Thoughts from the road......as we drove, I typed on the laptop our final thoughts of the trip. Here are those thoughts!!
******
We have just finished a 12 hour leg of traveling. We left Maui last night at 10pm Maui time
(midnight Canada time)......Isaac stayed awake forever while Elliot passed out
pretty quick and slept til i shook him awake in San Francisco at 5am. We then got something to eat and slept
without discretion on the floor of the airport near the gate until it was time
to board. Elliot watched Netflix (since
he was well rested), and the rest of us were passed out. At one point, I opened my eyes and saw piles
of feet around me as everyone was boarding to Calgary. I thought `this must look weird, this
beautiful blond sleeping on the floor of an airport, sprawled beside her 6 year
old.....` But, nobody seemed to mind, so i closed them again.
The leg to Seattle wasn`t as bad - we knew it would be over
in just over 2 hours. Chris sat 3 rows
ahead of us (i booked him via points, so he sat solo.....he sat next to a woman
going to Borneo to study Apes, and a man who lives in hawaii who was traveling
to Alaska to see the Northern Lights.
The boys and I had a great time in our aisle. Elliot fell back asleep, as did I, while
Isaac played DS. It was over pretty
quick. Disembarked, called the hotel
shuttle, waited for 15 minutes in the cold (already missing the Maui
sands....), got a ride to our car, was pleased to see it waiting for us with no
additional charges for the extra days!! yes!!!
We are on the road now!!
I can`t wait to get to Susans.....not only do i love her company, her
home is so restful, which is what we really need right now.
Things I learned on this trip.
Elliot is a bear to manage if he isn`t well rested or well
fed. You know the saying ìf mama isn`t
happy, nobody is happy? Well, in this
family, it's Elliot.
Everybody is happy and calm in Maui. No bad attitudes, I didn't have to fight anyone like I often
have to do when traveling down to the states.
I often feel as though I have to have my back up because I feel everyone
is trying to rip us off. The same is in
Maui....everyone wants your money, but its calmer and done with a sincere
smile, and if you find a way around NOT giving them your money, it's ok. Everyone know that everything costs in
Maui.....but hey, who cares, you are in Maui.
Like that first night in that hole of a hotel? They should have charged us $130 for that 2nd
night since i booked it on points. Well,
I was ready for a fight on both ends; the hotel and with Visa. Well.....the hotel said they wouldn't charge,
and though I was told my complaint and potential refund would be dealt with in
4-6 weeks, my Visa was refunded with a nice email within a few days! Mahalo!!!
Highlight of the trip was all of us learning to Boogie Board
together. Do you know how RAD it is, to
catch a huge wave on your little board, and look beside you to see your 6 year
old screaming with happiness that he caught the same crazy wave???? Nothing like it!!!
I wish the kids liked snorkeling more. But we had a few good days together, until it
ended with constraints/rules for them to play on the beach while Chris and I
went out together (not too far, it still un-nerves me to leave my kids....). One our last day, Chris and I saw a silver
needle nose fish...one of those long ones....very cool.
Chris's highlight of the trip was diving in the cave. It was one of my favorites too....what an
experience to not be cold when you get out of the water, and to dive into such
clear water in a cave!!! with nobody
around!!! It was a gift...for sure.
Isaac's highlight of the trip was boogie boarding......he
got really great at his timing for catching the waves.
Elliot's highlight was 'going to our hotel'.....and his
second 'funnest' was playing in the waves.
Along the way, I learned that Chris likes the aisle seat (he
likes to stretch his legs out..who knew?
I thought everyone likes the window seat)
I ate Fish Tacos at Maui Tacos more than I care to
admit.....it was my favorite food of the trip, especially since all three boys
are happy with pizza and pancakes (bleh!).
Apples were almost 3$ each......it was good to have a kitchen.
Walking around in a bathing suit for a week is not good for
many things other than swimming. (Everything else takes a
beating)......including confidence, but you stop caring after a little
while.....it's been awhile since i didn't touch makeup or a hair brush...and I
pretty much lived in that red dress from Nicole...i really didn't need to pack
anything else other than that....bathing suit, dress, flip flops and a
rubberband for my hair = uniform for the week.
It doesn't get old watching my kids get their backpacks on
and get their suitcases ready to roll out, from where ever we are. 'They have become such capable travelers' i
thought to myself as i watched them all crunched up on their plane seats this
morning....no complaints though we were all uncomfortable.
Best meals: Mahi Mahi at Cafe O'Lei, Cheeseburger in
Paradise (Chris's favorite) , Maui Tacos (my fav), Bubba Gumps (isaacs fav was
crab at Bubba Gumps on our first night), and Elliot is still happy eating
fries.
On our last day, we took in the Sugar Museum and learned
about the life of sugar cane. Did you
know it takes 2 years for sugar cane to grow before it gets cut down for
refinery?? I bought a Hawaiian pepper jelly I was going
to share with my family this holiday from the sugar museum...i was SO excited
about it!! But guess who got it
confiscated at customs!!!??.......the guy seemed to feel quite bad to have to throw
it out judging by my almost tearful reaction - I was like "PLEASE!!! Just take it home and share it with your
MOTHER!!!!".....he smiles and shakes his head that he isn't allowed
to....so, nobody got to enjoy it.
*****
That was all i wrote on the laptop.....it was a long journey home, but i love this family, they are travel warriors and mainly happy for the most part.....so there we are!
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