Hawai'i

Dave and I have just returned from 8 wonderful days in the sun and sand of Hawai'i (the "Big Island"). As you may know, the last month has been a stressful, exhausting, and heartbreaking time for both of us, and we know our friends and families have shared in this. We had decided that once things were stable for me medically, we would really like to "get away" somewhere where we could reflect, reconnect, and recover both physically and emotionally.

While in the end it ended up being a very "last minute" decision (we booked our flight about 12 hrs before we left!), it was an absolutely perfect trip. We spent many hours on the beach: reading, relaxing, people-watching, swimming and "surfing". We went hiking through Volcanoes Park: we walked on the surface of a Volcano, and watched another erupt. We hiked through the beautiful Waipio Valley, where we saw waterfalls, and rainforests, black sand beaches, and sacred Burial Grounds. We took an ocean kayak to Captain Cook's monument, and snorkelled with amazing fish. We ate lots of fresh sushi (and Dave had a few beers!).

All in all, it was exactly what we needed: a chance to remember all the amazing things in life, and in each other. We know there's still a long road to go, but this trip helped us to realize that "we're going to be okay", no matter what happens in this journey of ours. We are so blessed to have each other, and especially to have such amazingly thoughtful and supportive friends and family.


The beach near our hotel

Lounging in one of our favourite spots.

Sunset on our first night.

Waipio Valley

Sacred Burial Grounds in Waipio Valley

Snorkelling at Captain Cook's Monument

Another of our favourite spots: Hapuna Beach