We blinked.

And all of a sudden we’ve been married for 20 years! There’s nothing like teens to mark the passing of time in inches grown, but it’s still hard to believe that Don and I have walked this journey together for so many years.

We decided to celebrate with 10 days alone in Kauai, a magical island in Hawaii. We’d never been before, and it ended up being the perfect spot to enjoy each other and explore the beautiful scenery. We were mesmerized by images of the Na Pali Coast when we were trying to decide on a destination, and we couldn’t wait to see it in person.

Our days were blissful. No kids needing anything from us. It felt like time slowed down, and we were able to take everything in. We could focus on our friendship and life together – reminiscing and dreaming ahead. We feel so lucky to have found each other and to have had the patience and wisdom to walk the journey of marriage and grow together. Not always easy, but worth every ounce of grace and perseverance.

Kauai is the perfect place to celebrate a honeymoon or anniversary. Here were some of our favorite things:

The Spirit of Aloha – When we first arrived, I loved hearing Aloha – I thought it was just a sweet way to say “welcome” to the tourists. But I quickly learned that Aloha was so much more than that. It is a way of living with love and respect, and we could feel it in all the restaurants and stores we visited. It was like a beautiful blessing, a welcome, a gift of hospitality and generosity. We want to live this way in all our relationships.

Beautiful Hikes – We tried to hike as much as we could to explore all of the island. Since it rained almost every day there for short periods of time, some trails were muddy and slippery, but it made it more of an adventure. Our favorite hikes were in the Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Park which offered the views of the Napali Coast – Kalepa Ridge Trail and Awa’awapuhi Trail. Hiking together is one of our favorite things to do. We always have great conversations, and I get to chase amazing views like eye candy! It’s always hard for me to leave the unique destination!

Fresh Food – We picked great restaurants with great reviews and loved how they all served fresh, local food.  Some favorites were Bar Acuda, Ama, St. Regis Hotel, Piazza, So Thai, The Bistro, and La Spezia. A personal favorite of mine was the Kombucha from the Kauai Juice Company, and I think I drank a kombucha every single day!

Beach Fun – We visited many beaches to just chill and relax. We enjoyed gorgeous sunsets at Polihale State Park which bumps up to the Na’Pali Coast, Secret Beach in Kilauea, and Poipu at the Beach House. There’s too much to do in the water if you like to snorkel, surf, kayak or paddle board, or even cliff jump! (Shipwrecks in Poipu and Queen’s Bath in Princeville). I was also blessed by the perfect weather for a sunset cruise on Captain Andy’s catamaran for pristine views of the Na’Pali Coast.

We really can’t say enough about Kauai! I love that so many of our closest friends have been there for a honeymoon, anniversary, or vacation, and now we know what we’ve been missing! We hope to take our kids back again soon, and we’ll have a whole different set of memories, likely on surfboards and with snorkels. But we felt like this trip was a sweet gift from God, and the perfect way to celebrate our 20 years of being married to our best friend!

Here’s a slideshow of our highlights: