Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

My family started its journey in total darkness to view the sunrise at Haleakala National Park. We drove to the top of the crater to an elevation of 10,000 feet. We were looking down at the clouds. As the sun broke through and crested the horizon, I began think about my grandmother. Images of her life flashed through my mind. She was 90. In 2009, Hawaii celebrates its 50th year as a state. My grandmother visited Hawaii before it became a state. I drew parrells between the 90 years she had been alive and how the world had changed and how much life in Hawaii had changed in that same time. What has not changed is the guarantee that the sun will rise each day and the majesty of watching it from the top of the crater in Haleakala National Park. When we arrived back at our hotel, we learned my grandmother passed away at 11:45 est while we were watching the sunrise from above the clouds and I was reflecting on her life. The image I am submitting is permanently etched in my memory.