Have you ever been somewhere so beautiful,
you couldn't bring yourself to take a picture?
I found myself in this particular situation while visiting the island of Kauai, Hawaii for the first time. Being in a paradise I had dreamed about visiting my whole life made my Kodak moment last the whole week. In order to avoid my eye being stuck peering through the view finder the whole time, I decided to try something different and embrace a mostly camera free trip. The results were mental snap shots created by maximizing my human senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound. These memories are now burned into my brain, and that I will think back upon and remember forever.
Here are some of those memories -
1. Floating in a Postcard - Tunnels Beach
It was at Tunnels Beach where I found myself floating in the middle of a picturesque postcard, laughing at the ridiculous notion that this moment was not a fantasy, but an actual reality happening to me. The towering jagged emerald mountains against blue heavens with dewey white clouds that weaved through them were the back drop to mother earth's warm salty bath I was bobbing in. My mind became as clear as the water, allowing the euphoria and excitement to climb with the height of the mountain as I was saddling the edge of a dangerous on shore break.
2. One Small Step for Mankind - Na Pali Coast
Through slightly choppy waters, the catamaran hugged the coastline allowing for an intimate meeting with the rugged mammoth mountain fortress. Before me stood its cascading mass cloaked in veils of waterfalls with soil and moss clinging to its steep sides. It appeared so ancient my eyes searched for the remains of lost petroglyphs from past civilizations or even species from the jurassic period. What I did find was the enlightenment of how small mankind is compared to the beauty of the earth.
3. Landing into Paradise - Lihue Airport
As the plane descended into the little Lihue Airport, I surveyed the first signs of land through the porthole window. A quick view of trade wind chopped waters competing for their hue of blue while smashing against the edge of red earth flung into my vision as we whizzed onto the run way. When I got off the plane, I discovered those winds carried not the smell of salt, but the ability to lift your worries as numerous as dew drops to be quietly evaporated in the soft sun light.
4. Making Fish Friends - Poipu
Place protective goggles on, peer under the water and dare to dive deeper to discover a world of wonder. Colorful clouds of curious fish gathered around me as I explored their ecosystem. They were so close, I couldn't help but poke one of their bellies to say hello as they poked their own funny little noses at me.
5. Dreams of a Seaside Wedding - Wai`oli Hui`ia Church
A charming little green church breathes of it's own distant past of colonialism. It is a pure architectural marvel with simple side paneling as green as the surrounding palms and is adorned with white trim jeweled windows topped with a thatch like roof. No matter the ideology, any romantic would silently conspire about escaping to have a little seaside wedding there.