What's in store:
a hui hou.
Not goodbye. “Until we meet again.” A tight, calm morning, one last plate lunch, and a plane that lands before dinner in SF. Everything below is timed backward from wheels-up; on departure day, the clocks are real.
One more perfect morning, naturally
Backward from 10:32
Departure days run on real clocks, so every chip below is a real time; it's the one day the brief gets to be bossy. Follow the chain and there's zero stress and one excellent plate lunch in it for us. Tonight's checklist is the departure protocol. Do it before bed and the morning runs itself.
The exit
Alarms. Final sunrise optional but encouraged.
Sunrise ~6:20 from the beach for anyone willing. Everyone else: coffee and final zips.
Bags down, checkout
Bell desk takes the luggage (arranged), express checkout on both rooms, one last look at that pool.
Drive to Kahului
~50 minutes, Sunday-morning empty. Windows down through the last of the west side.
Uptown Chevron: gas + genius
Fill the tank for the return AND raid their legendary local plate-lunch counter for the plane, the Reddit thread’s smartest tip. Veg plates for three, the works for Richa.
Return the X3
SIXT at the consolidated facility, booked return window 9:30 but arriving at 8:20 buys the calm; returning minutes early costs nothing. Tram/walkway to the terminal.
Return details
Agricultural inspection + check-in
All checked bags pass through USDA ag screening before airline check-in. Quick if we’re not smuggling mangoes (we’re not; the departure protocol saw to it).
AS 978 · OGG to SFO
Land 6:27 PM in SF, a whole evening to be smug about the tans. Plate lunches deploy at cruising altitude.
Flight details
The closing ceremony
The gate ceremony
Richa runs the Superlatives Ballot: best moment · best meal · biggest surprise · best sunset. All shared wins; the trip is the champion.
One word each for the whole week. No sentences. Choose carefully.
Set the reunion: pick the date, right now, for the trip-photos dinner back home. Trips end; hui don’t.
Results are permanent record and will absolutely be referenced for years.
The departure protocol. Do it now, thank yourself at 7 AM.
- ✓Pack everything except Sunday’s outfit + toiletries
- ✓Fresh fruit: eat it or leave it. Unapproved produce can’t fly in checked bags (ag inspection).
- ✓Fresh flower lei can’t come home either: wear them to the last minute, leave them with gratitude
- ✓Kona coffee, mac nuts, packaged goods: totally fine to pack
- ✓Gas plan set: Uptown Chevron in Kahului, fill up AND grab their famous plate lunch for the plane
- ✓Check in for AS 978 online · seats together?
- ✓Bell desk booked for 7:00 AM
- ✓Alarms: 6:00 AM
“Until we meet again.” Hawaiians don’t really say goodbye, and after this week, neither do we. A hui hou, Maui.
“Not goodbye, Maui. A hui hou.”
house rule: everyone uses it at least once tomorrowNine briefs. Zero missed sunsets.
This page stays up forever: the whole week, one scroll at a time.
Tell Kilo
Type it, or tap the box and use the little mic on the keyboard: what moved, what got skipped, what we added. Kilo, the brief’s night keeper (kilo: the old Hawaiian word for a watcher of skies and reader of signs), takes it from here: hit send and this page rebuilds itself around the new plan in about two minutes.