The first thing I notice when I arrive on the Big Island is the heat. A pleasant humidity greets me like a warm hug as soon as I step off the plane. Suddenly I’m transported to the month of August in the Midwest. Next, I notice the smell. The air smells sweet, like summertime, so fresh and so clean and with the hint of flowers in full bloom. When we arrive at Maureen’s Bed & Breakfast, I hear a chorus of Coqui frogs singing to each other. Like birds softly chirping and every few seconds, a sharp whistle sounds. These smells and sounds of nature. I’m in love.

Though I’m on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Maureen’s Bed & Breakfast feels so familiar to me. The decor and bedding remind me of a grandmother’s house. Suave, V05, Irish Spring. These are the shower products of my childhood and I found them all in Maureen’s bathroom. I landed on the Big Island and stepped back in time.

In talking to Maureen, I learned that the house was built in 1930 when a Hawaiian woman and her Japanese husband commissioned a Japanese architect to design a home for their eight children. I love the rounded doorways, the farmhouse-style rooms, the grand staircase, the endless screened in porch. The house beautifully intertwines elements of both cultures, and I can just imagine how fun it was to grow up here.