Spring Break in Paradise

When it comes to tropical family vacations I feel so grateful and very spoiled.
I never grew up with exotic vacations. As a kid we went camping in some great places and we had fun but there were tents and outhouses rather than condos with running water and flush toilets, there were pine trees and tics, not palm trees and butterflies and usually the beaches were rocky and murky not sandy and clear.
Fast forward to today where I find myself in tropical paradise of Maui in Hawaii with the 6 people in the world I love the most. Maui has become a favorite destination because of the climate, the warmth, the breeze, the bright sunshine, the scenery, the security, the pace, the lush greens, fine sand, welcoming beaches, perfect waves, the blue ocean and colorful sea life…everything…but mostly because of the time spent together as a family and the memories made.

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I was almost 30 when Bill and I first discovered Maui and to think all my kids have been here several times.
So yes…I feel spoiled and fortunate.
And sometimes I even feel guilty…guilty because I get to enjoy this while others don’t have the luxury, guilty because my kids have been here more in their lifetimes than me in my first 30 years of life or more than other grown adults I know, guilty because I’m good at feeling guilty.

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But guilt does nothing but make me feel miserable, so I’m trading in my guilt for gratitude.

Grateful for the opportunity to take time away in paradise with my favorite people in the world and make some memories that will last a lifetime.

Yes, I feel so very grateful for this place but more importantly for who I get to spend my stress free days with while I’m here…I don’t just feel spoiled, I AM spoiled.

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