The Long Arc
The Seven Wanderers have been soaking up island life in Hawaii for over two weeks now, and it feels like we've truly settled in. We've already made two Costco runs (with a third on the horizon), tackled multiple loads of laundry, and locked in a comfortable morning routine that starts with coffee and ocean views. Life here has a gentle rhythm that suits us perfectly. We're happy, content, and pacing ourselves well. We have avoided any frantic sightseeing marathons, just steady enjoyment. We've checked off most of the big spots we dreamed about, and today we're heading to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling.
Over the next 12 days, we'll keep the routine going and focus on the remaining gems, mostly the quieter, less expensive ones. It's been the perfect balance of adventure and rest.
What stands out most, though, is how this slower pace has opened space for reflection. Back home in B.C., days blur into a constant hum of responsibilities and schedules. Here, with the trade winds and waves as backdrop, things quiet down. I've done a lot of my contemplating alone. Sometimes I look at the waves and ponder, among many other things, the long arc from our last Hawaii trip in 2010 to right now.
In 2010, Leona and I arrived with our little two-and-a-half-year-old boy in tow. We were escaping the chaos of Vancouver’s Olympic Games. It was during that visit that I sat with a laptop in our hotel room, browsing new career options, and made the decision to step away from my theology degree at Regent College. I still remember the moment I discovered the B.C. government's Deferred Salary Leave Program. The thought hit me that one day, maybe, if I played my cards right, we could take a year off and travel. It was a goal on the far distant horizon. Getting into law school was a significant enough goal and I had not even taken the steps to do that. In February of 2010, it was just a figment of my imagination.
Now here we are. The dream that started as a hopeful Google search has become our reality.
That single pivot led us down a path of adventure and eventual stability. And now it looks like we are back to adventure. I remember carrying that two-and-a-half-year-old on my shoulders down Waikiki strip and now he’s back as a young man and we have four more little wanderers with us. They are all old enough to make memories of their own here.
Hawaii has bookended chapters of life in ways I couldn't have predicted. On this trip, Hawaii has given us not just beauty and relaxation, but a vantage point to look back with gratitude and forward with quiet excitement. I genuinely have no idea what the future holds. It’s a blank page and I am still figuring out what to write on it.
As we ease into these final days, I find myself looking forward to what's next. The road ahead is open, and after this Hawaiian reset, the Seven Wanderers are ready for whatever chapters come next.
Dawson
