I Said No to Maui

It's true. My aunt invited me to be her plus one on a 5 day trip to Maui in 2 weeks, and I regretfully declined. I said no to time with one of my favorite people in a bucket list place. Oh, an almost all expense paid trip. I know blasphemy. What's wrong with me?

Covid.

Yep, I'm blaming Covid for making me a wuss who is unable to embrace spontaneity and adventure.

When I received the invitation Saturday night, I was so excited and sure that I would go. Then I didn't sleep well that night and I had nagging anxiety all day Sunday. It is so soon, so far, so out of my current comfort zone. 

I regret that I couldn't get over my little insecurities for this big trip. I've been googling what to do in Maui and checking the weather. And while I know I'm missing out, I also know it's the right thing for me right now. It is 100 percent possible to have regret and relief at the same time. 

My aunt was an absolute gem about my decision. I didn't have to elaborate on my reasons. She shared them with me. She knows me well.

The picture above was taken 30 years ago in my mom's kitchen. Gidget and Moondoggie had just returned from 2 weeks in Hawaii sun kissed and Sun In soaked. Do they still make that awful stuff? Mike found this snapshot last week when we were going through what I call our memory boxes also known as the shit your parents finally say they won't store for you anymore. I was so adventurous back then that I slept in a tent with a stray cat on the beach and woke up to the tide coming into our camp. I swam in surf so out of my league that I had to be rescued by the life guard. We swam out on the back side of a reef  at Hanauma Bay to snorkel and a storm blew in. The current got tricky. It was hard to get back to shore. I wasn't freaked out. I was energized. We trekked out to the Toilet Bowl where it literally felt like you would be flushed out into the Pacific Ocean. It was wonderful.

So I figured the timing of this picture resurfacing had to be some kind of sign. 

But Mike found many other pictures from our early days together and to single out just the vacation pictures is not valid. I so often look to the universe for answers I already have.