The last year has brought a lot of changes with one of those being able to celebrate the arrival of 2022 from Hawaii with family. For the first time in several decades my family had the opportunity to travel over the holidays and decided to take advantage of such a situation. The question was where? Hawaii was presented and accommodations were available but COVID could really be an issue as Hawaii had been pretty strict with people entering. As fall got under way we decided to begin booking a week in this paradise as the pandemic restrictions seemed to be staying the same, allowing us to spend a week vacationing without the need to quarantine first.

Christmas arrived which we were able to celebrate with family, unlike the year prior. As soon as our family gatherings were over, it was time to pack. Fortunately we had been doing some of this beforehand knowing there would only be a few days between Christmas and our trip. There was much to be done during the week both at work and home but New Year’s Eve day was upon us before we were ready. The next day would be a full day of flying. If everything went according to plan, we would be in the ocean before sunset for the last day of 2021.

It was 4am and the alarm began blaring, however we were already awake and beginning to get ready for our day. A short time later we were in the car on our way to the airport. It was an early flight out of Minneapolis with a stop in Los Angeles before continuing on to Hawaii. Moving through security without any issues we walked to our gate with just a short time before boarding the airplane would begin. Time kept ticking by but our flight did not board. Earlier in the week airlines had experienced a lot of cancelations due to COVID and technical problems. We kept wondering if they were effecting our flight on this morning. Now it was just a few minutes before we were supposed to leave and the announcement finally came that boarding would begin. Once we were seated, an alert came across the phone that our flight was delayed 45 minutes. By the time we were in the air it was more than that. Fortunately our connecting flight in LA had sent an alert that it was delayed a couple of hours so we shouldn’t miss it. Unfortunately my plan of being in the ocean before sunset was not likely to happen now. Oh well, if that’s the worst that happens it’s still a good day of travel.

As daylight began to fill the sky, the clouds became visible from our runway. Soon after we were flying through them watching snowflakes sweep by our windows as we continued higher. Eventually we made our way above them. The white, fluffy cotton like now floated below us appearing as a harmless blanket. Within a short time the rays of the rising sun made their way into the windows of the airplane and filling the sky with beautiful morning light. What a sight from this viewpoint. As we made our way across the country, clouds covered much of the ground below, but at one point mountain tops rose above them. It created a beautiful and scenic view from our tiny windows as we fly by admiring the snow covered rock sculptures.

Moving further west we finally broke out of the clouds allowing the landscape below to appear. We were almost to LAX at this point and could see this sprawling city coming into view. Continuing to descend towards our runway, SoFi Stadium appeared just outside our window – the home of Superbowl 56 which my wife and I will be a part of in the next month. It was nice to get a view of where we’ll be working for a few weeks. Minutes later we were on the ground and heading towards our next flight. With the that flight delayed we took some time to meet up with our final family member heading to Hawaii for New Years. Soon after meeting up, a portion of our group went on to meet some longtime friends on their way to the airport for a flight to Minneapolis. We only had a few moments together to swap hugs before each continuing on their journey. Amazing how things work out sometimes. Had our connecting flight not been delayed we would not have had the opportunity to meet up.

The day continued to pass by, however at a slower pace than normal since we continued to move west and time changes kept the clock moving at a slower rate. Once again in the air, the largest of cities began to shrink below with nothing but ocean ahead for several hours. Sitting back and trying to relax as the waves rolled below while this plane flew west, there was much anticipation of a tropical paradise. Finally we began to lower in the sky and see land once again. Moments later we landed for the last time and retrieved our luggage as the sun lowered to the horizon. With color filling the evening sky, we loaded everything into our car for the week and headed towards our place of residence. Along the way fireworks began exploded across the hillside in celebration of the end of 2021 turning to a New Year. Throughout the night these fireworks continued raining down eventually lulling us to sleep after a very long day of travel. We awoke to explosions going off all over Kona, Hawaii signaling the arrival of 2022. With a brief smile I passed out once again anxious to awaken to daylight and ocean waves to start a New Year in a way I’ve never experienced before. Will this set a new tone for the up coming year? It certainly can’t hurt, right?