Life Lessons in Aloha Land

Ahhhh.....Hawaii.

Twas a lovely trip indeed and filled with all kinds of lessons about travel, money, and life.

For example...

I learned that if I think I might be sick right before I am about to take a big trip, I should see a doctor. If I don't, I may be visiting the doctor while on the trip.....which is no fun at all. My little cold turned into an upper respiratory infection in Maui.

Lesson: Take care of your health before your vacation.

Dramamine is amazing. I was afraid to take this helicopter trip because I can become nauseated very easily on amusement park rides, so I assumed that I would feel ill after this ride in the sky.

Not so. I loved every minute of it.

Lesson: Dramamine is my friend.

No lesson here...just a beautiful helicopter view.

Everyone says that a "must-do" on Oahu is to climb Diamond Head. My assumption was that it would be a teeny tiny hike with a few steps. In fact, there are many steps and if you are trying to heal from an upper respiratory infection, breathing may be difficult while you attempt to reach the top. Senior citizens may whiz by you as you wonder if you are going to have enough air. The view is fantastic once you do reach the top....well worth the wheezing if you know what I mean.

Lesson: Read the fine print on hiking literature.

Blowholes are hours of entertainment for an adventure seeking spouse...he watched, he waited, he posed....he became drenched.

However, after this little escapade I read in my Maui Revealed book that you should never, ever stand too close to a blowhole because people have perished doing so.

Lesson: Again, read the fine print so you don't lose your beloved.

A must-do on Maui is to drive to the Haleakala Crater in the wee hours of the morning to watch the sunrise.

It's beautiful but freezing cold.

Lesson: Cozy beach towels work well as blankets.

Get a jeep.

Get a jeep.

When on Maui....ya gotta have a jeep.

The jeep was cute and fun to have, but I would have been just as happy in a little compact car.

I could have spent the extra money on clothes....seriously adorable clothes in Maui shops.

Lesson: I don't "gotta" have a jeep.

Leis everywhere.

On the islands, every celebration includes the wearing of leis.

Graduations....leis.

Confirmations...leis.

Promotions....leis.

Even Saint Teresa Lisieux is donned with leis at her church in Maui.

Lesson: There is much to learn about our island Americans.
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When all was said and done, the truth is that the best parts of the trip were the things on which we didn't need to spend any money at all.....

Watching beautiful sunsets......

Playing in the cool, clear Pacific Ocean....

Enjoying the gorgeous view from our balcony....


Seeing little Hawaiian toddlers romp around on the sand....



Lesson: Free still wins.