DATE: March 16, 2020
Flight departure: 6:30AM CDT
30,000 feet in the air; feeling that cool, recirculated air from the pressurized air systems above; oblivious to the world changing below. To me, flying has always felt like being suspended from earth in a time capsule where the world ceases to turn until you land. Then, 
you’re in a new and exciting place just waiting to be explored.
Our flight to Maui, HI was no different in that same out of body feeling that accompanies me flying. This time, though, there were significantly less passengers on the plane; a good 60% less. For me and my friends that didn’t matter. We just wanted to get to Maui and start enjoying Spring Break! We understood that COVID-19 is a serious concern and we took every precaution: Constantly using hand sanitizers; washing our hands; sterilizing (to the best of our abilities) our surrounding environment; limiting human exposure.
Flight Arrival: 2:44pm HST
Once we touched down on Maui, the fun really began. We got off the jet and made our way to baggage claim. Even then on March 16, restaurants and stores were beginning to close – making us aware yet somewhat scared – of the preemptive measures people were taking to prevent the spread of COVID. After gathering our baggage, we obtained our rental car and we were off…
Maui is beautiful! The air is like nothing else. It permeates the senses and gave new breath to my soul. It seems like there is a beach every mile. We drove a good hour along the coastline to our rented villa in Kapalua called Kapalua Villas Maui – a timeshare, gated community owed by Outrigger. Once I checked us in and we got to our private villa, it all felt real.
This was the start of one of the best vacations of my LIFE!
Stay tuned for Part Two!
Written By: Ari Dohr
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