When we told some of our friends we were going to Hawaii, their excitement was invigorating. Hawaii is a beautiful place, so dramatically different from the terrain of America's Midwest. Friends who had ventured to Hawaii themselves were eager to share their memories. These conversations only added to our excitement. Many asked us where we would be staying, we readily reported Waikiki on the island of Oahu. Suddenly the gauntlet was open and the negative remarks became overwhelming.
Initially, I began to question our decision but it was hard for me to imagine any tropical paradise as unwelcoming. As my children grow and we travel more I want them to experience a variety of places, people, and cultures. I understand and empathize with the allure a pristine secluded all inclusive resort offers. Free from trash, homelessness, and void of crime. But what does that say to my children? Homelessness doesn't stop because our entitlement enables us to shutout those things we find ugly or disparaging.
In the end the unsolicited negative commentary about Waikiki was disheartening, and I tried to only embrace the excitement of those who, like me, were simply ecstatic by the notion of a tropical vacation.
After our epic flight, and a small car rental debacle, we reached our accommodations. I only needed to step out onto our lanai to realize for this urban loving family our decision to stay in Waikiki was on the mark. As I stood on the lanai to my left a beautiful ocean view, to my right a view of the Waianae Mountain Range, and directly in front of me the amazing urban jungle of Waikiki. Trifecta Perfecta!
And at the end of each day, when Monkey and Bunny were finally asleep, the sun resting from a long day of bronzing sunbathers, I would go out on the lanai and sit utterly captivated. To seal the deal, it amazed me how a city of such girth and florescent brilliance could make way for the angelic chorus of a church choir a full block away.
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