After a little over a month in Maui, I thought it would be appropriate to look back on our initial two weeks (in quarantine), which were exciting, boring, and a big tease all in one!
Hawaii’s quarantine is no joke: with fines of up to $5,000 and a year in prison, we decided we would abide by it. Further, we’d been warned by our local realtor that other locals were not afraid to turn people in they though might be breaking quarantine. Also, Hawaiian culture is based on many things, but one of them is a respect. As a guest in Hawaiian’s home, it would be blatantly disrespectful to flout the rules, not to mention it’s a public safety issue. Unlike the mainland, there is no option to drive to the city or county or state next door when the local hospital is full.
The quarantine orders have decimated tourism, which accounts for about 25% of the state’s economy, however I applaud Hawaii for keeping their citizen’s safety as the priority.
I’ll breakdown how we prepared to be quarantined, how we combatted boredom, and other considerations if I had to do it over again (oh please no). Quarantining would be much more aggressive than when Leigh and I self-quarantined upon returning from Africa in March. While we didn’t go into stores or public places, we could at least take Dallas on a walk. Coming to Maui, there would be no leaving our apartment for two full weeks!
One other thing to note, which is not clear in any of Hawaii’s documentation, is that the 14-day clock starts as soon as you land in Hawaii. We’d heard that the arrival day didn’t count or that you were free the start of the 14th day, but it is technically the same time as when you arrived into Hawaii.
A couple of other big changes have also happened since we arrived: after daily cases approaching 400, Oahu is mostly shutdown; and the 14-day quarantine is once again applying to inter-island travel. Since pretty much everything in the state goes through Oahu in some form or fashion, there was really no way for the state to just say it’s an Oahu problem, but rather the state as a whole.
It goes without saying that if you’re coming to Hawaii, you’ll want to stay for at least three weeks in order to make it worth it, although I’d recommend longer if you have the ability to work remotely since two weeks on lockdown is such a big commitment.
Planning
There are a couple of things that made our situation uniquely challenging. 1) we were moving, so we had a lot more stuff than most, and 2) we have a dog (more on importing an animal into Hawaii in another post).
We were fortunate that we hit it off quickly with our Maui-based landlord, Caron Barrett, who also happens to be a realtor. She and her wife have lived on Maui for nearly 20 years, so they know how things work, the right people to help, and they also happen to be dog lovers.
Initially we all thought the quarantine would be lifted by the time we started our lease on August 1st, so long as we could get a negative COVID test 72 hours prior to arrival. Well…things took a serious turn south on the mainland as the first wave – which never actually ended – exploded in multiple pockets across the country, including California. Once again, testing times extended to well beyond the 72 hours, not to mention Hawaii itself had a hard time procuring enough tests for its residents. In mid-July, the state announced that it would be pushing back the start date of the pre-travel testing program to September first, and with that went our freedom for the first two weeks.
Caron immediately went to work on trying to solve the biggest and most pressing problem for us, which is what do we do with Dallas during quarantine since we can’t take him for walks? Maui does have grocery delivery options through Safeway and Instacart, as well as food delivery, so that was less pressing.
She ended up connecting us with Coconut Concierge, a full-service concierge company based in Kihei. After an intro phone call with the owner, Krysti Kokot, Leigh and I felt much more at ease about the impending quarantine logistics. We setup a schedule to walk Dallas several times a day (at a very reasonable rate I might add!) as well as an initial Costco/grocery run for us. When we arrived, our fridge was and cupboards were stocked, including with some much needed cold beer after our travel day.
Arrival
We arrived at OGG airport, where our local vet was waiting for us in order to sign-off on Dallas’ paperwork. He’s an ESA, so he flew in cabin with us. We grabbed all of our stuff (4 carry-on’s, 4 bags, and 2 cardboard boxes + a dog) and called a Lyft XL. After taking what felt like a clown car with all of our stuff, we unloaded and were now officially in quarantine. We did have several opportunities to let Dallas use the bathroom before officially shutting our door, which I know he appreciated.
Later that evening we ordered dinner and Krysti came by to walk Dallas. Outsiders are prohibited from entering a quarantine home, so we met her on the front porch with Dallas each time.
What our new apartment lacked in space, it more than made up for in views. At about 20 steps from the ocean, we watched the sun go down from our lanai. We went to bed early that night feeling relieved that we’d not only made it, but that we had someone like Krysti to help us out with anything we needed.
Quarantine
Arriving on a Friday afternoon was both helpful and agonizing. We were grateful for the first part of Saturday as we got acclimated with our space, unpacked, and organized, however by the afternoon, we were bored. Sunday was no different. Never before have looked forward to Monday morning and starting the workweek!
So what does a day in the life look like when you’ve just arrived in paradise and you legally can’t go anywhere?
A typical weekend day had us waking up around 5:30-6:00am (the sun rises early and it’s tough to sleep in here!). After coffee, we’d find our first workout to do, typically flow/pilates/core, followed by a HIIT or bodyweight strength workout using the Peloton app. By the this time, Krysti would be here and ready to take Dallas on his morning walk. We’d make breakfast and then watch TV. In an effort to feel connected, we’d watch some sporting event, whether it be baseball or basketball. After some lounging, we’d start to think about what we wanted for lunch and getting that ready. By this point it was midday, so obviously it was time for a beer (or wine in Leigh’s case). We’d eat lunch on the lanai and continue sitting outside while we both read. After a few more beers and some snacks, it was time for a nap. I’d wake up to find that I had a honey-do list waiting for me, which I’d get to only after a sufficient amount of procrastination. At some point in the afternoon we’d FaceTime with friends and family, which we found to be a crucial part of quarantine. Having some element of human connection was critical. As dinner approached, we might open a bottle of wine and begin cooking, after which we’d eat dinner and watch the sunset from the lanai, thankful to have another day in the books. The evenings typically involved watching a movie and by 8:30, we were getting ready for bed. Other than having a few too many cocktails, it was pretty much the most boring days of my life.
Our workdays were more structured, especially until mid-afternoon since we were working PST hours. Morning workouts, breakfast, work, lunch, more workouts once work was wrapped for the day. With little else to do, we’d have an early happy hour on the lanai, followed by a home-cooked meal. Once again, early to bed. Rinse and repeat.
Our quarantine period went from a Friday to Friday (+2), which meant we had two full weekends. While the first one was nice to settle in, the second one was torture. The days were long with little to do when not working. We managed to get through it thanks to some good books, TV shows, loaned board games, alcohol, and did I mention alcohol? 😉
Final thoughts on quarantine
There is no doubt this was a trying couple of weeks. We’d done so much work getting ready to move, including putting most of our belongings in storage, packing what we wanted to bring, and getting Dallas ready for Hawaii (no small task), so getting here only to be stuck inside was tough. I’ll leave you with four points that I think are crucial to surviving a STRICT 14-day quarantine.
- Outdoor space is required. I honestly can’t imagine doing this in a hotel room. Thankfully we have an oceanfront lanai that has enough space to dine al fresco, lounge, and even workout. Without it, there’s no way we would’ve kept our sanity. I would highly recommend getting a place with ground floor outdoor space vs a balcony. The outdoor area around your home or unit is considered part of your quarantine space, which for us, would’ve meant the difference of getting a dog walker and not.
- Physical activity. It was absolutely critical to our “survival”. Some of the workouts we did were stupid, but it was something to pass the time and break a little sweat in the process. In addition to workouts, the front entry to our apartment has a long breezeway that’s essentially isolated from anyone else in the building, which we both used to walk god knows how many laps in order to hit our daily steps goal. Let’s just say I’d walk at least an hour a day in a very short space.
- Try to have fun with it. 14 days of being forced to do nothing is few people’s idea of a good time, even when you can actually use the break! Now having done 28 days of quarantine this year, this one being much worse than the last, I can say that your mindset will determine how confining it really feels. Pickup a new hobby or finally start learning that foreign language you’ve been putting off. Setup video calls with family and friends. Work on your bartending skills!
- Patience. If you’re quarantining with someone, starting with an oversupply of patience will be necessary (especially if it’s a significant other/spouse). You’re going to get on each other’s nerves, especially if you’re in a small space. Come ready to laugh off a lot of things.
You will survive!
