Maui (Hawaii)

Recharging in Maui 

After a very active year on the road—visiting six countries (Italy, Turkey, Portugal’s Madeira Island, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Singapore) plus a return to the US mainland for a few weddings—we hit a wall.  Travel burnout is real, even when you’re doing it in style like us Flashpackers.  To combat the fatigue, we opted for a four-month break to hunker down, reset, and recharge our minds and bodies.

For us, there is only one place to do that: our customary home base of Maui.  A Maui pitstop has always been our ultimate antidote to the stresses of long-term travel.

Our return to Maui….Post Fire

Returning to Maui in May 2024 felt a bit different this time around.  Our go-to spot has always been Kaanapali on the west side of the island, right next door to historic Lahaina town.  As anyone who follows the news knows, in August 2023, a catastrophic wildfire swept through the area, burning almost the entire town to the ground in one of the worst wildfire disasters in US history.

Having spent so much time living on Maui over the years, we were no strangers to small brush fires—the west side can get incredibly dry.  In fact, during past minor fires, I distinctly remember telling Barbie that if the right combination of a spark and the island’s powerful trade winds ever aligned, the destruction could be absolutely devastating.

Tragically, that perfect storm finally surfaced.  When it happened, Barbie and I were a world away on Turkey’s Southern Turquoise Coast, watching the live coverage from our Airbnb in Fethiye.  Even from the opposite side of the globe, the second I saw those hurricane-force winds driving the flames straight into Lahaina, my stomach dropped.  My gut just knew it was going to be real bad.

Witnessing the Fire Aftermath 

Barbie and I have spent countless hours wandering the streets of historic Lahaina town over the decades, so seeing the absolute destruction with our own eyes was completely surreal.  To our utter dismay, the entire town and the surrounding residential neighborhoods were simply incinerated.  It was real sad and deflating to witness first hand, and we can only hope that the impending rebuilding process is handled with the respect and care the local community deserves.

Because our stay extended through August, we were on the island for the somber one-year anniversary of the tragedy.  We attended several of the memorial ceremonies honoring those who perished.  The county did an incredible job bringing the community together, organizing a deeply moving ceremonial paddle-out, prayer sessions, a release of white doves, and beautiful cultural performances by local Hawaiian musicians.  It was a privilege to stand with the locals and witness the resilient spirit of the island.

Outside of the memorials, we spent our four months soaking up Maui’s serene, laid-back lifestyle.  Our days fell into a perfect rhythm: relaxing, heading to the beach every single day, and opening up the laptops to work on the rough drafts of our future travels.

Honestly, that’s one of my absolute favorite aspects of this lifestyle.  Sitting by the ocean, looking at a map, and contemplating the endless destinations on our radar never gets old.  We feel incredibly fortunate that, as we head into Year Nine of our continuous round-the-world (RTW) journey, we have the absolute freedom to pick anywhere on the planet to go next.

Our Next Destination: French Polynesia 

After much deliberation, we decided to launch our next leg by returning to Barbie’s absolute favorite place on this planet: French Polynesia.

This will mark our fourth trip to the region, and we’re doing it in true flashpacker style.

• Week One: We’re setting up camp on the main island of Tahiti, staying at a gorgeous Airbnb villa right on the water overlooking the island of Mo’orea.
• The Next Two Months: From there, we are hopping over to the nearby island of Mo’orea for an extended two-month stint of slow travel, ocean swims, and true island living.

Once we wrap up our paradise immersion in French Polynesia, we’ll be boarding a flight to the sun-drenched Aussie beaches of the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, before launching into an extended journey through Southeast Asia.

I can say our batteries are fully recharged, the itineraries are locked in, and the road is calling.