Aloha Again...

So how was the trip? Did we see anything except each other? I mean that's what the pictures look like right?

Like I mentioned, I noticed that over the years the pictures are all really similar. Now, that's not to say that it's boring to see. I love seeing whales every year. I would see them twice a year if money were no object. Maybe three depending on timing. Start in Alaska, move to Vancouver, then on to Hawaii. Rinse and repeat. I love seeing them. Probably should have gotten a humpback instead of a dolphin as my tattoo. Though I do make the joke that as I age it is changing from dolphin to humpback so... BUT ANYWAY... I made the conscious decision to take very few photos. I wanted to be really present in the moments and just watch.

I also mentioned that it's gotten even more expensive to go so we did a few things to shave off some dollars and still have a pampered ass vacation. We started with the flights. Instead of flying in early in the day we took a late flight, we didn't get in until 10:30 Sunday night, which by the time we got to the hotel and checked in it felt like 1 AM Monday morning. But by doing that flight and the red eye home we saved quite a bit. Since we knew we'd be beat Monday it was a quiet around the resort day.

We wandered around the beach, over to the mall, around the resort and then up to dinner at Monkeypod. It's a solid favorite. Nice, quiet, beautiful day in Hawaii. Tuesday was our day trip to Lanai. We've done it a few times. Trilogy does a really good job. There is sailing and snorkeling and they feed you well. I do okay now managing my seasickness. I take a pill, I wear my sea bands, I have a fistful of ginger chews on hand at all times, I sit where I can have an unobstructed view of the horizon and I don't look backwards. But there is only so much that I can do if the water is super rough. When we got up Tuesday Brent looked out at the ocean and said it looked really calm, but by the time we grabbed a light breakfast and looked again it was a lot choppier. By the time we got to the marina and Brent agreed that it was the windiest we'd ever seen it there, I almost called an audible and backed out.

Then when we were getting on board and the captain was talking to the captain of the boat struggling to pull into the slip next to us and talked about sliding 7 feet to the side while trying to navigate in that morning I thought maybe I still should make a dash for the pier. But I didn't.

And I didn't puke.

The trip over to Lanai wasn't all that terrible, actually. A little windy, but not bad. It was the first time we've ever put the sails up on the way over. Usually it's all engine in the morning, sailing in the afternoon. There was good whale watching on the way, including one that came right up to the boat and swam under us. There are rules about the distance you have to keep away from them, but sometimes the whales clearly didn't read the handbook and come right up to you. They call it a mugging. It's the best way to be mugged. Maybe the only good way to be mugged, actually. We also saw a pod of spinner dolphins and sailed with them playing in the boat's wake.

When we got to Lanai, the beach entrance and snorkeling there was a little rougher than it normally is. And there was a distinct lack of fish, which was weird. I thought maybe I was imagining it but Brent agreed. Fewer total fish, fewer total types, a lot more bleached coral which is too bad. Hopefully it will get better again. After about 45 minutes of snorkeling I had to get out of the water and warm up. My hands were cramping from the cold. Which is sort of hilarious since I now swim in pants and a long sleeve shirt over my swimsuit. If I didn't have all of that I would guess I would have made it about half the time.

The trip back was...wow. Well it was rough. Very choppy and rolling water. I didn't puke but I concentrated really hard to make sure I didn't puke. But not puking is the goal so I call it a win. Even if I couldn't eat my ice cream sundae and that's a crying shame because it's a delicious ice cream sundae. We saw more whales and dolphins on the way back. Including a little baby spinner dolphin who was having a great time jumping and spinning away, and a little baby humpback breaching his heart out as well. There isn't much in the world that's cuter than a baby humpback breaching. It's like the puppy of the sea.

Because of the teetering sea sickness that was it for me on Tuesday. Brent grabbed some poke at the resort for dinner and we called it a night.

Wednesday we had a whale watch cruise. Just a couple of hours on the water and it was much calmer seas. Saw some great breaches, some competition groups and few mommas and babies. Mid February is peak whale season but the whale watching is still good in March. Technically the season goes all the way until April, but you are looking at fewer and fewer every week by then. We've seen whales as early as November (which is when the season starts) and we've talked to people who have seen them as late as the end of April, but we always have good luck in March. We also had dinner at Morimoto's. Delicious, as you'd expect.

Thursday we went snorkeling off the beach at the hotel. More fish there than on Lanai which was good. Also swam with a turtle for awhile which is always fun. They are so smooth and amazing in the water. Just gliding along. I had to keep popping my head up to make sure it wasn't leading us out into deep water like the manta ray did a few years ago. You kind of lose track of where you are under water, need those land sightings to figure it out. Thursday night was the luau at the hotel and that's always entertaining.

Friday we did one last walk on the beach before checking out of the hotel. While we were out we saw a group of emergency workers coming down to the water. Two of them in full firefighting suits, helmets and masks included. We walked down the beach and saw where they ended up congregating. That was the picture from yesterday. All of them clustered around a canister on the beach with their phones out. Brent and I figured they must all be doing Google image searches to see if it was a problem or not. We decided they weren't really worried since they weren't clearing the beach. But they also were all standing a way back from it so a little worried. We decided to keep half an eye on them and if they started running so would we. Turned out it was a military flare. Probably fell off of a ship and washed up.

We drove down to Lahaina on Friday after checking out of the hotel. We haven't been there since the fire, even though we've been to Maui a couple of times. It just felt really disrespectful to go look at it when it first happened. We lost a place we like to visit, the people that lived there lost everything. But since we donated to Maui Strong and a few other organizations I get updates on progress in rebuilding and it felt like it was a good time to go see how it was all going.

It was not.

I knew that the rebuild was slow, but I still wasn't prepared for how gone everything was. Just gone. They haven't really rebuilt much at all, the pier is just now operating again, but all of the buildings around Front street are still gone. But the thing that got me was the rows and rows and rows of memorial markers. There were 102 deaths from the fire. That's a lot of a small town. We didn't stay long as I was overwhelmed very quickly.

We had dinner at Mama's Fish House. Excellent food, incredible view, impeccable service. We don't go often, it's hard to get reservations, and it's definitely special occasion priced, but it's always a treat when we do.

And then we went to the airport. We had been hoping to get a late check out at the hotel but no love there so we had a few hours to sit and wait. If we had a chance to redo it we probably would have swapped Mama's in for a different night and done a sunset cruise on Friday.

The weather was hot, but good. I guess we hit the sweet spot pocket. The week before it had been pouring rain and a new storm system was coming in on Sunday after we left. It might have been warmer than my body likes, but it was still dry so we were able to wander around and enjoy ourselves. Or as much as I was able to manage physically at least.

Wednesday morning I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, the combo of the heat out of the water, the cold in the water, and the edge of seasickness the day before. I told Brent that I might have to finally give up Maui and look for something else. Then I managed everything a lot better for the rest of the trip so now I'm not sure.

Here's my challenge, and yes, I know this is what Brent calls a high class problem, meaning it's not really a problem at all. Hawaii means something to me on a different level than just a vacation. It's like being able to buy a hardcover book instead of only reading second hand books or library books. Hawaii is an "I've made it" vacation. Hawaii specifically. It was always my mother's dream vacation. "When we win the lottery," or "After I die spread my ashes" Mom and Dad did eventually get to go there. We (the we is doing a lot of lifting there, mostly Brent and Jeff but all of the siblings took some credit) sent them to Oahu for their 50th anniversary. It still makes me happy that she actually got to go.

But because of that drum beat as a kid, Hawaii was always IT. And when we started going it just reinforced that it really is IT. I love it. It's beautiful. It's on the ocean (obviously). It's got whales. It's got wonderful fruit and fish. And it's got that deep thread through me that it's Hawaii. And because we typically go to Maui and stay at the same place there is a familiarity and comfort there as well. And you all know how I love my patterns and familiarity.

But I think I need to let it hold a place in my heart of special, but also let it go as the only special thing. Sort of like hardcover books. I could go to the store and buy them as they are released but I also can just check them out of the library as digital copies when they are available and call it good. It took me a long time to let go of the hardcovers. Growing up poor does a number on you in a lot of ways.

So that was our Hawaii trip this year. I always come away from there with some insight into my next steps. Just now my next steps might be where do we go for that peace now?

Aloha and mahalo...