What a Couple Weeks in Hawaii Have Taught Me

This is pretty much the first time I’ve mentioned our Hawaiian Christmas Holiday Getaway.  I didn’t blog, tweet, facebook, or G+ about it….and did my best to stay offline as much as possible.  For the past two weeks in Kauai I enjoyed some incredible Family moments, and had more than a few life lessons.

Here is what our time in Hawaii has taught and reminded me:

Ocean: The word Kai is Hawaiian for ocean, and I have been reminded that it is as sweet and wonderful as the name they have given it.  Even though I was raised in a provence land locked and without ocean water, I have grown to absolutely love it and I swear I have salt water running through my veins.  I love the healing power that the ocean provides and how it can easily remind me just how magical and infinitely glorious our world really is.

Heat: I’ve been to Hawaii twice before this trip, but it’s been 24 years since my last visit.  In my mind I had always remembered it to be incredibly lush and hot.  Since my last visit here, I’ve spent over 4 years living an traveling the Caribbean and had always considered Hawaii to be like it is there….only more humid and tropical.  I see now that it’s not quite what I remember it to be.  It is warm…but not hot.  Tropical….but not lush and humid.  I love the heat, and just didn’t quite find that on this trip.

Cycling: Being there for two weeks did not justify the cost and hassle of brining along my road bike, and the local rate of over $50/day to rent one was totally insane.  So for the first time that I can remember, I was surrounded by beautiful cycling roads and warm temperatures….and not able to be out there riding.  I did frequent the resort gym and rode the bike in there, and what that did was fuel my cycling passion even more and made me so excited to get back to Austin so I could jump back on my bike.  Yes, I am totally Loving the Bike.

Computer Time: As I already mentioned, there was barely any mention of being away on this blog or social media and although I did check in every day…my computer time was drastically limited.  What I learned is that life goes on quiet well without all that time on the internet, and that a few more hours with my Family each day is by far more valuable than what can be done on a computer.

Pacific vs Atlantic:  Being here in the middle of the Pacific ocean has made me realize that I prefer the waters of the Atlantic to those that surround Hawaii.  Don’t ask me why, it’s just something I guess I feel in my soul.  When I’m in the Atlantic, I feel some sort of connection that I never quite understood until spending time in the Pacific.

Family: I’ve always known that my Family is the most valuable and important thing in my life, but this trip reassured this a million times over.  One of the best quotes that came out of this trip, was from my 6 year old Son who said: “We’re the Kotyk’s, and we can do anything”.  I love the beliefs and values that our kids hold, and I can never get tired of people saying that we have a very nice Family.  I must have heard that at least a dozen times on this trip.

Realistically, this trip was more about Family than it was about Hawaii.  We were there to celebrate my Parents 50 years of marriage, so for me that was the focus of the trip.  Being together with them and my Sister’s Family for the first time in a very long while was paradise in it’s own….Kauai just happened to serve as a pretty nice backdrop.

Frangipani: There were Frangipani trees all over the grounds of where we were staying.  This flower just happens to be the “wedding flower” for my Wife and I as we were married in the Caribbean, and my wife carried a bouquet of Frangipani during our ceremony.  We’ve always loved the look and smell of this flower, and it holds a special place in our hearts….so I was reminded of how much I love the Frangipani, and on this trip I learned that it is associated with love in feng shui.