Snapshots of Maui

How could I have lived my entire life without seeing such beauty. I feel like Jodi Foster in the film Contact: No words...no words...

Sat on balcony overlooking a beautiful garden stream. To my right are the islands of Lanai and Molokai. In the distance someone was playing a guitar and singing some island melody. The notes were lovely; they found a sad place inside. Thought of my dad. He has funded this trip with my kids; I will take him everywhere we go. Wept.

Took Amanda to K Mart to buy shorts so we could go to workout together. Hiway has tall green mountains on one side, turquoise water on the other. She was outlined in sunlight, hair blowing around her. John Mayer song "Gone" playing on the radio. She's turning seventeen. Rachel will be leaving to college the day after we return.

Tuesday: Drove in the driving rain, pitch black night, five am to catch boat for snorkeling adventure. It was one of the main things I was looking forward to in an adventurous Lara Crofty sort of way. Swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Meeting sea turtles. Now was fumbling with a map, trying to stay on the road, trying to see the road, and navigate areas I couldn't even pronounce. We pulled off on a dark road. Rain beating down on the windshield. We laughed so hard I had tears. A voice on the radio telling us to "get up, brush teeth and smile. We sooo lucky to live on the island Maui". Trip was canceled.
Ate banana pancakes. Went to Front Street (very cool) and movie in a wierd musty theater. The guy at Taco Bell was from Lomita.

Wednesday: Rain again. Refused to stay inside. Drove into center of island. Went to sugar cane museum (yes! a museum for this!) and ended up picnicing in a green countryside draped by fern like trees, with no one around (perhaps a cow or two). Later that night had two slices of banana cream pie.