The Unknown

 (First week in Maui, 2007)

I’ve always considered myself a free man.  I think life as a Military Brat left me with an almost unconscious need to move every couple years.  I have never really felt bound to one particular place.  In my experience, there have always been treasure troves filled with interesting people and experiences around every corner. 

One of the most amazing feelings I have ever felt was probably the moment Rob and I shipped home 30 pounds of useless items and bags, and everything I was to live off for the next several weeks was in a 65 lbs sack on my shoulders.  The freedom I felt was incredible and exhilarating.  There were absolutely no boundaries I could think of, we could go anywhere or do whatever we wanted. . .

xo

Stark fear is one way to describe it.  Above the pain and exhaustion of walking 15 miles with our heavy ass packs, fear was all I felt.   Our first hole in our ideal freedom was money and having spent our first weeks allowance on the first day.  The second hole was having a place to sleep at night.  Originally, our goal was to make our way towards the east side of Maui, including Hana, over a series of 10 days, camping along the way.  But having been on the Island for about 3 days, we didn’t know there are very few legal camping spots in Maui. 

Nightfall was sudden and approximate; the only lights on Hana Highway were from the occasional headlights of speeding cars.  I was beyond exhausted.  It felt like one of those horror movie moments where the hero is running down a narrow hall to escape a bad guy, and the end never comes.  The beach must have ended 3 miles opposite our direction, all that surrounded us was lush farmland, and it went on for miles.  Eventually we passed a dark alley of a road, probably a home away from home for highway killers.  Not wanting to die, we trekked on.

A long mile later, we found a house under construction.  Barely lit under the moonlight, I could make out large bulldozers around the huge building.  It must have been a multi-million dollar home.  My morale and motivation were gone.  Rob set up camp in a dark corner on the side of the house.  The only exit was the way we came in.  We were pressed against a guardrail, at the end of a small dirt road.  Just past the guardrail was a hill that dropped 30 feet and it was covered with jungle trees.  The mansion was on top of a cliff about 15 feet above our campsite.  All the windows were boarded up, and it felt like something was watching.  Except the eyes weren’t in the house, they were in the dark of the forest, 5 feet away.  Every now and then all the birds and bugs would become absolutely silent, as if some evil presence was nearby, and they didn’t want to get its attention. 

I’ve been robbed at gunpoint, and didn’t blink an eye.  But this scenario was nerve wrecking. 

Sleep did not come easy.  Long painful spasms shot along my muscles covering every inch of my body and ending at my blistered feet.  Not to mention the thought that someone or something could kill us in our sleep.

Rob is a natural born leader, which constantly causes us to clash in our later years.  I’m a big believer that one should surround themselves with strong willed friends.  I think we learn the most from those we are constantly around.  The oddest thing about our relationship is that neither of us seems to remember how we became friends.  

Maui is a tourist haven.  White, red and black sand beaches are just some of the beautiful attractions.  Mountain biking tours, parasailing, and scuba diving are a few of the adventures.  Secret waterfalls, mountain sunsets, and valleys with swinging bridges are just waiting to be seen.  Beautiful girls and ripped men are scattered along the various beaches.  Rented Mustangs and Jeeps line the streets; people flock from worldwide to live the dream. 

Freezing in a small tent, next to an abandoned building off the highway, told me I was living a much different dream.

About the 4^th time I woke up it was morning.  To no surprise my body was stiff, my feet were sore, and I was now wet and cold.  The rain had seeped through our shitty ten-dollar tents.   And the ground was littered with fire ants.

We packed up camp, bit into an apple, and trudged on.  I was more than a little broken spirited, but I was in Maui, nothing could be that bad.