Hawaiian Reality Check

This past Christmas marks the first time ever that I haven't been home and with my family.  Instead, I planned a trip to Kauai and spent three weeks hiking, doing yoga, kayaking, swimming, and eating delicious food.  Kauai is incredibly beautiful and still well-protected.  It really was a fabulous trip.

Only one big problem; it wasn't home.  It was really hard to enjoy myself when I kept longing to be home for the holidays with the snow, the cookies, the drinks and the laughs.  Without the warmth of home and the love of family what is the point of holidays?

This and my ensuing breakup with my boyfriend has stirred up a ton of questions.  What am I doing here?  Why am I choosing this lifestyle?  Am I really happy?  Is the sacrifice worth it? 

I don't have answers to these questions right now, but I'm starting to investigate them.  In the years since my divorce, this is the first time I've really been on my own.  Viewing myself as completely independent for the first time is both liberating and scary as hell.  I'm taking it one day at a time...

Regardless, here are some pictures from Kauai!

 

The incredible view from the beach every morning.

 

After we finally made it to Hanakoa Falls!  It was rainy, slippery and muddy as heck. (from the left; emily, aaron, me and eric)

 

Backpacking the Napali coast.  Every view took my breath away.  And by far the hardest hike I've done!

"The strenuous eleven-mile Kalalau Trail winds along this rugged coastline, providing the only land access to legendary Kalalau Valley. The trail and facilities are rugged; some eroded areas are very narrow over cliffs that are hundreds of feet high."

Hazards:

Rated a '9' out of '10' in degrees of difficulty by the Sierra Club. Extreme inclines and declines throughout entire 11 miles. Narrow footpaths on high cliffs. Loose rocks underfoot and from eroding cliffs above. Trail is slippery when muddy. Strong sun. Heavy backpacks can cause overexertion. Filter all water. Strong currents and flash flooding can occur at river crossings. Dangerous shorebreak and riptides at Hanakapi`ai and Kalalau.

 

Camp setup on Kalalau Beach.  This only lasted for a little bit until the tide came in and almost swallowed us!

 

Amazing look-out point.

 

Watching the waves crash in on a deserted beach.  Nothing quite like it.  Eventually they went up to 30-foot swells!