Day 43- Aloha Maui!

I left Bangkok at 5:30 AM Monday morning, traveled for 19 hours (going through Tokyo) and landed in Hawaii at 8 AM, Monday. The international date line is so strange to me! I literally lived the same day over again. The good news is that also meant that I had breakfast, lunch and dinner twice on that day and it was perfectly acceptable. Excellent.

Hawaii has been a good way to transition back to being in America. I think I'm finally over my instinct to ask people if they speak English before speaking to them. And I have successfully reconditioned myself to look left, then right before crossing the street. Well that lesson was almost learned the hard way but all is well. :)

Beach near Kihei. Of all the things I had planned this summer snorkeling in Hawaii was near the top of my list. As I was swimming around the coral watching the fish and sea turtles I couldn't help but think..."THIS is why I teach". Of course I have plenty of noble reasons as well but all I could think about today was how very much I love summer vacation.

Kihei

Makena Landing. Alona is in the middle, her sister Susannah on the right and Susannah's husband Adam and baby Evie on the left.

We snorkeled and kayaked in this bay. I'm definitely sold on the kayak now! There were also a lot of people paddle surfing. It is like a surfboard but you stand up and use a paddle to maneuver (shocking I know). I was tempted to try it while kayaking with Alona but she vetoed that idea before it even fully came out of my mouth. She knows me too well!

Honolua Bay, on the North side of the island. We snorkeled here too.
Alona and Evie. In the background is a big blowhole that the water comes up through as the waves break underneath. Really cool and kind of scary!

Twin Falls. This is for you Samira! It is blurry but I wanted to show proof that I DID jump. :)

GIANT banyan tree (and this was just part of it)
Walking to the beach. When I was planning my trip my good friend Alona suggested I meet her and her family while they were on vacation in Hawaii. The timing was perfect so I spent 3 days in Maui with them. We stayed with their cousin Delisa and her husband Anthony. They were awesome AND fed us some delicious home cooked American food!

Promise I am not as close to the edge as it may look. The wind was so powerful coming off the water. Felt awesome! Life is good.
Hwy 340. Kind of a harrowing road but Alona did great!
Iao Needle, at Iao Valley State Park
Hawaiian gelato! Oh how I missed you...
Delisa, Anthony and Wellington

Sunrise at Haleakala National Park. The elevation is 10,000 ft!

Fun fact: Haleakala means "house of the sun" in Hawaiian. Hawaii might have beautiful weather but it was definitely chilly up that high before the sun came up.

Good morning Hawaii!

Sorry had to include one more toilet picture. This was the Cadillac of all potties, found in the Tokyo airport. Not only did it have two kinds of bidet spray with adjustable water pressure AND a seat warmer, it also made sounds for those that experience a little stage fright in the public restrooms. If this is the output of the superior Japanese education I applaud them and say hurry up America!

Oh and I decided I am going to have a blog/cultural party on Aug 20 for anyone that is interested. I am working on the details but I will make some main courses and ask everyone to bring some sort of cultural food to share, plus some pictures or souvenirs from a favorite trip. Of course dressing up will be welcome as well. (Would you expect anything else)? More details coming soon!

Ok so now for my deep thought for anyone that is interested. I have been reflecting on all of the people I met while on this trip. Granted there are only a handful that I foresee keeping in touch with but each person that I encountered had some sort of impact on me. I guess I have realized that I typically assess the value of my life in terms of how many good friends I have; basically how many people I love/love me. Of course it is important to build and maintain those close relationships but I don't think that is all that matters. Everyday I was traveling I met someone who taught me something; maybe about their culture, how to get to the train station, gratitude for what I have, where to get a good map, or even recommendations of their favorite flavor of gelato. :) However, each day people also taught me about kindness. I think this is the most important lesson of all. Often I get caught up in believing kindness has to be some big act of service like changing a tire or caring for a sick friend. But I experienced kindness everyday and it was rarely anything grand. Most often it was simply by a greeting or even just a smile. While visiting a city on my own there were many times I sat down to rest (or eat a pancake) and struck up conversation with a random person nearby. I can't pinpoint exactly how they began but usually with some sort of eye contact or a smile and then we would ask each other questions or talk about some sort of common ground. Maybe they would give me directions or tips about staying safe. Each time this happened my day brightened just a little bit. I think part of the reason for that is just having someone show interest in my life in some way, reminding me at that moment I matter. I have also been reminded of how important a genuine smile is. What a simple act, but it can mean so much! I am not sure I am adequately expressing my thoughts here but the point is that I have see very clearly how much the little things do in fact matter, that they are definitely not so little. These strangers that crossed my path came and went but the impact of their simple acts are what made this such a wonderful summer. My goal is to be more mindful of the people around me. Say hello, give compliments, ask genuine questions. This might seem strange for some people. In fact I had a friend visit from Michigan once who was surprised by a strangers "hello" at the gas station. Her comment: "Why is everyone so damn friendly in this state?" :) I think she appreciated it though. It's hard not to.

Tomorrow I fly to California. Alicia gets married on Saturday! At least I get to see my family again... and put off reality a little bit longer. :)