Date March 22 / 10AM HST
Leaving Maui bittersweet: On one hand traveling is exciting so the journey home is welcomed; on the other leaving a beautiful place that is warm and sunny is a little sad – especially when traveling back to Wisconsin in the current state of rising chaos.
On the return trip, COVID had taken full effect across the country. All planes landing in the State of Hawaii went through thorough examination to ensure that all people were virus-free. Tourism has been diminished severely and all tourists landing were forced into a mandatory, two-week quarantine (which took up the majority of their vacations).
Coming to Maui when we did was lucky. If we had gone two weeks later, we may not have had a vacation at all. The airport was deserted; the only people around were trying to get back home.
Our flight left at 6PM, but the rental car had to be back by three. That left three hours to bum around in an airport where everything was closed. It was difficult to waste time without the help of distractions like, restaurants or tourist shops. Amanda decided to kill some time by going for a walk around the Kahului Airport. She almost didn’t make it back in time for the pre-boarding, but she managed to make it just in the nick of time.
6:02PM HST
The plane ride was smooth. The flight home was nine hours. Trying and failing to nap, made the flight seem a bit longer.
3:15AM HST|6:16AM CST
After a quick connecting flight from Dallas Fort Worth to Milwaukee, it was time to claim our baggage and drive back to Green Bay.
9:00AM CST
Emma’s parents met us at the Milwaukee Airport, making the returning trip smooth and efficient. I packed all the bags and luggage into my Chevy Cruze and began the drive back to Green Bay. The ride was painless; we jammed out to the hits of the 90s and 2000s.
I dropped Krissy and Amanda on Campus, then drove another two hours back to my mom’s to begin my self-quarantine. I tell you what, staying awake for 36 hours takes a toll on a person. Even being mentally and physically exhausted after the long day(s) of travel and a pandemic later, the Maui trip will always be a memory for all of us.
By Ari Dohr
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