It's all about the Maui Makai launch party. There's nothing else that matters anymore. This was one of the proudest moments of my life. I can see my inner child in her little pink velour dress and the plumeria in her ear literally crying tears of joy watching me receive a pua kenikeni lei from my friend Kiha and his wife as I danced around the room barefoot, joyful, confident, giving back to the island that I have loved so profoundly since the day I was born. The embrace I received from the community has me teary just writing this. It means everything to me to be accepted by such a culture. It means everything to me.
There are literally 500,000 moments I am unable to write about in so few words and points, but here's a start...
1. Brown butter cookies from Lunetta Sourdough.
I can't get over these. There is a fluttering in my heart that I can't even control. I've never felt this way before. Is this love? As my friend Matias said, "These cookies take you on a journey." I promise they're just cookies, but like no other you've ever had.
2. The cutest cheese letters in the Aloha Moon Charcuterie Board.
Annie from Aloha Moon makes the raddest charcuterie boards (think a surfboard covered in yummy treats). For the launch party, she made cheese letters that spelled out "Maui Makai." It was so cute. I was so happy. I just wanted to eat them, but they were too adorable to destroy.
3. Being barefoot.
I had two shoe options for the party: my lace up orange heels and my clear heels. I settled on the clears. I walked in feeling real good. I set up barefoot because that's my truth. Halfway through the party I realized I had never put them back on. The best part about Maui? No one mentioned it. The best part about the whole thing? I felt more me than ever.
4. The reggae-reggaeton-Afro beats.
The request to Maui DJ Services: "fun, upbeat, vibey reggae vibes (70%) + afrobeats (25%) + some reggaeton (5%)." I sent in ten songs that I loved as examples. I got a whole two hour playlist that absolutely slayed. All I wanted to do was dance.
5. Cortez, the resident cat at Story.
There is a cat that our event space, Story has essentially adopted because it just can't stop hanging around. He was at our launch party. He didn't stay long because... well... he's obviously too cool for that. But just the fact that he graced us with his presence made me felt like the coolest kid in town.
6. My media squad.
Nate from Sunlit Films and Matias from Matias Ezcurra Photography were actually supposed to be my wedding coverage squad back when I was engaged in 2020. Because you have to make lemons out of lemonade, I decided to use the credits with them to do a shoot for my skincare line, Mukama Botanica (stay tuned for that content). We had the most glorious day - they made me feel so good and it meant the world to me.
They both offered to cover the launch party with their talents and it made me smile from ear to ear to have them there. I not only have awesome content, but friends. It really shows what can come out on the other side.
7. Friends who show up.
I can't even stop the swelling in my heart (send help maybe) about how grateful I am for all of my friends who really feel like family here on Maui. The people who showed up right at the start and stayed to the finish - who are you? Do you know you're an angel to me? Do you know I'll never forget that? To the friends the stopped in at the last minute just to at least come by - I am so thankful for your time and the fact that you came to see me. To the people that flew out - I am speechlessly overwhelmed with tenderness and love. To the people who wrote me, cheered me on, and supported me - I love you. Thank you. Thank you. Mahalo. Mahalo. Mahalo.
8. Mauipreneurs.
I am obsessed with Maui for its laid-back vibe, and priority of nature and community. Honestly, I wouldn't trade it for the world. YET, in launching Maui Makai, I have discovered the community of entrepreneurs that are running so much of the show here and they have absolutely electrified me through their very existence. Meeting people who are inspired by the same thing I've been inspired by my entire life and have decided to create something out of it feel like immediate soul siblings to me. It's so cool to meet the Maui wave-makers and connect in a way I didn't even realize I could connect with someone.
9. The Miracle Maui Morning.
Lindsay, my mentor in Maui Makai (and living life in the most fun way, honestly) and founder of Laguna Beach Living attended something called "Laugh Club" in Laguna Beach a few weeks ago. Laugh Club is exactly what it sounds like... you sit around and laugh. It's the absolute best. Since she flew out with her gem of a boyfriend for the launch party, we all spent the day together before the event. It started out with drone flights off the balcony for awesome content, followed by an intense workout, followed by yoga, meditation and breathwork in the grass, followed by our own self-guided laugh club where we bawked like chickens in public and screamed out things we were grateful for, followed by an ocean dip, concluded with brunch a slip down the Kea Lani Hotel waterslide. We called it our Miracle Maui Morning because it set the tone for the bestestestest day ever.
Photo cred: Matias Ezcurra Photography
