ArtUncovered: Maui Wowie!

Sorry for the delay, folks! As you should know by now, I'm addicted to trippin' and my latest adventure was to Maui, HI. I bought a ludicrously cheap plane ticket (under $300/roundtrip) back in December and my best friend and I decided to go visit my cousin who lives out there with his girlfriend. [Cheap ticket and a free place to stay? Yes, please!]While I've been to Hawaii before, I've never been able to experience it quite like this. The last couple times I went I was 15 and 18 years old-- with my parents and without a lot of freedom, so naturally I was chained to the resorts and houses they'd rented while we were there. This time, that was NOT the case! My girlfriend and I were able to borrow my cousin’s car and we were let loose to explore the island with fervor reminiscent of Thelma and Louise. Every day we were exploring a new nook and cranny of that island. We left no waterfall, bamboo forest, beach, or crater unseen. We stand-up paddle boarded, snorkeled, body surfed, hiked, baked in the sun and hung out with the locals. The people there are just as colorful as their surroundings and it is truly a paradise I can’t begin to describe. Whales are as common as house cats, sea turtles do not shy away from you, and if you want to catch the best show in town, all you have to do is pack a cooler and go down to any beach (they’re all around you. . . it’s an island!) and watch a sunset. AND, if you really want a good show, I recommend Haleakala Crater for a sunrise above the clouds at 10,000 feet. Its freezing cold up there with gusty winds, but it’s totally worth the goose bumps and the lack of sleeping in. When you’re done, just do what we did and pass out on a warm sandy bed and let the wave’s lull you back to sleep.

A while back I previously posted a blog about noticing the art of nature around you every day, and while in Maui this thought struck me everywhere I looked. It’s an overload of color combinations that would inspire even the dullest of human beings who lack any inkling of creativity. Maui is a magical place, full of vibrant color and vitality and it has reminded me that life is too short to get caught up in superficial, wanton, aspects of the day-to-day that we’ve created in our own minds. Rather, we should place more importance on the beauty that surrounds us naturally, everyday. I’m looking out the museum windows at Grape Day park and the orange groves and jacaranda trees that surround it, and likewise looking at the beautiful paintings that Patricia Patterson has done of the landscapes that have captivated her, and it makes me realize how much our surroundings can influence us and at the same time how often they go unnoticed.

Needless to say, when you’re in a place as wonderful as Maui, it’s hard to look the other way. I had a great time there and came back with not much more than a wicked tan and a strong urge to go back ASAP! J

Enjoy some of these photos from my trip. . .

x Carissa