We’re back from our week on Maui. Despite some setbacks, we had a great time. This was the fifth year we accepted the invitation from friends to join them at an amazing property right on the beach. It was also probably our last year joining them, and I was acutely aware of that the whole week. At the start of the week it felt “right,” for it to be our last year, as we struggled to commit to activities, feeling like we’d done most of what we really wanted to do. By the end I was trying to convince myself that we could come again next year because the thought of never returning made me so sad.
The friends we stay with in Maui are moving from across the bay (Oakland) to across the Pacific (Tokyo), so there was also the weight of knowing that after this trip, we won’t see them again for a long time. The week was awash in big feelings, but it was also awash in sun, waves, tropical rains, and aloha.
We didn’t do a ton of specific trips or activities, so the highlights are mostly just things I appreciated or specific moments I loved. Here are the highlights from our 2026 trip to Hawai’i.
Reading on the lanai. I spent a LOT of time on this couch, reading my book.T’s pool, which we got to visit twice during the trip. It’s the coolest pool I’ve ever been to, and I’m so thankful he let’s us use it when we’re in town.Gecko friends. We saw them everywhere and they were such a delight.Seriously, look how pretty they are!We also got a kick out of all the chickens everywhere. Here we saw some chicks hiding under their mom’s wings to stay out of the rain.The roosters had so much attitude. They crack me up.Catching a glimpse of the Iao Valley in all her glory on my one and only run. She’s usually shrouded in clouds, so it felt like a special treat to see her like this at the turn around for my run.Working out outside, to the sound of the wind and the waves. I did three strength workouts and one run during my eight days on Maui and I really enjoyed each one.Early mornings on the dive boats. It was hard to get up at 5am, but always worth it once we got started.This was an early morning moon. We had to go to bed early and get up early three times on the trip, but there were little treats each and every time. Another early morning view from a dive boat. I couldn’t get enough of the clouds in this valley.Stunning sunsets. We saw a lot of them, and I appreciated each one.Seriously, the clouds! They changed constantly and I could not stop admiring the formations.Clouds + sunset = breathtakingSunset dinner at Ocean Distillery.Readiing on this hammock, which is more in the shade than the one I’ve enjoyed in past years. We had some hot days, so I really loved this spot.Scuba diving with the 16yo. Each experience underwater with her was a wonderful treat.Swimming with sharks!All times we gave each other the “shaka” sign because everything we were seeing was so cool.I don’t have a lot of shots of the scuba diving because I missed one dive (my ears wouldn’t clear) and I lost the GoPro on the final day of diving. I hadn’t taken all the stuff off the GoPro from previous dives, so most of our underwater adventures were lost to posterity. It was honestly really hard for me to lose the GoPro and reminders of all those memories. When I made iy down on the second dive of the first day, the 16yo made me a heart with her hands because she was so happy I could join her and it was my favorite part of the whole dive.The walk to Honoloa Bay on our last day.The vines on these trees were crazy. Snorkeling at Honoloa Bay on our last day. I don’t have any pictures underwater, because I’d lost the GoPro by this point, but it was a great couple hours floating above the coral. We hung out with a turtle for a long time!A full rainbow outside our window on the last morning. It felt like a sign.
