I write this to you from Maui… and while I have thought many times about writing a travel blog I’ve just not managed to find the time to do so… until now.
As I mentioned, I’m in Maui. And if I am honest I had very mixed feeling about traveling to Maui this week for a work conference that is held here annually. (For those interested in what conference, it’s AMOS - Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference.) I was worried it was too soon after such tragedy. I didn’t want to be disrespectful. And I didn’t want first responders to have rooms “taken away” by tourists if the first responders needed them. The conference organizers decided to hold the conference on the original dates (this week) so I decided to make the trip.
Usually there is a non-stop United flight from Denver to Maui but due to the fires it was cancelled and I was routed through LAX. At LAX, I have a very dear friend who works in the airline industry who was able to visit me on my short layover. When I expressed my concern about my travel to Maui, and that I was worried the locals would be offended by us descending upon them so soon after the fires, he quickly stopped me and told me that what all the flight crews were hearing is the locals asking them to tell everyone “PLEASE COME TO MAUI!” This island’s economic base is tourism and they need the visitors. So I felt a little better about my decision to travel (and to bring my sister who had never been to Hawaii before so we came out a few days before my conference started to go see and do things) as I boarded my plane.
The plane… I was shocked that it wasn’t even half full. At that moment I understood why United chose to cancel the Denver nonstop given the flight loads.
Upon arrival to Maui we were welcomed with open arms and gratitude for our visit. Each time we expressed we’d like to help the community more the consistent response we got from the locals was that the best thing we could do was patronize local businesses and to tell EVERYONE we know to please visit. They need their businesses in the areas not effected by the fires to be doing well so they can help their friends and family and colleagues in Lahaina.
So this brings me to why after just “not having enough time” to start this blog that I am starting it now. I am launching my blog to share with you some amazing places in Maui to visit. Stay tuned for blogs in the coming days.
I wish I could do more to help here (and yes I have donated) so it is my hope that maybe this is a teeny tiny thing I can do to share with all of you why you should visit Maui and support the amazing humans who live here. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hope you’ll continue to read the ones that are still to come.
Mahalo