I’ve been to the island of O’ahu three times, but this was my first time in Maui. It would only be a short trip for me, but even given the quick turnaround, I honestly can’t complain. I was there to 1) witness and celebrate the marriage of two friends and 2) escape from the weekly 40-hour grind. I know 4 days isn’t exactly what you’d call an “escape,”  but when I landed on the island, felt the warm breeze, saw the crystal blue water, nothing much could really matter.

The inevitable feeling of total relaxation is not rare in Hawai’i. Something is awfully wrong with you if you don’t feel this way when you get there. This overwhelming feeling of ease lends itself to mere atmostphere on the islands. Life is relatively slow there, and everywhere you turn, there is something beautiful to look at, listen to, or touch:

…brightly-colored hibiscus reaching out of bushes and trees to greet you…

 …palm trees that seem to radiate warmth…

…palm trees that look like shadows in the sky at dusk…

 …a setting sun that causes you to stand still and watch life pass you by…

…a gentle breeze that brushes your face…

…a canopy of clouds that either shield you from heat or drizzle you with coolness…

…the ebb and flow of waves on the shore that tells you it’s ok to sit and do nothing…