There is just so much I want to share with you about Hawaii that I feel completely overwehlmed with thoughts, sooooooo I will start back in 1997 when this small group of islands out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean first started calling me.

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I was a Reiki Practicioner at the time, involved with a research study at a local hospital as well as a busy mom with two active children. On my way to pick up my son, Mark, I needed gas, so I pulled into my regular station, where they still pumped the gas for you, and exchanged greetings with Clarence. When I went to pay, Clarence handed me four entry forms to fill out for a drawing that was being held with this gas chain and a local radio station. You had to fill out the forms and they were sent in each week by the gas stations and one name was drawn to attend a press conference lunch with the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Bill Cowher.

Each person that won the weekly drawing would be entered in an additional drawing for a trip for two to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. I guess you know where I'm going with this one!! The entry forms just sat in my car for a couple of weeks and every time I would pull into the gas station, Clarence would ask me where my entry forms were. Finally one day, I was not wanting to hear him ask again, so I filled out four forms and handed them over to him.

That next week I received a call from the radio station that I was the first one to be picked for the press conference lunch with the Steelers (of course I never go to games either, although I do know who Bill Cowher is!!) I went home and quieted myself for a while, asking in meditation what was going on here. It is kind of like one of those feelings you get when you know something, I mean really know something on a DEEPER level. You don't know why you know, but it's a feeling that comes from deep within.

I told my husband that day that we were going to Hawaii. He got a real chuckle out of that one, but three and a half months later, the phone call came....................pack your bags, your going to Hawaii!! During the next few weeks before our trip, I spent a lot of time in meditation and going within myself to look for answers as to what was going on here.

I really never got a clear answer, but I did get a clear feeling that I was going home. When we arrived in Honolulu, it was late in the evening so we drove to our hotel and tried to get some sleep. We ended up getting out of bed and heading to Dimond Head to hike up in the dark to watch the sun rise.

When we saw the sun come up I felt a warn feeling deep inside as I looked out over the land and ocean. As we traveled around O'ahu out past Hanauma Bay, and continued along the shoreline heading to the North Shore, this overwehlming feeling continued to stir inside me. The land is so beautiful. It's almost magical in its most natural forms.

We spent three days hiking trails through dense forests, snorkeling the blue waters, and talking with the locals to find those special places not talked about in most travel guides. We hopped a plane early one morning to spend the day on the island of Kauai. As soon as we arrived and got our rental car, we headed to the Waimea Canyon (The Grand Canyon of the Hawaiian Islands). We were fortunate to catch it on a sunny morning, before the clouds and fog roll in.

After that, we headed back toward Lihue and continued around the island to the very end of the road which brought you to Ke'e Beach at the edge of the Na Pali Coast. The Na Pali Coast is only accessible by the Kalalau trail which allows only the most fit to walk its ten miles of magnificent trails.

My magnificent husband, John, headed out to spend a couple of hours exploring the trail, and I wanted to check out the Hula Platform that was near the beach. This beautiful site is full of spiritual mana (power) as it is said to be Laka's, the goddess of the hula, spot where she did most of her dancing. Today, those that practice the Hula, often come and leave offerings to her.

I took my shoes off, out of respect for this sacred site, and sat down to send some energy to the land. When I was finished and taking a picture of the alter, I stepped on a loose piece of lava. I picked it up and it felt warm in my hand. I really felt drawn to take it, but was very unsure because of all the stories you read about people having bad luck when they take the lava and that they mail it back shortly after their return.

Well, I really don't believe in bad luck, but I do have a respect for nature and did not want to remove the lava rock from this sacred site unless I asked permission. I quieted myself and went inside.......................all seemed fine, so I put the lava in my pocket, placed a flower on the alter and returned to the beach to wait for my husband. When we were driving back to the airport, I told John my story about the lava, and he was not as sure as I was that it was a good idea to take it. Well, the next day was our last full day in paradise and we were in our hotel room for a break and I started thinking about the lave rock I had taken from the Hula Platform on Kauai and felt that maybe I should meditate on this to be really sure.

I quieted myself, and layed down on the bed, asking for a sign that it was ok to take the lava home. The most amazing thing happened next. John yelled out that there was a dove that had flown into our room, and within thirty seconds, another one flew in. You have to understand, we were on the sixteenth floor of a hotel on Waikiki Beach and these two white doves just decided to drop in for some Pringels....................I don't think so!!

I was totally speechless. They were walking around the bed where I was meditating and when I sat on the edge of the bed, they just stayed there. I asked John for the chips and bent down to give them some crumbs and they ate them out of my hand. Needless to say, I got my sign, brother, did I ever. How blessed I felt.

After a few minutes, the doves walked out the sliding glass door to the balcony and flew away. I always get answers to my questions, just never quite like this! When we left Hawaii that next afternoon, I knew it would not be long before we would return. It was that following year in 1999 that we made our second trip, and this time we decided to spend our time on The Big Island of Hawaii and Maui.

More to come . . .