Am I dreaming … are we really here

I woke up—who knows why—around 2:30 a.m. and checked the Hawaiian Airlines app. It said our 6:00 a.m. flight was delayed. I posted a message in our WhatsApp group, and Karen replied that it had shown the same thing for her the night before. Okay… I felt a little better. I managed to fall back asleep for a bit before we all headed down to the lobby at 3:45 a.m.

Hawaiian Airlines had given us a voucher for a free ride back to the airport, but unfortunately the car wasn’t big enough for all of us. Karen, Darlene, and Joan took that ride while I ordered an Uber for Nana and myself.

When Nana and I arrived, we joined a very long line at the Hawaiian Airlines check-in counters. While we waited, we passed the time chatting with the people around us about their experiences with this cancelled flight. Misery loves company, as they say. Boarding was supposed to begin at 5:15 a.m., and the line didn’t seem to be moving at all. I was worried that since Karen, Joan, and Darlene were ahead of us, they’d get checked in and boarded while Nana and I were still stuck in Las Vegas.

But as we got closer to the front, we heard that the airline was planning to hold the flight until most passengers had checked in. We had given Karen our passports just in case they reached the counter first and could explain that two more in their party were still behind them. Thankfully, they were able to check all of us in. By then, it was 5:45 a.m.

We rushed over to security—another nightmare. We got separated but eventually made it onto the same tram to the D gates, and at 5:55 a.m. we were sitting at gate D33. We had a little time before boarding, so Karen and Darlene took our $120 in vouchers to Starbucks. For that, we got five waters, five croissants, five banana breads, one yogurt, and one cheese-and-crackers. And it still wasn’t enough—Darlene had to add another $5. I refuse to believe water should cost $8 USD a bottle.

Boarding finally began at 6:15 a.m. Once we settled into our seats and waited for the rest of the passengers, the flight attendant made an announcement. The flight wasn’t full, she said, so if anyone wanted to move, they could—but only once we reached cruising altitude. Then she added that there were empty Comfort seats available… for an extra fee. After everything we’d been through, they wanted us to pay for those seats? Not a chance.

By 6:45 a.m., boarding was complete and we were finally on our way to Maui. About ten minutes into the flight—despite the seatbelt sign still being on—I moved to an empty row, and Darlene eventually joined me. The flight seemed to be going by quickly. Karen checked the app, which claimed we’d be arriving an hour and fifty-two minutes early. Talk about pedal to the metal. We were all pleasantly surprised when the flight attendants came around with Honolulu Cookies.

We arrived at 10:15 a.m. to beautiful, sunny skies. It felt amazing to finally be here. After we got everyone settled in the baggage claim area, Karen and I took the tram to the rental car center. It took a bit, but eventually we got the keys to our 2021 Chrysler Pacifica and headed back to pick up the rest of the group.

We made a quick stop at Costco—just essentials like water and breakfast items since we didn’t have much room—and then began the 45-minute drive to our condo.

We pulled into Kahana Village just before 1:00 p.m. Normally we arrive in the dark, so seeing it in daylight was a treat. When Karen and I were here last year, we’d had the chance to see the inside of Unit 6 and chat with the owner. From that moment, we knew we wanted to stay in this unit. We unloaded the van, and everyone settled into their rooms.

The rest of the afternoon was spent napping on the couch, walking the beach, or relaxing by the pool. Every Wednesday, Kahana Village hosts a Mai Tai Party, so Karen, Darlene, and I headed over and enjoyed the live music and drinks. Everyone was exhausted, so we picked up dinner from The Fish Market. After the long, chaotic few days we’d had, it was an early night for all of us.

After four cities, two countries, and countless roadblocks and detours, we’re officially the winners of our own Amazing Race.