A View From Above The Clouds

Three days into the vacation, and I would have to say that Hawaii is so far my favorite place in the entire world. There is just something so freeing about Hawaii. One minute, you can be looking up at the Maunakea Summit, and turn around only to find yourself staring for miles out into the distance of the Pacific Ocean. It is almost as if you can see your dreams right in front of you no matter what direction you stare in.

Tuesday started out a little different than the first two days that I was here. I was feeling way too energized to be in a hotel room from all of the good food that I had eaten for the first two days. So I got up, threw some workout clothes on, and immediately went to the hotel gym. Nothing major, I just wanted to get out and move.

Following the workout, my mom and I took a short walk to The Shops at Mauna Lani to get some breakfast. What’s good to eat for breakfast in Hawaii you might ask? How about an acai bowl with fresh coconut shavings on top from Juice 101. Yeah, it hit the spot.

After walking back to our hotel, we grabbed the car keys, loaded up a backpack, and drove thirty miles up the mountain to the Maunakea Visitor Information Station. In thirty minutes, we went from being at sea level, to 9,200 feet above sea level.

We arrived at the information center, and hiked up the mountain a little further so that we could get a view of the ocean. I am going to say one thing, normally I am not the type of person who likes hiking, but damn was this worth it.

We didn’t make it all the way to the top, but the view was absolutely stunning. You could see anything and everything farther than just what was on the island. It was one of those things that I didn’t think I would like, but am incredibly glad that I did it.

On the way back to the hotel from Maunakea, we stopped to grab what other than more sushi and poke. I’m telling you, we have to enjoy it while we can, because in Minnesota, we don’t really get fresh seafood. And if we do get decent sushi, it is incredibly overpriced.

We didn’t end up getting back to our hotel room until late afternoon. By the time that we finished a late lunch, we had maybe an hour to relax before having to get ready to go to another dinner event.

Like the event the night before, this one was right on the beach as well. There really is no better way to end an amazing day than with great tasting seafood, free cocktails, and a perfect Hawaiian sunset. It is something that you would see only on a postcard.

I wish I could explain how I feel right now, but no words can even come close to describing how free and relaxed I have felt on this vacation. Every little bit of stress that was built up inside of me has since vanished. Every negative thought that has been stuck in my head has been replaced. And every bit of doubt that I have ever felt has been overpowered by the realization that this life that I am living is nothing short of miraculous.

I talk a lot about the positives in life, but I have never felt this way before. Each and every day of my life is only getting better, and I can’t help but to be incredibly grateful for this life that I am living. The best way to describe it – I am living my best life every single day, and I am loving every passing second of it.

Michael Bonnell

12/13/2018

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