Sequestered on Kaua'i

After spending almost the entirety of 2020 working and living alone in my tiny Los Angeles apartment, I knew I needed to make a drastic change if I was going to escape the rest of the pandemic with my wits intact. I broached the idea of a change of scenery with a handful of people, and while several balked, my friends Aaron and Hanna decided to take the plunge. Within a few weeks, the three of us had booked flights and were off to Kauai.

Traveling and living in Kauai, during the COVID pandemic, was a surreal experience – looking back, it still doesn’t feel like real life. I’ve been visiting Kauai every year for the better part of a decade, but this trip was like stepping back in time. All the tourists were gone, the trails overgrown, and the surf breaks empty. As you might have heard, due to lack of emergency room beds, Hawaii instituted a strict 14-day quarantine that essentially made travel from the mainland nonexistent. For context on how strict, the military and police randomly checked on us 6 separate times during our quarantine.

While quarantining for two weeks was a daunting idea, it actually flew by - well, besides a bout of cabin fever over the weekend. Looking back, I learned a few valuable lessons: 1) The importance of routine, especially when confined to a small space. Having a set schedule of work, exercise and free time helped each day feel both productive and quick. 2) Staying off social media. Seeing people traveling and living semi-normal lives was already difficult, but I don’t think I could have handled it while stuck inside. 3) Respecting each other’s personal space. The three of us were confined to the same house so it was important we all took time alone to reset.

As the days ticked away, we started to look forward and plan how we’d spend our post-quarantine time. While COVID-19 raged around the world, Kauai had no active cases. Gone were the gloves at the gas station or the constant use of hand sanitizer. At times, we struggled with guilt – knowing we were on an island paradise while our friends and family back home struggled with the virus.  But we also knew we had made a deliberate choice to quarantine for this privilege.

When we finally made it out, we truly appreciated nature, space and freedom. Everyone we met on the island was friendly and warm, a sense of camaraderie between strangers. There’s comfort and a feeling of solidarity knowing that everyone is either a local or someone who has braved the two-week quarantine. During this time, Kauai and specifically the grounds of Kukuiula became our playground.

My first stop out of quarantine was the Kukuiula golf course. I’ve played golf sporadically my entire life, but never consistently enough to be decent. I’ve always found playing intimidating because most Los Angeles courses are compact and crowded, not the best place for a beginner to work on their game. This was my best chance to improve, as the breathtaking 18-hole Tom Weiskopf designed course was footsteps from my house. Even better, the course was completely deserted due to the pandemic. Most days would have only a handful of other playing groups teeing. These were truly blissful conditions for a beginner. After finishing remote work, I’d walk to the course and spend hours alone on the driving range (Hanna and Barker don’t play golf). On weekends, I’d be the first person to tee off at 8am and play 18 holes without seeing another person. The local pro Oliver Jones was more than happy to help me tackle the fundamentals, and I slowly learned to love this frustrating and challenging sport.

Outside of golf, the three of us would spend the weekends surfing and hiking. While a surf break never feels crowded in Kauai, especially when compared to California, the lack of surfers was both refreshing and a little spooky. I can distinctly recall one afternoon at Pakala’s where the last other surfer paddled in and it was just me and Aaron sitting alone on the break. My mind immediately went to sharks (a fairly irrational fear if you play the odds) and the lack of human buffer around me. I caught a few more waves but then headed in, my nerves getting the better of me. The hikes were just as empty. We spent a full day hiking around the Napali Coast, including part of the famous Kalalau Trail, and we saw two other parties the entire time. It felt like we were stuck in a time warp or an alternate universe – an island paradise devoid of tourists.

I stayed on Kauai for 2 months, right until Hawaii removed the quarantine and started allowing visitors with a negative COVID test. While it’s good to be back around family and friends in California, I’ll always have a special appreciation for my time in Kauai. It helped me reset from a hard summer, sparked my love for golf and showed me how little we really need to truly be happy – just nature and a few friends.