Maui Bound!

I decided at the last minute that Esme and I should go to Maui.

The Island Eyes conference is this week and I almost always go.  Several months ago, Aaron and I talked about it and decided that we would skip Maui this year to save money.  Also, it would be fun to go somewhere new.  Aaron and Esme have never been to Portland, so we thought maybe we would go there in the fall instead of Hawaii in the winter.

That all sounds fine and dandy until it's a super cold day in January in Minnesota and other people you know are going to Maui for the conference.  Then it's just a killer!

Part of the reason that the conference in Hawaii each year holds such appeal for me (besides the obvious - January, Winter, MN) is that I get to go for free because we've always had interns from Pacific University at the clinic I work at and Pacific sponsors the conference.  Therefore I am considered faculty.  Last November we said goodbye to our last intern.  So starting in 2014, I will have to pay to go to the conference, about $600.  Another way to read that is - this year would be my last free year.

Normally, we stay at the conference hotel.  My parents usually stay in a condo nearby the same time of year.  They said to me - "if you decide to come, you could stay with us".  Another way to read that is - free housing.

I kept checking the flights and they weren't too bad.  But the Friday before the conference was to start, I looked into frequent flyer miles and I had enough to get my ticket for free.  Again my parents chimed in - "maybe we could use some of our miles to get Esme's ticket".  There was a $400 fee to transfer the miles.  Initially this seemed really high to me until I thought - $400 for two tickets to Hawaii - that's not too bad!

I bought the tickets and away we went!

here we go!

Esme did so well traveling.  When we went through security they gave her TSA stickers and told her she didn't need to take her shoes off.  She was having no part of that, she wanted to take her shoes off just like everyone else.  Later she was telling someone about her flight and she said "at the airport we got to (got to!!!) stand in a really long line that curled back and forth before taking off our shoes and walking through a magic tickle door".  I wasn't sure if she would walk through the metal detector by herself, so I told her it was a tickle door and that it didn't tickle everyone, but she should pay close attention as she walked through to see if she felt any tickles.  Just for the record, she didn't. :)

ready to get on the plane!

So excited for the plane to take off!

the flights go much faster this way...

Finally we got to Maui and Esme was very happy to get off the plane.  Mamoo and Papa were there waiting for us and brought Esme a lei.

As we were walking towards baggage, Esme saw this tree and said "Look Mom, a real palm tree!".  Oh Lord, you haven't seen anything yet, child!  You just wait!

It was late at night when we arrived and we went straight to bed.  I'm so excited for tomorrow when Esme can see the ocean and sand and REAL palm trees!