It’s the middle of the night over the deep blue waters of the Pacific. I’ve spent nearly a week in paradise (Maui), looking at a job that could pay more than I’ve ever made in my life, while doing something I genuinely enjoy, and I’m considering not doing it. “Hey bill, you’ve won the lotto. How do you feel?” (Bill shrugs) “I dunno. Give it to someone else.” Seriously though, I’m kind of indifferent to the whole deal. So many reasons that I don’t want to go into. So let me shift to the trip.
When I travel somewhere, it’s not the common sights I look for, but the flavor that makes the location unique. In Maui I found Paia. A small town on the north side that’s caught in an amazing time warp. Here, it’s 1968, and the hippie culture is the real deal. On the corner is the fish market which features excellent and affordable seafood with such a laid back flair that you don’t mind sharing a table with someone with dreadlocks sitting next to a girl named Rose Blossom. Head to the grocery store next door where everything is organic and the fruit section has far more than the usual fare. Mangos fall off the trees like leaves in fall here and the Papaya and Guava are as fresh as they come. Head out to the beach and you’re likely to find circles of people with harps, drums, and guitars celebrating the sunset for the third time this week. Take a ride away from the water and you quickly ascend in elevation to what is known as the upcountry. Cold, crisp, mountain air makes for an entirely different climate zone that breeds such rich pastureland that you would swear that you were trekking the Scottish highlands. Keep on going over to the other side of the island and you’ll find a massive stretch of sand that could hold 100,000 people and you still wouldn’t feel crowded. It’s aptly named ‘big beach’. Clever Hawaiians. Sitting on the shore I counted a dozen or so whales breaching and blowing mist into the air. I stopped by Boss Frogs dive shop and paid a buck fifty to rent some snorkel gear. I drove my borrowed CRX a few miles past big beach til I got to this beautiful cove filled with people snorkeling. I headed in to the crystal clear water and I’m talking 100 ft visibility (they say 200 ft is possible) and suddenly I’m surrounded by fish everywhere! They’re large and colorful and have names I can’t pronounce. Anyway it was a good experience and my deepest thanks to the Finberg family, Robb, Nora, Ariel, and Ethan, and the folks at Grace church whose amazing hospitality and joy was refreshing and wonderful. A week with people like that could restore your faith in humanity. Mahalo.