What is your plan to do with your one, wild, and precious life?
My plan…..to see, and feel, and do as much as I can.
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First of all, I have to start this, by saying, this past week’s adventure wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of my better half. We were in paradise because he is one of the best of the best at what he does. We were there for him to be recognized and celebrated. And we weren’t alone either! He’s part of an outstanding team, who are also top notch, and fantastic at what they do.
To say I’m proud of him and everyone we were with would be an incredible understatement.
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We spent our first day and half getting acclimated to Maui. I think my body was in shock from the warm weather and my mind was in shock of the beauty. Maui, and Hawaii in general, is a bit cliche. You can’t help but feel happy there… and really, it’s a pretty magical place to visit. We got to stay at the Grand Wailea. Amazing. Just amazing.
I was able to watch whales from our beach chairs. (Though, except for the spray of one in the third picture down, I didn’t catch any in action. I was too busy watching.)
I was able, for the first time, to start my day in the middle of the ocean, coffee in one hand, camera in the other. A couple of my favorite things.
I was able to snorkel with an endangered Monk Seal (there are only 900 left on earth) and spend some quality underwater time with a turtle, all by myself. All the while listening to the high pitched sounds of the whales below the waves. They were having quite a conversation.
I was able to wander through a lavender farm inhaling the aromas and a stone fired pizza.
I was able to leisurely hang out in little tourist towns.
I was able to take surf lessons, in the pouring rain, and was able to rip some curls. Or whatever it is surfers do.
I was able to drive up and down craters, around winding roads, through valleys and around mountains.
I felt wind and rain and sunshine. I smelled the plumerias. Only Hawaii smells like that.
I found where the rainbows come to an end. Or maybe it was the beginning. I’ll leave that up to the philosophers.
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“And you’re going to want to hold onto your mask if you choose to jump into the water, it will fall off and sink if you don’t, or you will look like this.”
“Look around you, there will be at least 3 of you that will failures at doing that, don’t be that guy.”
A water guy who is also a comedian. Loved him.
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And, in our last minutes on the beach, the moon was shining, the waves were crashing, the sand felt so good between my toes.
And it was right at the moment, when from the bushes came a man running and yelling at the top of his lungs. Buck naked, bare assed, into the ocean.
A perfect ending.
Hey, everybody dies.
But not everybody gets to live.
(a good lesson to take away from this trip.)
Aloha friends.
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