After spending 7 days in paradise, it was very difficult to leave Maui. My 4-year-old daughter Carissa actually cried when we told her that it was time to go. She asked us if she could look at the ocean one more time to say goodbye. I never thought a little girl could get so attached to any place.

Maybe it was more than just the place. What made it memorable for all of us was being in Maui with my husband's family. It had always been Chris' parents dream to go to Hawaii as a family. And my husband, being the wonderful person that he is, made their dream come true.

It was arguably the best vacation I've ever had. As Carissa played with her cousins day in and day out, I realized how much she loves being with them. And seeing the deep joy in her eyes made my soul jump in rapturous delight. I myself felt like a kid again. The beach. Sand castles. Snorkeling with turtles, eels and colorful fish.

I felt so much closer to my husband as we snorkeled in the ocean looking for sea turtles. We signaled each other as we saw wondrous creatures under the sea. It felt like we were on our honeymoon all over again. Well, we did have our first honeymoon in Maui. And that's most likely why I felt so nostalgic.

And now I'm back in California. I miss Maui but I'm not bummed at all. As I'm writing this blog entry on my computer, it made me realize that the contrasts in life are what make life interesting. Working makes us appreciate vacations. And vacations make us appreciate work. Did anybody say that nothing in life is perfect? To me this is perfect.