This post was written a few days before the wildfires changed the lives of so many in the state of Hawaii. It is so crazy to think that I had a perfect weekend at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel just a few days ago. My heart goes out to those affected on the Big Island and most especially those on Maui. I am hopeful that we can pull together and support our friends at this time when many will need support.

The things that enter my mind when I think about what I would do on an ideal day — read, travel, wake up early (or not), go to sleep early (or not), have a glass of wine, listen to jazz, take a nap, go for a walk, pick some flowers and make a lei. The list can go on and on. I enjoy a lot of different things and it depends where I am and who I am with.

I recently stayed at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel where a group of friends and I had a fun weekend. I packed sunscreen, snacks, a speaker, sunglasses, suds (champagne), a sunshade (hat), slippers, swimsuit in my suitcase. We started our weekend with dinner at Binchotan at the Fairmont and shared plates of gyoza, hamachi sashimi, crab & corn croquette, chicken karaage, edamame, mac nut shrimp, tempura cauliflower, pork belly fried rice, and the traditional robatayaki selection. Our 5 p.m. reservation with a view of the ocean allowed us to enjoy a beautiful sunset that evening. After returning to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, we extended the evening with a nightcap (or more), games, and music in our suite. If you haven’t played the game 5 Second Rule, you may want to look into it. It is a fun activity to do with a group that encourages lots of discussion after yelling out the answers.

I thought I was going to wake up early and go walking but I relaxed and then participated in the ti leaf lei-making class at the hotel before heading to the beach to chat with friends and do crossword puzzles and get some lunch while some others in our group went golfing. We all met up for dinner where we got another beautiful sunset view with our group of 18 people at the Vista Point next to the Copper Bar. We shared plates of sushi, sashimi, flatbreads, and ribs as we celebrated our friendship. We again extended our party in our suite with more wine and games and finally, us doing our best to cheer on the United States Women’s National Soccer Team at almost 2 a.m.

I again didn’t make it to a morning walk but I did make it to enjoy the breakfast buffet where I enjoyed a Japanese-style breakfast of grilled salmon and miso soup. Back to the reality of work the next day. Enjoy and cherish the moments you are blessed with. We never know what will happen in the blink of an eye. Living Hilo Style at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.