Around the Islands in 14 Days

Feeling the urge to push myself physically again, I planned a solo bike tour that would take me around two of the Hawaiian Islands. Starting in the town of Lihue and riding to the top of the Na Pali Coast through a torrential downpour the journey began, and the first day involved several thousand feet of elevation gain that left me utterly exhausted. When the clouds lifted after a cold dinner of energy bars and fruit I found the motivation to bike to the viewpoint just one more mile up the road. Though my legs were screaming from the exertion of the day, I was left speechless by the view before me - soft, wispy clouds moved across the scene revealing the ocean far below, and the setting sun cast golden shadows along the dynamic and textured coast of Kauai’s north shore.

I flew on to Oahu and continued the journey, keeping the ocean to my right until I was back where I began. Along the way I encountered the hospitality of incredible humans, abundant natural beauty, and early mornings biking along the beach. In a way the trip was what I expected, but in another sense it was entirely different. The ocean seems to dictate the pace of life in Hawaii, and its constant presence can be felt everywhere. I remember falling asleep on the sand to the sounds of the waves crashing, knowing that I was on a small land mass far out in the Pacific under a wide blanket of stars. Somehow the larger worries I carried with me faded away and I felt present in a way that I don’t often experience. Maybe that is the magic of island living.

DATE: AUGUST 2021