The Adventures of Jen and RaeRay...

Day 1...

Jen stood waiting in front of the United ticket counter with two bags to check. The time was nearing 5 a.m. Huntsville's airport was beginning to bustle. United's Flight 4702 was on schedule to leave for Denver at 6:35 a.m. Valentine's Day had finally arrived, and Jen and Ray were headed for Hawaii. Ray had parked the car in a conspicuous place to be picked up and taken back home later in the day. He met Jen back at the ticket lane to complete their check-in. The ticket agent attached labels to a large black bag and colorful Vera Bradley hanging bag. She handed two stickers to Jen, who decided they should wear them. She peeled one off and pasted it to the front of Ray's jacket. "You may need those at the claim check," said the agent.

The TSA inspection line was a bit more complicated. Jen slipped through it rather quickly, but Ray filled four trays with cameras and other electronics, toiletries, a jacket, shoes and 12 packs of crackers for the Basic Economy flight. He forgot to remove his belt before the scanner, which sent him to the back of the line again. There someone snapped: "Stay with your belongings. They can't move into the conveyor by themselves." Eventually, Ray caught up with Jen, who had to wait for him to redress --belt, shoes, jacket -- and reload his carry-on. Finally, they moved on down the concourse. Maui was waiting.

The aircraft from Huntsville to Denver was among the smallest Ray had ever flown. There were three seats on each row -- two on one side and one on the other. Anyone over 6 feet tall needed to duck walking through the aisles. The three-hour flight felt occasional turbulence, but was otherwise uneventful. Clouds obscured the view across the Midwest. At Denver, Jen and Ray needed only to ride the moving sidewalks from Gate B81 to B15.

Flight 1736 was a much larger plane -- six seats abreast, three per side. The flight to Maui was just under 8 hours. No meals were available, so it was a blessing that Jen and Ray had brought crackers. They ate nine of the dozen packs in Ray's bag. the rest of at the trip was also uneventful. They talked with a couple from Ohio meeting their son and daughter in Maui for a visit. He was a Seventh Day Adventist minister, and she was a marriage counselor. She approved of Jen and Ray's relationship. As the plane banked right to approach the runway, Jen and Ray looked out the cabin window. A rainbow appeared along the coastline mist welcoming them to the island. They would see several more along the island's mountainsides before the day ended.

Morgan Rae was waiting at the security point in Maui's OGG airport. She had leis made of fresh flowers for both Jen and Ray. She was eager to show her parents her newly adopted home. It was time for the adventures to begin. The three of them headed into the airport parking lot in search of Rae's Subaru station wagon. From the airport at Kahului, Rae headed toward her home in Wailuku. She pointed out Haleakala to the southeast and the West Maui mountains to the northwest. She marveled at the huge waves crashing into Kahului Bay. Rains had fallen most of the day, and they ended just before Jen and Ray's arrival.

Rae planned for Jen and Ray to see their first Maui sunset, as Rae and Ray had done daily a year earlier during their adventures along the California coast. Kihei would be the nearest beach facing the western horizon. The trio arrived with just enough time to grab dinner at the Paia Fish Market. Jen had a lemon garlic mahi entree. Ray ordered a mahi burger, and Rae chose a fish quesadilla. They sat and enjoyed dinner along a windy South Kihei Road. Across the street was  a children's park and a rocky beach where they would watch the sun dip into the western Pacific. In the glow of the sinking sun, Jen and RaeRay were surrounded by the island of Kaho'olawe to the south, Haleakala with a

rarely-seen sprinkle of snowfall to the east and more mountain peaks to the north. Beneath the glowing pink, post-sunset skies, they went to Foodland to pick up groceries for the weekend.

Back in Wailuku a half hour later, Jen and Ray finally met Rae's employer and host on the island, Sue Martin. She is a transplanted Aussie entrepreneur who has been in Maui for 35 years. Her condo sits overlooking right field of a neighborhood baseball park with a view of the ocean out the rear window and the mountains through the front door. Practically every building in Maui has a similar view. That's exactly what Rae has alway wanted as a home.