vacation dreaming

T.J. and I started casually talking about when and where we would take leave this year since he only gets a limited amount of time off. (fyi. When I say "year" around here I mean residency year, so in this case our second year.) Our plan is to use half of that time to go home to South Carolina and see all the family and the other half will be for just the two of us to reconnect and relax together.

So... in approximately 8 months T.J. and I are going to HAWAII!!
Of course, first he just has to request leave and get that approved and then we have to wait 8 long months (not that I'm counting).... but I am so excited and all I want to do is talk about it and scour pinterest and hotel sites, and picture myself in a bikini, ordering a pina colada from the swim up pool bar, with my love next to me, and all our cares left back at home.

We knew we wanted to go to Hawaii at some point during our time on the West Coast since flights are shorter and generally less expensive from out here, but I was just about knocked over when T.J. said "how about this year?" And he was actually serious!!

Um... you don't have to ask me twice. Pretty much that very second I started googling flights and texting my friend who went there on her honeymoon for suggestions on which island, and which hotel. I even set a price notification on Kayak. I may be getting ahead of myself but.... y'all.

I cannot wait!

Hawaii might just be the next time I even get to wear a bathing suit as I'm still figuring out how to make the Pacific Northwest jive with my definition of a proper summer.

Don't get me wrong, summer out here is beautiful! It reminds me of our summers in England. We get to enjoy a break from gray skies and rain and basically have sunshine everyday. And it stays light outside until 10pm and then the sun is up again at 5. It's all blue skies and evergreens and no humidity which is it's own version of wonderful, but I can't help but miss a real summer day. Summer used to mean lounging at the pool all day long, or weekends at the beach (which had sand, not rocks). Summer smelled like sunscreen, and tasted like freezee pops, and it sounded like cicadas buzzing, the ice cream truck, and that perfect quick thunderstorm that rolls in and out and leaves steam rising off the sidewalks (we've had exactly one thunderstorm since I moved out here, you notice these things).

So since I haven't figured out a way to recreate those summer memories out here, I'm embracing the new summer, where I'm still wearing jeans most days, and satisfying my summer cravings by drooling over Hawaii pics.

We've decided on Maui but we might spend one night on Oahu at one end of the trip, since that's the airport we'll most likely fly in and out of and we both want to see Pearl Harbor. But our plans for the rest of the trip include pool, beach, pool, beach, sunset, repeat. I think picking a hotel is going to be the hardest part since they all look AH.MAY.ZING! I've been reading a bunch of bloggers' Maui recaps for a more personal insight but I imagine it's hard to pick wrong.  Still,  if any of y'all have been before, I'd love some suggestions/reviews/things to do. You can bet this won't be my last post about planning for and dreaming about this trip. Can't wait till this is our view!

Comments

  1. Maui was much better than Honolulu when we were there. So much more laid back. We rented a condo through VRBO and loved it.

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  2. It is not a place I have ever wanted to go, but my sweet mother craved it from the time she was in high school. She finally got to go with three of her girlfriends, after my dad died. She was in her early 60s. I'm so glad she got to go and had such a good time. That you can go in 8 months is wonderful! Grab your dreams and don't wait until it's almost too late. We lost her to cancer at age 65. I'm so glad she went to Hawaii! I will start now looking forward to hearing more about your coming vacation!

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  3. I'm so excited for you! Maui is my happy place. We usually rent a condo when we go. It's so much more economical and more relaxing but that's not to say you can't be relaxed at a hotel too. We stayed at the Grand Wailea the last time we stayed in a hotel. Of course it was fabulous. We prefer to stay at the Wailea end of the Island and do a day drive/trip to Lahania to do a little browsing and of course eat at Cheese Burger in Paradise. :) The condos we stay at are the Ekahi Village in Wailea.
    The first time I went the Hubby also said we had to stop and stay in Waikiki to get a feel for that Island too. I much prefer the quieter Island of Maui. How fun for you guys!!

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  4. We went to Maui many years ago and loved it. Visited friends in Kehei. Must snorkel Molokini, see the sunrise on Haleakala, drive the road to Hana!

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