I believe in maui

I believe in Maui

 Melissa White

The island of Maui, is the perfect place to spend your vacation. For years before actually traveling to Maui, I had always believed going to the islands of Hawaii would be on the top of my top ten things to do before passing away.  Through the years of watching exercise programs with people standing in front of tranquil blue water and the waves with their white sea foam playing along the shore, to as well as Thomas Magnum of Magnum PI driving along the coast line, I have always loved the idea of going to a Hawaiian island paradise. It was as if every time I watched a travelogue of the islands, they seemed to be calling, “ Melissa…Melissa.”

After years of just dreaming about going on the trip of a life time for me, the opportunity arose for me to visit Maui.  All I needed to know was the date and the flight number, I would be packed and ready to go the smell of coconut tanning lotion already applied. I had never flown before, but even my fear of the unknown was not about to stop me.

My Maui experience began at the Rochester airport where the adventure would begin, I remembered how surprisingly sunny the inside of the airport was. I felt at home hurrying to the gate where my much anticipated journey would begin; for me it would not begin soon enough.  Hours of travel, talking to friendly people I had never spoken to before, it was not long until I was at my destination, the island of Maui. My heart raced as we walked through the airport, it was different from the one at home, I could feel a warm and inviting breeze gently touch my face and the fragrance of brilliant pink Rhododendron was everywhere as I walked along the corridor. I was excited and this was just the airport, the journey was just beginning. Along the way Hawaiian girls waited patiently for passengers to arrive, they held delicate leis to welcome the visitors to their island.

Driving  to  the hotel, the jungle like trails illuminated by tiki torches , the sound of the water bumping against the shore made me realize I had landed in the paradise I had only dreamed of and  the island was everything I had expect and much more.  No matter the time of the day the island had a magic about it. During the night it was the island welcoming the visitor with the illumination of the majestic palm trees that gently swayed in the island breeze; during the day, it was just as magical with the cerulean water touching a sky equally as blue. I tried to remember the smells of the ocean, the color of  the sky and the feel of the air that surrounded me as I walked along the beach that last night; I wanted to take as much of the island home with me as possible. The sounds of the tropical birds in the trees and watching children feed the koi in the pond, everywhere I looked I was more amazed at the islands beauty and what it had to offer anyone experiencing their surroundings for the first time or the twenty first time.