thank you.
I appreciate that.
And then another thing is I thought.
one, I won't speak for myself, but I thought you three, like with all
of our jobs I don't think I looked at my phone that often unless it's to watch football you were
just watching games but I just said I wouldn't speak for myself and then I did but all three of
you were very good about that like everyone was very present uh you guys filmed like two two
TikToks maybe I think one I think it was the one Aubrey had his film I didn't film but to your
point Wood I actually think that was so nice because if you guys were cranking out like top
tier videos every day like I think I would feel anxious like fuck I haven't posted so I loved that
we all kind of like unplugged because and we didn't even we didn't even talk about that ahead
of time we didn't plan it I certainly had a folder of 20 videos to film with you guys and it just
I just forgot about it Gavella was one and done and crushed it that was money I was out I had one
idea that came and sparked that was money interest and then I was like okay we're good filmed it in
30 seconds posted it and we're like all right cool obs what was your criticism for max
too much alone time max we're on a group vacation what are you doing
reading your kindle by yourself uh just enjoying some Matthew McConaughey motivation good stuff
criticism Vic guava mojitos you can just get a new one you don't gotta bring a watered down
guava mojitos to lunch oh I remember that if you're gonna take two sips I was in such denial
that I ordered it and like didn't drink it that I was just still it was it's like when you can't
throw something away you know you shouldn't have it loves like five ounces of a beverage
and then it melts and then it's no longer good whether it's
matcha guava mojitos yeah whatever that's guava mojito for anyone wondering if we shortened it
on the trip I shortened it to guava mojitos okay my criticism for wood I would say that I need you
to stop withholding the wood that released itself on new year's night I'm gonna need more time with
that wood I've never seen him tipsy or under the influence and he wasn't like misbehaving or like
crazy or anything but I could just
tell he was like light and I was like oh my god this is the first time I've ever seen the drink
hit him and it was really fun I love now that I'm not drinking I get to watch wood and I'm like oh
I've been missing this all these years because I've been more tipsy than you the whole time
it's like you're really fun that is something about the trip Aubrey did not have any alcohol
the whole trip so she's on her sober journey you guys know that I think from the new year's pod
yes sir sober journey that's my one criticism for Aubrey is that he doesn't drink anymore
I'm joking I love that you made that decision and I'm proud of you thank you however
hmm we've already talked about it but it's the beach vacation not liking the beach I understand
that I was expecting that as a criticism I will take that one on the chin yeah and stand my ground
but there's a little behind the scenes here why that is my criticism so for Aubrey's bachelorette
party Max and I actually recorded in real pod studio like the you know the the the the the
you ask the groom questions about your future bride and see if they know her well enough and
one of the questions was what's Aubrey's dream vacation and I'm like oh easy skiing in Japan
totally got it whatever Aubrey's friends were nice enough to film the uh reveal of that question
at her bachelorette party and Aubrey again was tipsy and didn't know how to answer and said
anywhere with a beach and that frustrated me so much he's brought it up I
think 30 times because his answer was in fact correct mine was incorrect I hate the beach
I did not know that about you you guys aren't even that close maybe not he literally knows
you better than you know yourself Aubrey's like yeah my answer was actually wrong wood is correct
totally forgot I've always wanted to ski in Japan that's the only thing I want to do ever
were you trying to just get like the correct answers or the audience would just be on board
I was hammered yeah
we actually in Mexico we didn't know if we would make it to that game but I was like
we will make it to this game because I made this powerpoint five months ago but okay I think those
were all really good criticisms for each other I love you guys so much this was a really fun
couples vacay recap and we miss you already and hopefully we can all get together soon oh we're
gonna see you in a top of in a month baby top of February for Natalie's bridal shower yay
you
you
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Podcast Summary
Key Points:
The group took a surprise vacation to Hawaii, unplanned and unconsented to by Max and Wood, who discovered it through a detailed PowerPoint presentation.
They stayed at the Westin Hapuna Beach, chosen for public beach access and lawn chairs, which became a highlight after a humorous encounter with a man who had reserved chairs since 2009.
Wood is the most detail-oriented traveler, insisting on clear, non-aerosol sunscreen, leading to a comical situation where they bought multiple sunscreens and faced public embarrassment.
The trip was emotionally rich with deep connections, shared laughter, and moments of vulnerability, including a humorous "life fulfillment pie" argument where each partner claimed a percentage of the other’s happiness.
Despite the fun, there was no actual conflict during the trip, with the closest tension being a playful jab about vacation dynamics and personal preferences.
The group balanced friend time during the "prime hour" between pool and dinner, with Max and Victoria enjoying solo bar time and shared activities.
A key theme was the value of unstructured, authentic connection—no group fights, no forced activities—making the trip feel like a true reunion of close friends and partners.
The trip reinforced the importance of shared experiences, mutual support, and open communication, with each partner offering thoughtful, lighthearted critiques that highlighted their growth and connection.
Summary:
The hosts of RealPod recap a joyful, unplanned vacation to Hawaii with their best friends and partners—Max, Victoria, Wood, and Aubrey. The trip began unexpectedly when Victoria and Aubrey booked it without consulting Max and Wood, who discovered it only through a detailed PowerPoint presentation. They stayed at the Westin Hapuna Beach, drawn to its public beach access and lawn chairs—reserving them early to avoid conflict with locals who had long reserved them.
A highlight was a real-life encounter with a man from New York who had protected his chairs for years, leading to a touching moment of shared serendipity. Personal quirks, like Wood’s strict sunscreen rules and Aubrey’s aversion to the beach, added humor and authenticity. Despite the lighthearted tone, a deeper emotional connection emerged through shared laughter, candid conversations, and mutual support—especially during group dinners and quiet moments.
No actual arguments occurred, but a playful debate about life fulfillment percentages revealed how deeply each person values the others. The trip also highlighted the importance of shared, unstructured time and the emotional benefits of being together without obligations. The hosts celebrate the uniqueness of the experience, emphasizing authenticity, connection, and the joy of being fully present with friends and partners.
The episode ends on a warm, reflective note, with plans for future trips and a heartfelt reminder of the value of real, unfiltered connection.
FAQs
The trip was planned by Victoria and the host without the knowledge of the other couple, who were on a golf trip. They created a detailed PowerPoint presentation to surprise the others, which ended with a slide stating the trip was already booked and paid for.
They stayed at the Westin Hapuna Beach, chosen for its public beach access and lawn chairs. This was a key factor because the group wanted to enjoy the beach without being restricted to hotel pools.
One of the highlights was the group's laughter during dinners and shared moments, especially when the group bonded over silly jokes and conversations. The new year's night, where Wood shared a drink and became relaxed and fun, was also a standout.
Wood is considered the most high-maintenance traveler due to his strict preference for clear, non-aerosol sunscreen. Since they didn’t check bags, they had to buy multiple sunscreens, which led to a humorous and stressful situation.
There were no major arguments, but there was a playful moment when the host jokingly claimed his wife was responsible for 60% of his life's happiness, leading to a humorous debate about life fulfillment percentages.
They set aside a prime time between 3 to 5 PM for solo activities like going to the bar, drinking, and chatting—creating a shared friend time that also brought positive energy to group dinners.
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