Dear Maui

I really miss you.  Like really.  Maybe because I like warm weather, but not I’m melting, I’m dying because it’s so hot here in Bangkok type weather.  No, I honestly really miss you.

I’ve gone to Hawaii once before when I was ten and naturally, I don’t remember a thing.  There’s something about traveling when you’re older.  There’s this better appreciation for culture and traditions.  A better understanding on how the world is.  It’s quite mindboggling, actually.  How vast the world is.  How everything is the same, yet so very different. How we could be so connected to ourselves, our land, and the people in it just by traveling.  It’s an eye-opening experience.

It’s the feeling that’s most important, I guess I should say. Your senses come alive.  From the breeze that brushes against your skin to the warm light of the sun sending kisses from the sky. The colors of the land are so bright.  So vivid.  So strong.  And so inviting. It feels like a dream. Like you’ve entered an entirely different world.  Compared to the mainland, that is. You definitely don’t feel like you’re in the United States when you find yourself wandering in the jungle.  You are immediately immersed in nature. Maybe the beaches feel like any beach you may find in California, but it’s still a so very different, out of this world, experience. You are solely and uniquely yours.  No one can copy or try to be like you.  You are perfectly wild with a touch of grace and purity. There’s a certain innocence and child-like feel that is unbelievably magical.

You feel it in the heart.  Such passion.  Such honesty.  Such love.  When traveling throughout the rural areas of Maui, you can simply feel how much the Hawaiians love their home.  They take care of her.  Every person we came across, even at the airport, everyone was just so lax with genuine smiles on their faces, the kind of smiles that warm your heart, and create a twinkle in your eyes.  You can tell how much the island is taken cared for from the clear blue skies to how beautifully clean and transparent her waters are.  Not to mention how much space and how green the land is.  We’ve never seen any place filled with so much life.  We were awestruck with all the stunningly breathtaking views and surprises with every step.

The love you share goes full circle.  It’s the greatest of joys that gives me chills as you energize and brighten up the livelihoods of all. It doesn’t take a lot to see how much impact you have on the lives that occupy your land and how much they impact you in return.  You are blessed with the lovers of the world, protecting you, nurturing you, and loving you.  I am honored to have witnessed the intense love given off from just a few days with you.

We came across a few sacred grounds and it’s a magnificent feeling to be a part of it.  To be welcomed with such spirits of harmony and peace.  Letting yourself feel vulnerable and to be able to open up to the wonderful vibrations Hawaii offers really clears your mind and heart.  There’s a sense of relaxation that eases even the most anxious of minds. To be rooted in the heart of nature and to feel.  To be able to make that emotional connection when you attach yourself to the beauty of the island.  I’ve never been so spiritually connected with myself.  I’ve tried.  Believe me, everywhere I go, I’m trying to ground myself, be in the moment, embrace the present, let go of all worries, and fully be one with myself.  But there’s something about being in Hawaii that the worries disappear organically.  Meditation comes easy.  Fully embracing yourself and honestly loving yourself is the foundation that you don’t even have to try, it simply happens. I love that feeling. It’s such a freeing experience.

Maui, you hold a special place in my heart. The feeling I get when I’m with you is irreplaceable.  Nothing can ever compare to how much love I have for you.  Thank you for letting myself open up and be vulnerable in your embrace.  Thanks for being the first in nurturing me and helping me grow in this year journey of mine. 

rebeccanne