It’s true that we don’t have snow or drastic colder temperatures as the holiday season approaches over here on Maui. But there are slight differences that those of us who live here feel and look forward too…

Like the sun setting more to the south, with more of it being sheltered behind the island of Lanai, making my house not as hot.

relaxing and reading as the sun sets

Like the trade winds picking up ever so slightly, making the dead fronds from summer fall off of our palms.

And the way the sun shines into our bedroom window in the morning, peeking behind rain clouds that hang over the West Maui mountains…

And how I start to do leaps through my living room as the excitement of the holidays over take me…yes I like to leap, dance and do a little sing-song voice, “I love Fall in Hawaii….”

My day was all planned…I would drop the kids off at school, grab some coffee, go back to my son’s school for his Friday assembly and then go find a spot by the beach to sit in my car and blog.

With the assembly done, I headed to Pohaku Park, on the lower road in Kahana and parked. Before busting out my laptop, I decided to get some fresh air and sit on the cliff overlooking the magical ocean, with it’s lines of teal, aquamarine and dark blue. My fresh air break turned into a long break as I watched at least five to seven sea turtles enjoying their morning lunch on some rocks near the shore.

Sea turtles, or honus, hold a special place in my heart. I was known as the turtle when I was young. Each of us kids in my family have an animal associated with us…my sister is the bear, my brother a lion and me, the baby, I am the turtle. When I was little and asleep in my crib I used to sleep on my belly and then when I’d wake, I’d first lift my head and look around…much like a turtle. So the name stuck.

And now I sit here overlooking these majestic water creatures as they pop their heads up above the water and look around and I get filled with so much joy and wonder. Honus make me happy.

Yesterday marked my husband’s birthday and also the sixth anniversary of when we signed the papers and bought our first house here on Maui. It was six years ago that we took the leap and chose to live the life we dreamed about. Last night as we sat at my husband’s birthday dinner we both exhaled and smiled and said a collective thank you to the universe for all that we have.

And here I sit, in my car perched over the sea, blogging on my little blog, while watching sea turtles eat their breakfast.

There’s so much to be thankful for…