January 05, 2003~~11:15 a.m.
I'll start counting the days as soon as we figure out when we're leaving...

It's been decided; we're going to Kauai again this summer. Husband isn't exactly thrilled; he doesn't like to "do the same thing every year." This, of course, is the same man who hasn't changed his hairstyle in the entire sixteen years I've known him and would eat burritos every night without complaint until the day he dies.

We were kinda cornered into going. It's a long story, but the outcome is that husband has agreed that there is really no choice and so we will go.

I couldn't be more excited. I love Kauai. I love being there with him. I love everything about being together far, far away from our real lives, surrounded by the lush, green, tropical landscape, waking every morning to the sound of the surf against the beach. It's bliss.

It's months and months and several shades of brown away, but has been the first thought on my mind each morning since we made the decision. When I can get that much extra mileage out of a vacation, it's a good thing. I love the planning and the looking forward. It's almost better than the being there because you don't notice it slipping away because there's always the real thing on the horizon anticipate.

We'll make it to Kipu Falls this time. And we'll windsurf on Wednesday instead of Friday because Anini is far less crowded then. We'll remember to bring water when we hike the trails off Loop Road. We'll rent our Kayak from the awesome guy who gave us the scoop on where to crank up the 4WD. We'll eat at Brenneke's as many times as we can cram in because their fish is better than anywhere else on the island.

But best of all we'll reconnect and be reminded of what it felt like to expend all our energy loving and enjoying each other. And really, there is nothing either of us needs more than that.

~Alice