Happy Hawaii- Part 1

It's official. We're quitting our jobs and moving to Kauai. During the day we will pillage mangos trees and collect eggs from wild chickens. At night we will curl up in the sand and listen to the crashing waves until sunrise. Showering will be optional. We will grow our hair long and ride bikes for transportation. 10 year plan? We've got one. 

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It took 14 hours of traveling to get to our condo in Kapaa (Casper>Denver>LA>Kauai). The full kitchen in our unit allowed us to cook a lot of our own meals which was easier on the bank account than eating out all the time. Our place wasn't extravagant, but it was huge and had an unobstructed ocean view from our lanai. We also lucked out with a free rental car upgrade and got a convertible to cruise around the island in style. 

Each morning, I'd lean over to Keane and whisper, "Happy Hawaii" because it seemed like the most appropriate sentiment for the trip. I never quite adjusted to the 4 hour time change, going to bed at 8:30 and waking up with the sun. Most days, it was just me and the chickens watching the sun rise and listening to the ocean roar. With coffee and camera in hand, I was perfectly content. 

We explored the north part of the island first, making stops in Kilauea, Princeville and Hanalei. Each town had a completely different feel. It only took a few days to narrow down our favorite spots. 

We scoped out a new beach pretty much everyday, making returning visits to our favorites a couple times over the 10 days. We preferred the more secluded beaches off the beaten path, some of which required us to hike down to. I have never understood why people go on vacation just to spend their days by a noisy pool or sandwiched between people at a crowded beach. Not my cup of chai. 

Ittook us a while to get used to the wild chickens and roosters covering the island, but once we figured out how to drown out their ruckus in the mornings, they grew on me. It was pretty cute to see mama hens with baby chicks in tow on the beaches, in the grocery store parking lots, and on the tops of mountains. It is probably the only place in the world that chickens can survive in the wild since there are no predators on Kauai. Seriously, no foxes, raccoons, snakes, nothing. Pretty cool.

Keane and I are big hikers so the fact that Kauai offers some awesome trails was one of the reasons we chose it as our vacation spot. The trail head to our first hike was just a few minutes from our condo. The steep ascent to the top of the Sleeping Giant was 3 miles. When we got to the top, we had 360 degree views of the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. On the way down, we got caught in the pouring rain which made the ground messy and slick. We alternated between rushing to beat the next round of rain, and seeking shelter under trees while wiping water and sunscreen out of our eyes. 

For me, the best part of vacationing is the uninterrupted time I get with my husband. Life gets hectic, work gets stressful and focus on what really matters begins to fade. We consider these trips not only a gift and a blessing, but also an investment in our marriage.  

And just for fun...some Instagram pics. 

leaving denver, arriving in kauai, merman, ocean/convertible hair

little buddy, the mister, my favorite pastime, coconut water fresh from the source

summoning my jungle friends, twins, road to our favorite beach, swinging

I'll be back with part 2 of our Kauai trip later this week. In the mean time, I'll be at work in a puddle of my own tears, shaking my fist to the heavens. 

Why God, Why?!