a matter of perspective

This summer has started off with me saying "a hui hou" to some very special people. Two of my best friends moved away from Maui - one went to Vegas + the other is on her way to Kentucky. Kentucky! Huh (roll eyes here)...just kidding, roomie! *:)

I could look at it as the summer of goodbyes because I also "lost" another very special someone before these two friends left...but after many hours of soul searching, I've realized that as with so many other things in life, it's all a matter of perspective.

The beautiful painting above by artist Jia Lu (zha loo) is entitled "Departures." One can imagine the woman gazing longingly after someone who has just left...or patiently waiting for someone to return! Goodbye, or hello...cup half empty, or half full? Painful experience, or valuable lesson learned?

I make a conscious decision to live positively every day, so although my heart aches + misses my friends, I choose to believe that ke Akua allowed their paths to cross mine (in each case, more than once) for excellent reasons. I feel extremely blessed to have known + loved these people + as Diana kept reminding everyone, I will not say goodbye or aloha...but a hui hou.

e mālama kākou

ʻAe, Maui no ka oi. Kamaʻāina know it + malihini who visit each year know it. Maui's been voted "Best Pacific Island" for 16 consecutive years + the #2 Overall Destination in the World by Conde Nast Traveler readers.

Let's keep it that way! Spend just a little of your vacation preserving the beautiful place you've come to experience. Make a difference. Help preserve the Maui we all know + love.

mālama maui
The Maui Visitors Bureau has opened the way to a new and richer understanding of the Hawaiian Island group known as Maui Nui – namely, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Maui itself –by appealing to the growing number of travelers who actively engage in learning about a place’s history, its natural resources, living culture, and the ingenuity of its people.

MVB supports the efforts of the many Maui Nui residents and their businesses who work every day to reverse environmental degradation and to hold onto the guiding principles of their unique heritage. These are Maui people who “mālama” — preserve and protect — their unique island home in many ways by:

• Participating in the renaissance of Hawaiian culture
• Working to protect Maui’s endangered native habitats
• Continuing old family businesses and local traditions
• Caring for ancient sites and historic churches
• Growing native plants and botanical gardens
• Creating innovative small farms
• Taking visitors to the heart of the Maui experience, whether by land or sea

MVB showcases Maui Nui’s dramatic history, rich heritage, and precious ecology by creating awareness of the islands’ agricultural, cultural, and natural attractions.

New trends in global tourism show that travelers want to experience the same things most Maui residents value above all – aloha ʻāina or love of the land. This new breed of visitor, typically well educated and well traveled, wants to learn about local cultures, traditions, environmental issues, and agriculture (including the regional cuisine). This type of visitor sees Maui Nui from a 21st century perspective. It is a place to be valued and nurtured by everyone on Earth - not an indestructible “paradise,” but a precious shared resource.

“When we poll our visitors, they nearly always say that natural beauty and local culture are what draw them to Maui,” said Terryl Vencl, MVB’s executive director. “By acknowledging aspects of Maui that are valued and in some cases vulnerable, Mālama Maui supports the ambitions of our people while enriching the experience of our visitors.”

inside the ecology of maui: be mindful of the island's amazing environment
http://www.mauimediacenter.com/mm_ecology.htm