One of the most beautiful aspects of Hawaii, is Hawaiian time. While most of the tourist industry strives to meet the needs of it's customers, the locals truly hope visitors slow down and adopt a more leisurely laid- back attitude. On our drive from the airport to the condo, our taxi driver educated us on Hawaiian time. Reminding us there is so much to do and see but really the luxury of an island vacation is to throw away the schedule and relax. So other than the two days we needed to be up to catch a shuttle, I found myself out on the lanai reading, cup of coffee in hand, until both Monkey and Bunny were awake.
While we didn't plan out each day rigorously, we arrived on the island with a "to do" wish list. We choose to stay at the Aston Waikiki Banyan because when we mapped out our wish list it truly was at the epicenter. From the Banyan everything was either within walking distance, easily accessible by city bus/trolley, or a short shuttle drive. But, regardless of where we meandered each morning we always ended up poolside by mid afternoon.
Bunny amazed us all with her growing confidence in the water. This time last year, Bunny had such a fear of the water she spent the first half of her swimming lessons actively playing out Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief.
And Hank made his official debut as Aqua Man. He too has come a long way over the last year, finally learning how to hold his breath while underwater without engulfing half of the pool. This small skill has opened up a whole new world for him as he spends most of his time submerged. As a family of Army soldiers, with three West Point graduates within the ranks, I shutter at the thought he might be the first to attend the United States Navel Academy...wouldn't that make for an interesting Army Navy game day.
During our vacation to San Diego last year, we all succumbed to sunburn- even with what I felt was diligent sunblock applications. The sun in Hawaii is reported to be three times stronger than in Southern California. This information combined with our history in sunny climates, is enough to cause trepidation for any mother of pale skinned Norwegian Pollock's. Because it had been almost six months since Bunny and Monkey's skin had seen the light of day, they were forced to humor me during my mandatory two hour sunblock applications. PapaMiller on the other hand, who likes to bask in the sun like a human solar panel, declined stating, "I'm working on my base". Too bad his base will be covered up by long underwear until mid June when temperatures in Minnesota consistently reach that of Waikiki.
When it was time to head home, our "to-do" wish was only half crossed off. As I reflect on our time spent, I do not have regrets. While it is true we did not see all of the wonderful cultural landmarks the Hawaiian Islands offer, these two laughed and giggled their way through everyday. Sitting back and watching them frolic, play, and explore the island at their own pace was priceless. In the end, I think Omar the Taxi Driver would be proud knowing we threw our schedule out the window and embraced the luxury of relaxation.
No comments:
Post a Comment