The parking on the street near our newly rented home on Lanakai Beach seemed pretty crowded. I figured the beach was pretty popular and parking was at a premium, but the people were walking the other direction and they carried camel back water systems, and wore light hiking shoes. Where were they going? I soon found out the trailhead to the panoramic pillboxes of Lanakai was just around the corner. Those are the things we saw atop the nearby mountain. They were WWII bunkers for looking out over the sea and protecting that part of the island of Oahu, Hawaii. We decided that we gotta go check them out. What a view we’ll have.
The Goal… up there on top!
The guidebook says its a pretty step and difficult hike in parts. We haven’t hiked in a long while and we’d have a 3 year old along with us. Could we do it? We should have been better prepared. Are we fit enough? Would it be safe? Questions each of us had before we agreed to go and at several points along the way.
The trail was a hard packed dirt and rocky path. It was dry and a fairly hot day. A bit hazy from volcanic ash blowing in from the Big Island. The trail started steep with plenty of tree roots and rocks to maneuver around. Okay for us adults but a bit big for little Maya. What am I getting into here? An so began the game of froggy? Boing, boing, boing, as I lifted her up over the bigger rocks and roots. We alternated her walking and me helping her climb.
We reached a ledge overlooking the bay. Wow was it ever breathtaking! A panoramic view of Kailua beach and Lanakai beach that stretched on for miles as well as Kailua town and the mountains to the west. Maya just looked on in wonder and asked all kinds of questions about everything below. We sat a moment and took it all in then continued upward. Others looked at little Maya charging up the mountain and smiled as they struggled for a breath but seemed amazed at what she was doing and the experience she would have. I loved it. Maya loved it. We all loved it. Atop the mountain we sat a long while, ate some snacks, drank loads of water, and soaked in an even better view of all that was below.
The path down was interesting, especially with Maya along. It became another game of monkey jump and pass downhill between me and a friend of mine on the steep parts. Lots of fun for Maya, a lot more work for us. She loved it. Finally as the path flattened out a bit Maya was tuckered out. Time for dad to carry her the rest of the way down. When we got back to the house the only thing I could think to do was to jump into the pool to cool off and rest.
Me and my WHY!
What an amazing adventure! An adventure that happened out of the blue. An adventure that could not have even been considered without having at least a moderate level of ongoing Thriving Health.
Experiencing the amazing views and sharing it with my 3 year old daughter, wife, and good friends is one reason WHY I aim to maintain my Thriving Health.
“Life is measured not by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” Unknown
I want to be ready for every moment that comes along out of the blue that just might take my breath away.
Release weight, achieve thriving health and begin living your Ideal Life TODAY!
Yours in health,
Brent
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.