My dream vacation always centered around Hawaii. Something about the islands proved irresistible. The warm water, marine life, vibrant flowers, sparkling sunshine, and the aloha spirit beckoned to me for years. And the food. I can't forget about the food.
My parents had a framed picture of Honolulu on their wall for many decades. It was a beautiful aerial photo, showing Waikiki beach with the majestic Diamond Head crater looming in the background. The golden sand, the deep blue umbrellas framing thick cushioned chaise lounges, the deep green of the palm trees, and the glint of sun off of the curling waves tracking into shore. You could just make out the surfers, waiting casually on their boards for the next ridable swell. It looked magical. I wanted to go.
Waikiki and Diamond Head are on the Island of Oahu. And when we finally saved our pennies and booked a trip, it was instead, to the Island of Maui. Don't get me wrong, Oahu is a wonderful island to visit, and we now have. The impact of Pearl Harbor and our time at the USS Arizona Memorial will never be forgotten. We had the honor of meeting sailors who were on the ships during the attack in 1941 and survived. My grandfather served in the Navy during that time and worked on the transport ships out of San Francisco that sailed for Hawaii to bring back the service members wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor. So, the experience was extra meaningful. We visited my brother and his dear family on the military base. And we experienced the unsettled feeling of being in an ocean front condo during the March 2011, Japanese earthquake and tsunami and hearing the sirens sound a warning over the entire island of Oahu, warning us to get to higher ground. Evacuate. Immediately. But I digress.
Our first trip to Hawaii was to the magical island of Maui. It is the second largest Hawaiian island, and the name refers to the demigod of fire. I watched eagerly out the window as the plane banked towards the island, rising green and misty from the blue of the sea. As we stepped off the plane into the open-air concourse, the heady scent of tropical flowers, carried on the brisk trade wind, greeted me. Coming from a colder clime in winter, I had dressed in long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and shoes and socks. But after reading a travel guide, I had shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops ready in my backpack. The air was balmy with a salty finish. Flags flew merrily in front of the airport. We. Were. Here.
We leisurely explored beaches, attended a luau, snorkeled with turtles, listened to the whales sing and the shrimp snap underwater. We took early morning walks to watch the sunrise and stood in line for fragrant Kona coffee to sip as we meandered back on the wet, packed sand. We listened to the soothing cadence of the waves lapping against the shore, day and night. We enjoyed fresh pineapple, papaya, and mango daily and discovered shave ice. Yes, that is how you say it. My favorite is with coconut ice cream on the bottom and mango shave ice on the top. Yum.
It's no surprise that when I started to write stories, this is where I centered them. Romance, adventure, and peaceful reflection abound, and soon I hope to share more of those stories with you. Aloha.
Do you have a favorite vacation place that you find magical? A place where you like to visit over and over and each time it's just a bit different? Share your comments. Mahalo.
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