In the historical development of my lexicon, the words “Maui” and “Hawai’i” have always been more associated with concepts than experiences. These words would conjure concepts of tropical, the acme of conspicuous American Imperialism, and a geological exemplar, but for some reason, I never grouped them together.
The great American Melting Pot is a concept that can evoke a lot of pride, especially when all the participants accede more than they protest. But there’s a line we cross time and again where it starts to feel little like we’re repeating the imperialistic mistakes of our national parents, and to me, Hawaii is one of those–carrying with it’s paradisal allure, a guilt evoking scar of Americanism.
But the aspect that most predominantly factors into my understanding of the Hawaiian archipelago had been its geological-beauty as pattern for a hotspot under a scrolling oceanic crust. From base to top, the Hawaiian archipelago forms a chain with some of the tallest mountains on the planet–Mauna Loa & Kea in particular reaching about 30,000 ft.
In a Small Thoughts–Big Brains moment, I learned in 2009 that Maui is a part of Hawaii.
