Late January we were deciding between Rome and Hawaii. When we determined that the best vacation time was going to be March, we felt that left too little time to plan an international trip. (We are both "type A" personalities who like to have a strategy and plan of attack.)So Hawaii it was! It was an amazing trip, but with some frustrating travel both there and back. Between our three flights, we were delayed nine different times! The delays varied from 5 min, to 3 hours and 45 min.
We ended up getting a really good deal on renting a condo, but due to the delayed flights we got into Hawaii at around 11:30pm. Then after a looong day of travel, the door code they gave us didn't work. We were literally the width of a door away from our destination, and we couldn't get in. Thankfully I had an after-hours phone number to call and we were able to get in.
Since we arrived in the dead of night, we could smell and hear the ocean, but we had no idea how close we were. Then we woke up to this view:Amazing!
Besides getting there and back, the rest of the trip was stunning. Because we have such pale skin, we spent the mornings running around doing activities, then go out to lunch, and return back to the condo to read and relax. We opened up the doors and windows so between the breeze, the sounds and smell of the ocean, and the view it really felt like we were outside, but under a shade tent.
The adventure on our first day was going out on a whale watching boat.
We were toward the end of the season, but we got to see quite a few. The best was when we saw a momma, her calf, and 3 or 4 males in pursuit. They went on a long 30-45 min chase and we followed watching their antics. 
We hung out in Lahaina for the afternoon and it had to be one of my favorite places on the island.
Tuesday we drove the road to Hana. It was beautiful and a bit scary. We only had one really close call.
Wednesday we went snorkeling, and while the weather was rough so we didn't get to go to Molokini, we got to go to a couple of sites with diverse coral and fish. The best part was that it was DH's first time snorkeling and the amazed look on his face after he first stuck his face in the water was priceless.
Thursday we just explored around the island and did some casual shopping. 
I think we saved the best for last. Our big splurge for the trip was a helicopter ride around Haleakala (the big volcano) and Hana. The scenes were astounding. It made me realize what a stunning, harsh beauty Hawaii is.
After the flight, we treated ourselves to an incredible meal with a fabulous view.
All in all it was a great trip, and just what I needed: a bit of adventure, and a lot of relaxing.
It reminded me that I often get caught up in the day-to-day, and I need to slow down a bit and live in the Aloha spirit.
