And then I woke up...

Here in my own bed. With my girls and my dog and it was all like a big, huge, wonderful, dreamy dream about being in a place that knows just the right way to settle your soul.

Hawaii was a dream!!!

Simple as that. A dream that I could never have dreamed all on my own without physically being there, experiencing it with my senses. It has forever left it's mark on me and will always have a place in my heart.

After smelling the perfectly mingled scent of salt water and fresh floral accents, letting the waves crash rapidly over my legs and feet, the ocean always trying to claim me as it's own, listening to the locals talk about a culture of spirituality, love and respect for all things - I am forever a part of this island. I will always feel the draw to visit again. I left a little piece of me there just to make sure I have a reason to visit again.

What I am most surprised about was how much Hawaii caught me off guard. I had no idea what a gem it was. I was most certainly not prepared for how hard I fell for it. It definitely has not seen the last of me. 

Here are just a few of the pics from the trip. All of them taken with an iPhone. Like seriously, when you are in Hawaii you just point and shoot, it's hard not to get a beautiful frame. What the pictures will never capture is actually being surrounded by beauty. The coastline that goes for hours, the ocean that goes for days, the rainforest that go for weeks. You look up and its pretty, you look down - pretty. Left to right - PRETTY!!!!! Different shades of blue and green are always near. Being surrounded and completely entrenched in the glory is very difficult to capture. That's what these small images will do for me, like little gifts and tools for my memory to use to access this marvel that I actually got to live and breathe. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go and most importantly knowing my kids were in the best possible hands. It takes a village. 

Happy travels. Hope you find yourself face to face with the volcanic rock on the great island of Maui at some point in your future.