Maui / New Orleans / N.Carolina / Florida (USA)

It’s been about three years since Barbie and I said, “Fuck it” and Dropped out of Society. For the past 3 years, we have constantly been on the move, walking the world and rarely spending more than one week in a single place.  Our extended ‘open ended’ journey has been a blast but it has been tiring covering so much ground.  We were in need of an extended break and arrival in Hawaii was the panacea to refresh our minds and bones. We were torn between choosing between the islands of Kauai, Big Island and Maui to hunker down on.  Oahu was not in the running as it’s just too busy and developed for our taste.  The beaches on all the Hawaiian islands are truly spectacular so it really did not matter which island we chose.  Despite having the mindset of doing nothing and simply watching the wheels go round and round, we opted for Maui.  And doing nothing on Maui has been quite magical.

One of my favorite things about the travel destinations we have chosen during our RTW journey is being able to spend the majority of our time outdoors, in the thick of nature and with a focus on places surrounded by the ocean.  Our extended time in Hawaii has given us the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time on some of the world’s best beaches, simply taking it all in.  We continue to look forward to exploring more of the world following our siesta in Maui.  However, I have a feeling it’s gonna be very difficult to find more relaxing places to hang out than the beach areas we have experienced in Hawaii and Australia.

Arrival on Maui for our long term (6 month) stay made us smile.  Upon arrival, it became evident we were going to be more involved listening to of all the crazy politics in the USA considering we had a combination of all the time in the world coupled with a full lineup of cable channels.  Cable TV in other countries we visited (i.e. Australia, Japan and New Zealand) never televised all of the ‘Hate Talk’ and the ‘End of the World’ scenarios shown on American TV.  Now with this 24 hour nonstop cable news cycle in our faces, I am beginning to realize what a racist shithole America has become.

I kinda chuckle when I hear Americans proclaim how unsafe it is to travel abroad.  It’s really a bunch of crap.  The media functions best as a fear machine, designed to keep you coming back for more.  No way I would let the nightly news programs and their vague and mostly untrue warnings scare me from continuing to see the world.  We have been to so many countries during our journey and I would have to say the United States is probably one of the most unsafe spanning the globe.  One thing that really stood out in my mind was when we were traveling around Japan seeing young kids, aged 8-15, walking home alone from school in their uniforms.  It was so innocent looking and reminded me what it was like when I was a kid growing up.

Well, on Maui, at least we are on an island with Aloha spirit, in the middle of the sea surrounded by nature and as far away from mainland USA.  The only breaking news here in Maui is when a Hawaiian monk seal or turtle come ashore onto the beach to bask in the sun.

We are loving the laid back lifestyle in Maui so much that we extended our stay for an additional 6 months.  Prior to returning for our second 6 month stint in Maui, we took a 3 week pitstop to the Southeast USA and attended the New Orleans Jazz Festival (for the good vibes, music and killer food).  Along with a visit to Barbie’s parents in North Carolina and my parents to celebrate Gary O’s 85th birthday in Ft. Lauderdale with the Oringer brothers and their lady friends.  By the end of our next 6 month stay here in Maui, I anticipate us being in a refreshed state of mind and well prepared to hit the road again.  A revisit to French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia may be in the cards.  Why revisit New Zealand and Australia when we have already been there?  Because they are kickass countries to wander around and the three months our visas allowed us to roadtrip around each of these countries was just too short to effectively cover all the hotspots.  However, we do have a bucket list of other many other destinations that are also on the table for consideration.  Any suggestions for Big Doug & Barbie would be appreciated.  Mahalo.