This past Spring Break I was fortunate enough to travel halfway around the world to Hawaii. It’s been as long time coming as my sister has been obsessed with the islands for as long as I can remember, persisting that she will move there once she attends grad school at the University of Hawaii. In the weeks leading up to our trip, nothing but HGTV’s Hawaii Life (a real estate show about people making the move to the islands) played on our televisions. I knew that it was going to be a magical experience before the tickets were even officially booked for the plane.
I stayed on Maui for the duration of the trip and I made a point to be the least touristy as I possibly could. That meant exploring local areas, eating as much native Hawaiian food as possible, and just diving right into the culture (no pun intended).
And here’s the thing about Hawaii - it’s seriously like nothing you’ve ever experienced. This land of Aloha can not be recreated anywhere else in the world. Spending time on Maui taught me so much and hopefully it can teach you, too.
1. Nature is not to be taken for granted. It’s to be appreciated.
Driving from the airport to the resort, we were surrounded by natural beauty - from the Pacific, to the mountains, to horses grazing, to fields of sugarcane, pineapples and more. And almost all of the places we passed were addressed with signs letting us know that the land was protected and to be preserved-especially important in a place with some of the most diverse ecosystems in a small land area.
2. Relax and just let time slow down. It’s okay.
Being six hours behind everyone means you’re not going to be able to be as connected. Your friends and family are nearing the end of their day and you’re just getting started. On top of that, every local I met was just so calm and peaceful. They never seemed like they were in a rush, even though you can watch the sun go down as fast as if it’s a time lapse.
3. Be in the now
Staying present is key. Don’t look to what’s happening a month, a week, even a day from now. I’m finishing up university right now and you all know how stressful a time that can be. I shut off my phone and reminded myself that my problems, my obligations were 5,025 miles away. It allowed me to be really be at peace, find my center and all that jazz.
4. Always stay gracious, it is the land of Mahalo (& Aloha, but we’ll get to that later)
Mahalo, roughly translated, is thank you. And you’ll hear it everywhere you go. Everyone I met (minus the few bougie, entitled tourists) were among the most gracious people I’ve ever met in my entire life. Even when I would be at the local food courts getting a snack, the servers were saying “mahalo” to me - and should’ve been the one to say it. It was refreshing being surrounded by such kindness and courtesy as opposed to the frigidness found in the Northeast.
5. Keep an open mind
I feel like that since Hawaii is a state, we forget about the rich cultural history that still permeates the archipelago. Yes, there’s a Starbucks on every corner (and Pizza Hut to my surprise), but that doesn’t change where in the world you’re located - the middle of Polynesia, the middle of the Pacific. Don’t just stay at your resort and lay on the beach and get a nice tan. Go out, explore the local areas, try to surf at a local beach, get lost on the road to Hana. Find Fairyland. Eat as much of the local food as you can - Starbucks will still be waiting for you when you get home.
6. Make the most of everything
Getting to Hawaii is long, long trip. And two weeks isn’t even enough time to really explore one island in depth let alone the entire archipelago. Plus, a follow up trip is probably a long time coming (my parents went to Hawaii the last time in 1993 and didn’t even come on this trip). So, take in every moment, appreciate it, breathe it in and make the most! One day, we went on the quest for the blowhole and the heart-shaped rock. When we first got to the spot, we were so beyond lost and started to turn around. We found out we had to do some more hiking down the cliffs to find it and instead of being lazy and just going back to the resort, we took the plunge to the heart rock and it became one of the best memories of the trip.
7. It’s okay to be proud of your heritage.
One of the things that I noticed that helps preserve the quality of everything in Hawaii is the pride of being Hawaiian. Even though the vast majority of residents on the islands aren’t native, those that are (or have a percentage of native blood) stand up for the island that they call home. It’s not uncommon to see natives with traditional tribal tattoos or even simply tattoos of the the islands themselves.
8. Food is simply better in Hawaii.
Coffee. Fruit. Meat. Everything. The quality of the dishes is beyond anything I expected. I knew the fish would be fresh, but for an island that relies mostly on imports, there’s something to say about how fresh and delectable everything I ate was. If you’re ever there, get a Loco Moco (garlic fried rice, meatloaf and fried egg) for breakfast, POG (passionfruit / orange / guava) soda with every meal and POG-mosa (POG & prosecco) as the perfect cocktail (that is if you’re 21+ ;)).
9. Experiences over objects.
On the second day of my trip to Maui, we went to see the sunrise at the top of the dormant volcano, Haleakala. At the peak, it’s about 35°. In a sea of iPhones and DSLR cameras, I pulled my phone out and the cold drained by battery to 10%. In that moment, I realized that I didn’t care about my phone (and snapchatting the sunrise and subsequent bike ride to the bottom to everyone back home). I cared about taking in a once in the lifetime experience, watching the sunrise above the clouds then biking down the mountain with landscape views into the Pacific through Eucalyptus trees.
10. Aloha is a way of life - not just a greeting.
To most, Aloha is to Hawaiian as Ciao is to Italian - a greeting that means both hello and goodbye. In reality, it has much deeper meaning. Each letter stands for something and are as follows:
A, ala, watchful, alertness
L, lokahi, working with unity
O, oia'i'o, truthful honesty
H, ha'aha'a, humility
A, ahonui, patient perseverance
That’s so much better than a simple greeting!
With that, I hope you’ve learned a little bit about one most unique and magical places in the world - and taken away some important life lessons. Mahalo!
