Maui Trip Day 1: Meeting Maui

Saturday, July 21, 2007

It's here! The day I've been waiting for, my departure to Maui, crept up behind me like a friend I've been longing to see, turning from fantasy into reality all at one surprised glance.

This trip has been long overdue. Originally to have taken place in June as a trip in celebration of my 30th birthday, it was postponed to the end of July when I found out I had thyroid cancer and must undergo a radiation treatment and allow time to adjust to my new medication. It has been quite an adventure and am proud to say my cancer has been defeated and I am adjusting quite well to my medication, taking one day at a time. So, you can say this trip has gained new meaning for me, celebrating life in age and it's general presence in me.

When I go on trips, I set goals, creating a mental list of experiences I want to have during some point of my life, regardless of how silly they may be. When I went to Austria in 1999, my main goal besides meeting my pen pal was to see the sights that were in the "Sound of Music" movie and flick my hand in the horse fountain, just as Julie Andrews did - goals I did accomplish with much satisfaction. This trip is no different. My list is as follows:

1. Go to a tropical place where I don't have to wear a jacket. (In Monterey I'm always wearing or carrying a jacket because it gets windy and cold. I want some warmth!)
2. Drink a frou-frou drink with an umbrella in it while on the beach or order a drink from a swim up bar.
3. Bike down a volcano.
4. Swim in a natural pool under a waterfall.
5. See a bamboo forest.
6. Have someone give me a flower lei.
7. Learn to surf.
8. Drink an hawaiian shaved ice.
9. Hike through a rainforest.
10. Eat a pineapple terryaki burger, fresh hawaiian fruit, and pancakes with coconut syrup.

This is my list, a scavenger hunt, you may say, that will accompany me on my way to Maui. My hair is freshly cut, my toe nails painted, and my new tropical print p.j.'s are packed. I'm ready to go!

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I had an 8:25am flight out of San Jose (SJC) which means a bright an early wake up call for myself and Margaret at 4:30am , who graciously consented to drive me to the airport. A Denny's breakfast usually accompanies these early morning flights but we were running late, so straight to the airport we went. Denny's will just have to wait. I treated myself to Starbucks (of course) and waited for my flight to be announced.

My flights from SJC to Los Angeles (LAX) on to Kahului Maui, HI were uneventful, which is quite fine. Going to Maui, I learned only first class got a meal while economy, which was me, could pay for their lunch or in my case, watch first class eat as I was a row behind them. Ahhh... how the other half lives! haha Out of principle, I refused to buy the overpriced lunch and chowed down on my dried fruit. That'll show 'em! I also forgot to bring my earphones so I could listen to the in flight movie "Blades of Glory." I could purchase and keep the airline earphones but again, out of principle, I chose not to and perfected my lip reading skills. I fell asleep until a boy next to me about 11 years old kept asking his dad stupid questions he already knew the answer to, quite loudly I might add. I wasn't going to let this spoil my trip. I was going to Maui, a warm, happy place, and by the looks of the clock, we were due to land shortly.

Upon arrival at the Kahului airport on the north side of Maui, I was greeted with a flower lei by my travel group, Pleasant Holidays (goal #6) as I made my way to baggage claim. I was so excited and felt like a princess, even thought I looked like a pauper from all the traveling. It was a definite climate change being humid, windy, and in the 80's F. Definitely no need for a jacket and time to put the hair up (goal #1).

I took a shuttle to get my rental car and was pleased to see my car was midnight blue in color. I was so excited because this is my favorite car color, being a goal to someday own a car in this color. This week, I get to test drive this dream. How cool is God that He allowed this goal to come to pass, one that I had forgotten. He knows the desires of our hearts and definitely has His hand on us, even in the little things.

I ventured out onto Hwy 380 towards my hotel in West Maui, a 45 minute drive from the airport, stopping at Walmart along the way to get some beach towels and food I wasn't able to bring with me.

As I prepared for this trip, I had studied Maui and had an idea of roads and locations, but it doesn't compare to actually being here and seeing what was only a 'blip' on the map. It will take me a few days to get orientated to my surroundings. Making my way to my hotel, I noticed the surroundings are rural, filled with fields of sugar cane plants blowing in the warm tropical breezes. When I got to hwy. 30 which takes me to my hotel, I stopped at a scenic stop, Papawai Point, giving views of South Maui. It was so windy I almost blew over! Apparently there was a tropical storm that had passed Hawaii and we were feeling part of it. Everytime I tried to take a picture, my hair blew out of my clip, leaving me to look like Medusa with hair sticking out in all places. Not the picture perfect quaffed hair I imagined to have in Maui, marketed as such a romantic place, a definite honeymooner destination, a few couples I have already spotted sporting new, sparkling rings.

Continuing on hwy. 30, it reminded me much of hwy. 1 to Big Sur, CA - very windy, but the landscape was desolate, brown, and thirsty-looking. The west coast doesn't get as much rain as the east coast, which is where the rainforest dwells. Passing Lahaina and Kaanapali going towards my hotel are the luxury hotel destinations with gorgeous views and immaculate golf courses.

I made it to my hotel, the Outrigger Royal Kahana in Kahana, a condominium complex where I had a studio oceanview room with a full kitchen. On the 8th floor, it sported wonderful views from my lanai (balcony) of the ocean, swaying palm trees, and the neighboring Island of Molokai. I even caught sight of my first hawaiian rainbow as there were dustings of raindrops in the air. Beautiful! I explored the amenities of the hotel and settled into my room for the night, making my dinner and turning in at 7:30pm hawaiian time. I am exhausted in a good way that all my adventures, however challenging they may have been, have brought me down this windy and at times lonely, barren road to a place of peace and beauty, to Maui...finally.