My Second Home
The feeling of a warm breeze and the rush of the ocean naturally takes me to a place I like to call my second home. Almost every year since I have been a two year old child, my family and I have been visiting the spectacular island of Maui. With my first step off the plane, I am instantly welcomed by a comforting wave of humidity that wraps around me like a warm hug and immediately makes me feel like I am home. As soon as I arrive, I run down to the beach in the warm evening breeze to catch a glimpse of the postcard-perfect sunset, with its vibrant colours of orange, red, pink, and blue blending togethebanananananananannananananannanananananar to create the backdrop for the dark silhouettes of the waving, welcoming palm trees. The soft sand warms my feet like a cozy welcome mat as the ocean rushes to greet me, then playfully retreats as if to coax me past its sandy doorstep and into the natural wonders of Maui. I feel safe and secure and, as the fading sun finally lures me to sleep after my long flight, I dream of the days ahead.
I awake to the early morning sounds of chirping birds, as if they are maternally nudging me out of bed to let me know that it is the start of a beautiful new day. I cannot waste a minute. As I sit on the beach, listening to the crashing of the waves on the shoreline like a light, rolling thunder, I feel comfort in the predictability and certainty of each wave as it arrives without disappointment. The Maui sun both warms me and energizes me like the unconditional strength of a parent, giving all the necessary nourishment that I need. I am surrounded by the diverse array of colourful, tropical flowers and plants that flourish with life. As I walk along the beach, the mist of ocean spray hits me like a chilly, autumn wind and I realize that I am part of nature’s paradise, a place where everything and everyone is alive. It is a place where I belong.
At the end of my stay in Maui, I realize that I have to...