I realize I haven’t blogged much this past little while. Between a laptop computer that isn’t cutting it speed wise, (upgrade ahead!) and lazy wifi, and… well, the overwhelming amount of pictures to weed through, I’ll just admit it was easier to go on another adventure or take in the pool. 🙂 But I promise, I’ll get a few more things together that I feel are worth sharing.
I’m currently writing this on Sunday, July 31st… our last day on Maui. We’ve now been here 5 weeks, and I think it’s safe to say, that we are climatized, relaxed, and even a little tanned.
In some ways this round, our travels feel like we blinked, and the time spent was gone. And in other ways, the time here has been a little bit too long. But I’m starting to discover why.
I won’t lie. I personally came here to run away from things for some downtime. And now that this ‘don’t worry, be happy’ atmosphere has saturated us/me, it’s easy to forget the hardships that lay ahead once home again.
I don’t think the trip has ‘fixed anything’. I think the trip allowed a gap in time for minds to rest easy, and be saturated with new adventures that give you time to heal, so you’re now armed with more strength to carry on.
This ‘gap’ is the magical part. When we are so busy in the moment/middle of it all, we can’t see the outside. We are too busy fighting off what’s hitting us. Imagine if you will, walking into a hurricane, trying to keep a cup steady on top of a tray. The wind is relentless, hitting you from all angles. The cup doesn’t stand a chance.
… until we find a way to step out of the storm for short breathers, to regain our senses again.
This 5 week stint in a familiar place provided an opportunity to completely rest. I mean, what else do you do once you’ve done it all?
Remembering back to last summer, I fell into a depression of sorts once I returned. For some reason, I don’t feel that same dread of leaving here this round. Maybe it’s because we’ve done this long stay twice… but for some reason, it’s different this time. We shall see…
As for happy new twists…
Racing to the top of Mt. Haleakula with Michael from Inspired by Charm – post to follow!
Our luau adventure!
We had a friend join some of our adventures. Michael from Inspired By Charm flew in, which added even more brightness to our trip. (can’t wait to share our adventures!) He probably has no idea how much his presence brought us AND taught me in such a short time frame. For one, this guy is fearless on the road. So to watch him tackle the most difficult treks out here and come out unscathed… well, maybe I should stop listening to the scary feedback from so many others, and figure things out for myself!
His invaluable presence also showed me a new to us travel angle… travelling alongside those you know. It brings a whole new dimension into play, and I can see how that can really up the ante for longer stays… for both of us.
Michael has been a long time online friend I’ve wanted to meet for years,and happy to say, now a real time friend. The guy is just drop dead charming… every bit how he portrays himself online.
My new fav place to grab acai bowls and iced coffee in Kihei… more soon!
But there’s one more exciting twist we are adding to this trip… on Monday we are flying off to Kauai for a week’s stay to get a taste of a totally different environment, filled with brand new adventures!
I’m kinda pumped. All last year while here I had been wanting to just take off for 2 days or so, but that would have added a fair bit of cost for little return, so this year we are doing it right.
This farmer’s daughter loves nature, and jungle. I crave it daily in this cute little Kihei resort town. It’s a great place to stay, as traveling to other locations is near by for the most part, and how affordable it is. But the only thing that’s missing is the true essence of old, natural Hawaii.
From my reading, it appears Kauai offers more country, so we shall see how this all turns out! We chose the north shore as per what the locals here suggested. And yes, we are ok with rain… I think!
It’s strange to pack up and not come home. I have mixed feelings about it. (kitties!!! tools!) But now that we ARE so well rested, maybe this is a good thing! We will be ready to go go go, reaching all 4 corners of the island at breakneck speed. Maybe… 🙂
Our condo pool, where I spend a LOT of time! More on this special place soon.
So… this next adventure has that one extra ‘new element’ that encompasses the growth I desperately want and need. It will be interesting to see what it brings. I think I’ll either be so immersed in all the new that I’ll want to shout out every little thing on social media, or too immersed to do a thing!
I think it’ll be the first one though… 🙂
Here’s to one more twisted in a good way week, full speed ahead!
You can follow along instantly on Instagram or on Snapchat under ‘funkyjunkdonna’.
You’ll love Kauai! From mountains and arid climate to waterfalls and tropical forests, it’s a soothing retreat! Enjoy!
What an adventure you have had this summer! Can’t wait to see your journeys on Kauai! Have fun!
Looks like some really good times ♥ Nice photos ♥
summerdaisy.net
Great pictures! It looks like a super fun trip 🙂
You’ll
Love Kuai! It’s fun to explore and it’s so laid back. After ten days on Oahu it was totally what we needed and didn’t know it.
I absolutely love the Hawaiin islands!! Hoping to get over there before the end of the year! I am very very jealous right now… Enjoy the rest of your relaxing trip 🙂
Loved Kauai! We spent first part of summer on its north shores.