freezing in paradise

Back in June I had the pleasure of visiting Maui. I am an informed traveler and therefore knew to not miss the sunrise on Haleakala.



After waking up at 3am, Wheeler and I started the trek up the mountain. By 5am we reached the Haleakala National Park visitor center. We pulled over to use the lavatory and braced ourselves for the inevitable drop in temperature. We dressed as accordingly as we could with what we had. The brisk 52 degree morning air instantly catapulted me back to a chilly springtime afternoon in Michigan. I was comfortable and refreshed. Wheeler, who was born and raised in Hawaii, thought she was dying. As she was going to move to Chi-town in 2 weeks, I had a good time teasing her and warning her that she might as well get used to the temperature. By the time we reached the top it had plummeted another 10 degrees or so. I was still fine with this. Yet looking back at photos, Wheeler is miserable and incapable of smiling. I decided to do a little climbing in order to get a better view and took my hoodie off at one point from the exertion. The cold air hit my lungs and stung a bit as I jogged up to the summit, but the sensation simply transported me back to the way I felt after a round of conditioning during a softball practice early in the season.

Looking back at this experience I laugh at myself. It was obvious I was new to the islands still (and in most ways I still am). Today it probably didn't hit 70 degrees during the day. It was overcast with an occasional sprinkle, although no real rain. And windy as hell. It was freezing. Yes, I now react to any drop in temperature like the rest of those that live here. If it's below 75, it's fucking freezing, especially without sun. You can spot the Hawaiian residents. We're bundled up in pants, sweatshirts and jackets on days like this. The tourists stick out in their vacation garb, tank tops, and sandals. For them, the weather here is still warmer than it is back in Iowa or wherever it is they're from.

It's just sad because I desperately wanted to go to the beach today. My barely perceptible tan lines are one shade of melanin away from being completely imperceptible. And that's just not acceptable.