Right off the plane, we drove down our familiar Kaumuali'i Highway, making quick stops at Target for essentials. Kelsey and Kate were tracking each other's locations, and she was our first hello. I started crying when I saw these two reunite. Kels is one of the sweetest girls of all time.
Nic and Heidi prepped a Father's Day gathering, with the Stebbins and White families joining for dinner. Like old times, we took a walk, joined by the Smiths. The girls made a makeshift bobsled using a longboard skateboard and a beach chair, and riding it down hill after hill. It was a little scary and also hilarious.
Owen asked Aunty Heidi if he could pay to get his hair bleached. She spent a couple hours making his hair perfect. He has the best hair, and was bummed when few Kauai people noticed the change. It looks exactly like it did when he lived in Kauai, but without the ever-present sunshine and water, his hair is significantly darker in Utah.
Pre-bleach:
It turned out to be three manta rays, who played in the water near us for hours!
North shore turquoise waters against blue skies. Ahhhh.
The next day, we went up to Waimea Canyon to catch the awe of Kalalau Valley. One perk was the road closure which turned most away as it added an extra mile to the hike. We were mostly alone.
When I have to look back and forth repeatedly to see if I already included the picture, it should indicate to me that I have the angle/photo captured enough and should delete the extras. But I can't. I love this view so much, I have happy heartache looking at my too many pictures.
The next morning was more surfing and then the highlight of our trip: a night under the stars with friends and fire at Polihale.
Hours of fun on the inflatable mattress followed by a long walk in the sand and a fire with the Stebbins, Clarks, Hadleys and Whites.
We surfed at Sheratons, and the following morning I had a surf session at First Break with Robert. It was windy and the waves were choppy, but they were long rides and making it through the bumpy sections without issue made me feel like an incredible athlete. Ha!
We spent another day on the north shore as the south swell died out. The Clarks joined us at Lonamea while Zachary met up with his school friend, Finn. There was construction blocking the main parking for Lonomea, so we had to take a long walk from another beach. This had the lovely benefit of keeping most others away on a busy Saturday.
We finished off the beautiful day with Wailua Shave Ice. By this time, my lips were so swollen from sun blisters I could no longer attempt a smile. All the sunscreen chapstick in the world doesn't help you if you're a tourist and no longer accustomed to so much water and sun and salt. Zac sat in the car with his bags and bags of Kaua'i lihing treats instead.
Reuniting with our ward family the next day was the best. Hugging all my aunties and uncles, some who got confused and wondered if we had just been on a long trip. I wondered if it was my last time seeing some of the kapuna and hugged them extra tight. Zachary joined us and caught up with his friends and leaders, too.
It was so healthy for Kate and Owen to have this experience! Up to this point, they were just so excited to be in a new place with new friends, teams, family, and experiences. They hadn't felt the full loss and impact of leaving Kaua'i. I had spent the first two months in Utah crying myself to sleep and often during the day, too, so while I cried with Owen and Kate, too, I had already dealt with the impact of our move. Zachary had also been through the grief cycle as well, although still deals with anger. Brady felt awful the entire afternoon, feeling like it was him against the rest of us. But it isn't. I'm with Brady and we made this decision entirely together. Even though the first two days of the trip had some anger and grief for me, by the end, I had switched gears back to gratitude that we had all these years with all these people. I miss the ocean, the palm trees, the warm air, the evening rain, the sea life. But mostly it's the people. I miss the people and community so much.
After the long and drawn out afternoon, we played games together and went on our old Sunday stomping ground--the puka by the Hyatt. Kate and Owen decided to see if they were any faster than last time they raced around this loop, and they both beat their records!
We finished off the evening with a Lapperts stop. Wishing Zachary was with us!
Our last day on island, we took a morning walk on the cliffs, wishing Roxy were with racing along the sand and grass like old time. Next, we had one last surf at Waioha with Zac and Hilary.
Goodbye, my dear island and people. Thank you for welcoming us back.
Until next trip.
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