to Hana and back again

this past weekend, Brooke Kelsey and I took the ferry across the channel to Maui for our first off-island adventure. i cannot believe how different Maui is from Lanai. Both islands are incredibly beautiful in their own unique way. Maui is so diverse--in both land and people. Our boat docked at Lahaina on Friday evening, and we drove 45 minutes across the narrow part of the island to Kahului, where our hotel was.

I haven't been off-island since I arrived in Lanai on January 2nd, so pulling into a port teeming with people was a bit overwhelming. So was the traffic. And the stoplights. And the shops. And even the amount of white people everywhere. It may sound strange, but I was so used to seeing people that looked different than me on Lanai, it was strange to see Caucasians in large numbers.

After the initial shock of "civilization", I was excited at the prospect of exploring a new place. We got up early on Saturday, and after a long-anticipated trip to Starbucks, headed on the highway to Hana. If you've never heard of the road to Hana before, it is famous for its hairpin turns, one-lane bridges, and lush waterfalls lurking around every corner. I was so excited to experience the road I had heard about in books for the last 10 years.

Brooke was our driver, which was very much appreciated. Those of you that have ever been in a car with me during traffic time or any other stressful situation know that I can be a bit hyper. So i was happy to sit in the back seat and enjoy the view. Our drive started in the pouring rain, but it lightened up as the day wore on. We hiked to waterfalls, explored remote little old-fashioned towns, chased some wild roosters down the road, climbed through lava-formed caves, and hiked to remote black and red sand beaches. Our experience was too rich to put into words, but I will relate my favorite story here, along with a few pictures (See facebook for more).


It took us 5 hours to get to Hana, such were our number of (fantastic!) stops along the way. We consulted a borrowed guidebook for a trail leading to a remote red-sand beach. The beach was c-shaped, and protected from the waves by an outcropping of rocks, making it more of a pool than anything else. I saw a picture in the guidebook and was excited to find this gem. The book said to park next to the Hana community center, cross a field, and take an unmarked trail to the beach. Not the most specific directions in the world, but we eventually stumbled across a trail that looked promising.

As we hiked further, we came across obstacles in the form of steep hills, fallen trees, and impassible rocks. We almost turned back three times, but decided to keep on 'till the end. And this is what we found.......

Not only was this the most beautiful beach I had ever seen, but there were a pair of monk seals--mom and baby--sunbathing right next to the locals on the shore. Not something you see every day. Even though we hadn't brought our towels from the car, Kelsey and I decided to go in the water. An experience I am so glad we had. I floated on my back and looked up at the red cliffs surrounding me, and felt so peaceful.

To say Maui is beautiful is a gross understatement. The island is breathtaking. It is beyond description. On Sunday we explored Pa'ia and Lanaiha, and I fell in love with their tropical-artsy charm. I felt like mt heart fit there. I could live there. I really could.

And that's a little scary for me, because I've never been in a place that I felt like I wanted to live in besides southern California. I had thought I might want to stay in Texas, but after moving there I decided it wasn't for me. Hawaii is different. It has stirred something in me, and I'm going to see where it takes me.

I've always admired those people who have crazy life experiences. Not bad crazy, but the ones that just take off and do something because they want to. Like the people that surf in the summer and move to the mountains to snowboard for the winter. I feel that spirit of adventure, but I'm too darn practical for my own good sometimes. I don't know if I have what it takes to be that sort of person, but maybe this is my chance.

I'll move back to CA after graduation in May--because I have a place to live and a summer job lined up. I'll give it a while--maybe a year, maybe 2, maybe 5--but then I'd like to come back here. I'm not sure what that looks like right now, but I think that's the beauty of it. We'll see where this road takes me. I'm excited to find out.