Maui

Maui had always been the trip of my dreams. I never dreamed that I would go alone, but I did many years ago. My heart goes out to the people and families impacted by the recent wildfires that occurred there. I write this post in honor of Maui – the place that proved to be a powerful catalyst in reshaping my life all those years ago.

NOTE: There are no affiliate links in this post.

My Maui Itinerary

While on Maui, I stayed in a studio condo in Lahaina with a beautiful Mountain view. The duration of my trip was short, so I signed up for a few group tours to make the most of my time. One of the first things I did was attend a luau. The next day I did a Whale Watching Tour, and a Helicopter Tour. I also remember making a Note to Self: In the future, do NOT do these 2 tours on the same day! The following day was The Road to Hana group tour. However I saved the best for last. I drove myself to the summit of Haleakala – The House of The Sun – to view the sunrise.

My Maui Objective

During my Maui trip, I continued to consider a huge decision regarding whether to leave my job at the time. Later that same year I did leave, and embarked on an adventure. I intended to write part-time, and get part-time contract work. The short version is: Things didn’t go as planned. Nonetheless, I wrote a lot of material from my time on Maui and elsewhere. Further, I accidentally began training as a Reiki Practitioner. This began a long term journey in learning various energy modalities over the years.

The Maui Wildfires

For those who don’t know the details regarding the wildfires on Maui, this brief Visual Timeline video does a good job of providing an overview. The high winds were an effect of Hurricane Dora. As of this writing the death toll is at ~ 115. 🙁 Many are still missing, but there was a recent report indicating that ~100 people previously unaccounted for were found to be safe.

Maui Wildfires – Heartwarming Stories

Throughout this tragedy, there have been some heartwarming stories. Early on, I had heard a story of a vacationing pilot who flew the plane he was leaving on out of Maui due to crew shortages. I was also moved by the story of chef Alex Gleason (from Merriman’s Kapalua) firing up an outdoor grill and feeding thousands of displaced locals with fine dining foods (i.e. Mahi Mahi, Steak etc.) from the restaurant. There are many suspected cases of those who may have perished while helping others escape. Based on that, I was thrilled to see the Good Morning America (GMA) story about Benny Reinicke. He came to the aid of a daughter with her elderly Mom who were trying to escape the wildfires by going into the water. He carried the Mom on his back, over the sea wall, into the water, and STAYED with them for several hours! I am sure there are many more stories such as these.

Ways To Help

During devastating events such as these, many of us question how we can help. I usually prefer to work with reputable organizations with what I call boots on the ground. I want to know that they are actually onsite providing assistance. For the Maui wildfires, my personal choices have been Convoy of Hope and World Central Kitchen (WCK). In fact, I was thrilled to hear that WCK has also been supporting local chefs such as Chef Hui and Common Ground Collective which I had heard about through another GMA story. If you’d like to help by making donations via charitable organizations, make sure you do your due diligence. Check out their various ratings using sites such as Charity Navigator.

Conclusion

Often to offset the heartbreaking emotions resulting from events such as this, when applicable I focus on memories of better times or find ways to honor the place. Along with charitable contributions, I’ve been sharing pictures from my trip to show my love for Maui. What about you? Do you have any special or cherished memories from visiting Maui? Do you know of any other heartwarming stories related to the Maui wildfires? Feel free to share in the Comment section. Mahalo!