Diane Haynes Woodburn
Up, up and away!
“Look at that!” I exclaim to my two sisters-in-law. A huge cloud of dirt and rubble had risen from nowhere, a few hundred yards from us. We were sitting happily in the shade of a big green umbrella, waiting for our table at a popular mountain lunch spot. Gorgeous views, sunshine, fresh air . . . how lucky were we? Our husbands, brothers all, had planned this wonderful reunion at Deer Valley to celebrate their birthdays, the sixtieth for twins Jamie and Jeff, sixty-fifth for Scott. Today the boys had gone fishing, and we girls chose to hike and lunch at the top of world.
“Wow!” Elaine responded. “What is that?” The dust cloud had grown in size and force, uprooting chairs and wooden umbrellas and flinging them into the air like Pick Up Sticks.
“Thank goodness it’s not near anyone,” I said, feeling awed, but also safe so far from harm’s way. Then another gust came—this one closer. It was headed straight for us. Holy cow! I thought. If this umbrella goes, it could kill someone. Small, mature female to the rescue! I jumped from my seat, planted my feet firmly on the umbrella’s steel base and held tight to the wooden pole. Wouldn’t Wonder Woman do the same? But no, it wasn’t Wonder Woman I was emulating. It was Mary Poppins. Up, up and away! The wind came up and so did I—still holding the pole. Umbrella and I were airborne. This wasn’t the lunch activity I had planned.
“Let it go!” I heard a voice of reason yell. Good advice, I thought, mid-air, and let go. Klumph! It was a rather undignified end to a short but thrilling ride. I crash-landed on top of the umbrella’s rolling steel base, obtaining some rather impressive bruises and lumps. Yards away, Andrea (other sister-in-law) tried a similar feat of heroism to save a dog from umbrella impalement. She broke her toe. Elaine hailed help. There was a fuss, of course, some ice, and most important, a lot of drama. We had, after all, saved civilization (well, at least a dog). A glass of wine and a wonderful lunch proved a brilliant antidote for our bumps and bruises. Best of all, we have a story that will last us into our dotage.
Wherever we go, however long it’s been since we’ve seen one another, it’s the stories of our lives that knit families and friends together. And there are no better stories than tales of travel shared with the people we love. This issue of Maui No Ka ‘Oi brings you lots of fuel for your next adventures, including our annual Maui Vacation & Travel Planner. Whether you are a visitor to the island or a resident taking a vacation at home, you’ll find this issue packed with fodder for memories. From the primordial fires of creation just a hop across the water, to a challenging Leap of Faith, to a kids’ sleepover with sharks—your stories are out there, waiting to be discovered.
Travel is the perfect panacea for the soul. It opens us to new environments, offers new perspectives, asks us to be adventurous—and just a little vulnerable. Heroic rewards await us when we let ourselves be lifted out of our comfort zones—even if it’s for a short
umbrella ride.
A hui hou,
Diane Haynes Woodburn
Publisher, Maui No Ka ‘Oi
