Coming Home to Maui.
This is a view up the windward coast of Maui taken from my Alaska Airlines flight on Saturday. It’s hazy from the “vog” (Volcanic Smog) we often get from the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island which has been erupting continuously for more than 30 years.
The couple sitting next to me–first time visitors to Hawaii–never once so much as glanced out the window during the entire descent and landing. Me? I get a lump in my throat every single time.
When I ride the “Coast Starlight” up the Pacific coast I get that same lump. Last month we saw whales breaching from the Parlour Car. On a trip last year, the lady sitting next to me never once looked up from her phone as we moved up the coast. The surf was really up and the waves breaking on the shore were amazing. How can somebody not want to see such breathtaking beauty every chance they get?
Astonishing, isn’t it! Several years ago, I attended the 100th Anniversary game at Fenway Park in Boston. Seats were at a premium and the 20-something kid sitting next to me, who paid at least $170 for his seat, was in his phone during the entire game. Every so often, when the crowd cheered, he would look up and say, “What happened??” Go figure!