Aloha and Mahalo!

I was awake. I rolled over and glanced at the clock- 6:30 am. It was six in the morning and my eyes were wide open, ready for a new day. I wondered what my students were doing back at LCA, if my office needed me this Monday morning, wait… what time was it there? Almost noon. No wonder my eyes were open. Lying in our bed with the 70-degree crisp air coming through the windows, I heard a rooster crow. For a split second, I wondered if I was dreaming… Was I really in Hawaii??

The answer: Yes. We were six days into the New Year and already grasping the adventure on an island that captivated all of my senses. We landed in Kauai in the middle of the night and fumbled our way to our timeshare cottage using a phone GPS. It wasn’t too difficult to follow the sole highway on this island but the pitch-black night sky masked the beauty etched in every corner.

That morning, I stepped into the daylight on my walk to the rental car and my jaw dropped in awe. I was surrounded by mountains, covered in both bright and dark green trees of every kind. There was no pattern to these cliffs; they were rocky and unique, nothing like Virginia, foreign almost. I could smell the salty air and instantly felt at home. Being the Florida girl that I am, I almost took off running towards the beach. Our group opted for the rental car to explore instead.

Let me pause to describe our wonderful group that made every ounce of Hawaii all the more exciting. Bill had been a friend and mentor to Tyler while he worked at Winco foods in Idaho. Each time we visited the West, we liked to get together Bill and his wife Jenny for dinner. Last winter, they shared that they needed to use their timeshare points soon and were planning a trip to Hawaii. They invited Tyler and I that night and we laughed at the dream invitation because we figured there was no way I could get off work in the middle of the school year. I asked. It was approved. And we had a blast with our kind friends in paradise!

We spent about six days in Hawaii, exploring the landscape, admiring the surfers, and resting in the warmth. The highlight of the trip for my husband, the history buff, was a day trip to the island of Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor. We purchased an audio tour headset that narrated every turn at this historical site. My heart began to ache as I heard background information on the political state of our world at the time and stories from survivors of the attacks. The USS Arizona rested at the bottom of the harbor, a solemn reminder of the events that day. I felt like in that one day, I had more interest in history than I ever had at Sebring High School. Maybe there should be mandatory field trips to Hawaii…

Bill and Tyler at the Pacific Crossroads

Pearl Harbor Memorial

For me, the highlights of our trip were back on the island of Kauai, with the sun toasting my skin and water at my fingertips. One afternoon, we rented paddleboards and navigated our way towards Hanalei Bay. We worked up the courage to head out into the smaller waves and coast across the bay, watching the surfers in the distance riding the monsters. They looked like tiny toy figurines on top of the giant caps.  The cliffs, the sun rays, the saltwater, the breeze… this was the perfect day.

Paddle Board Time!

Tyler on a rope swing!

There was one other item on my to-do list for Kauai, something I had read about online and wanted to set my eyes on: The Napali Coast. The Napali Coast is an area of Kauai that can only be accessed on a hiking trail. The entire trail is 11 miles long in which most travelers camp to conquer in a several day trip. Tyler and I decided that we would do a day trip adventure a few miles in to a waterfall. We hit the trail late morning with a backpack filled with water and granola. I quickly discovered that this trail was no ordinary hike on the Blue Ridge. The path was not wide and well worn. Instead, it was narrow, rocky, and WET. Kauai is known as “the wettest place on earth” and so the trail lives up to its name. Our shoes stuck in the mud like suction cups or slid like skis as we walked the course. We talked and laughed the entire time, stopping to take pictures of the gorgeous, never-ending ocean and dramatic cliffs.

As we travelled inland, we began an upward climb towards the waterfall. I had no idea how amazed I would be when we finally reached the bottom. The mist hit my face as I looked at the height, the majesty of it all. I turned to see Tyler, taking off his shoes and heading towards the water. I heard him yell, “We didn’t hike 4 miles to a waterfall in Hawaii and NOT jump in!” Well I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I made my way down the rocks and dove head first into the water. The icy water shocked me as it enveloped my body and I came up for a gasp of air. Tyler said, “Just keep moving. It gets warmer, I promise!” And so I swam. As fast as I could, reminding myself that I would be warm soon. And it worked! Before I knew it, we were both under the waterfall, looking through it from behind. He leaned over to kiss me and for a moment, I felt like I was on an episode of the Bachelorette. It was magical.

Saturday, we waited in the airport for our plane to board, with open windows and no air conditioning, only the warm breeze blowing. Tyler began to coax me into staying in Kauai. He had a plan that Marly could sell our things in Lynchburg and send us the money. It was tempting, but at the end of the day, we came back to Virginia. Who knows though, maybe they need school counselors in Hawaii too? :)

~ Mandi