House of the Rising Sun

A little over a year ago I took a dream trip to Hawaii. It was everything I hoped it would be....but also everything seemed to go wrong. I got food poisoning or a stomach bug less than 24 hours before our plane took off and had to get an IV just to go.  There were blizzard conditions on the big islands (you guys...I had no idea this could happen).  It rained so much that our jeep flooded. I kept setting off the fire alarm and some of our activities had to be adjusted. But I went with some of the best people and saw some of the most beautiful things.  Below is a piece that went live today over at (In)Courage...

Our driver picks us up at three in the morning.

The travel agent assured us that the early wake-up call would be worth it . . . and the website promised a sky blanketed in soft clouds and a sunrise “bursting forth in a flood of warmth and color.” So I find myself heading up a volcano at a time I’m usually only snoring.

Our bus driver warns everyone that it can be cold and windy at the top. I packed a blanket and a sweatshirt and made the mistake of thinking I was prepared.

He tells us that we need to get there early to beat the rush of tourists and claim a front row seat to the sunrise. Haleakala means “House of the Sun” and, according to legend, the demigod, Maui, set out to lasso the sun in an effort to slow it down. I don’t believe in demigods, but I head up over 10,000 feet in the dark to capture the sun myself and for a glimpse of God’s beauty.

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