JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!!!
April 15th, 2009 by Rocco
CAN MY CONDOS IN MAUI IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH?
Over the past ten years I have owned six condos on all of the major islands in Hawaii…Maui, Kauai, The Big Island and Oahu. I originally went to Hawaii as I was recovering from two major operations on my spine and I needed a peaceful place to recuperate. I was nervous about being so far away from my doctor in New York City, but I decided that this was really what the doctor had ordered! Rest, peace and serenity! I stayed in one of my condos overlooking the ocean for over two months. My husband joined me in the middle of my stay for two weeks. I was nervous initially about being away for so long (not to mention giving up the income I would have received for that time). However, my health was so fragile that I knew I needed a place where I could get better. I live in Connecticut and had my surgery in August of 2000. I headed to Hawaii around the third week in January of 2001. I was scared because I really didn’t know what to expect and I had left all my support systems at home. However, my attitude was “I can do this” and if I couldn’t, I could always return home.
I bring this topic up because yesterday I spoke to a woman who had been to my condo at The Whaler (661) last year. She told me that she had been sick this past year and so had her Mother. She proceeded to book one week for herself in May and another week in June for her Mom. When I asked why they were not going together, she said that each could only get away for one week in different months. She told me that the year before, she had found The Whaler 661 to be so soothing and peaceful and that because she was recovering from an illness, she wanted to go back to my condo, which had helped her previously. She said that since her Mom had also been sick, she thought this would be a good cure for her as well. You may be thinking “Well, only affluent people can afford this”. That is not the case. Over the years of talking to my clients, I have repeatedly heard that my condos and their locations have had an incredible effect on the physical and mental health of the people who rented them. I had decided when I originally invested in Hawaiian condos, that I would only buy oceanfront units that I myself found very relaxing. I also decided that I would decorate these condos in furnishings I really liked and that I would try to give people an experience that was 5 star, without the 5 star price! I had worked for 19 years as an interior designer and knew that you did not have to spend a fortune on furnishings to make the environment peaceful and relaxing. The location in and of itself would do that! I decided on a tropical looking bed that became my signature piece. The bed (which is very important when you don’t feel well) was equally important to me as was the location!. Clients often report that in Nohonani 204 on Maui, they find the sound of the waves gently coming ashore incredibly relaxing, while listening as they drift off to sleep. My guests in both units, The Whaler 661 and Nohonani 204 have found that just sitting on the lanai overlooking the ocean is in itself a wonderful cure for what ails them. Over the years I have had many friends visit and they all tell me the same thing:” They are a different person when they leave from what they were when they arrived.” Many have brought several books with them and have found that they have really enjoyed reading while perched on my lanai at the ocean’s edge and in many cases, found themselves not even reading, but just staring at the ocean for hours on end. There is something about the ocean that is amazing. It is always changing, fascinating and relaxing. For that reason, the locations I have chosen have always been very important to me. Sitting on the lanai, you can be partially shaded while also enjoying the warm sun on your body. I don’t really think there is any substitute for fabulous weather and the turquoise South Pacific. Many guests tell me that in as little as five days they feel renewed and re-energized. I think this same formula applies to one’s mental health as well. I can’t tell you how many repeat guests I have had who come back again the next year, for they report that their mini vacation allowed them to de-stress for the first time in a year. We all run in high gear and think we can’t afford a holiday or that we will just hang in there and somehow magically feel better. However, it just doesn’t really work!
One of the things that have totally fascinated my guests over the years is watching the whales breach in and out of the water. If you have never seen it, it is really magical beyond belief! The area in which Nohonani 204 is located is nick named “whale alley”! This is where the whales come for the winter (and who says people are smarter than animals)! It is so amazing to watch the whales jumping and frolicking in the ocean. At The Whaler 661, we have a large mirrored wall directly across from the bed and you can see the whales happily splashing while lying in bed. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this!
At this time, when so many of us are stressed out to the max about the economy, it might seem crazy to suggest that you take a vacation to Hawaii. But, in reality, in the ten years that I have been doing this, our prices have never been lower. We are really trying to work with our guests and offer them the best rate that we can, while still having the ability to pay our mortgages. We may not be making a profit right now, but we certainly are making a lot of people very happy! People from the West coast are flying to Maui for long weekends and report that they are so glad they did this and feel so much better. I sometimes think that while sipping that pina colada on our lanai, that people re-group and get more of a perspective on life and their own situation. Sometimes it takes getting out of ourselves and our environment, to realize that eventually everything will get better. It is amazing how fascinating it can be to simply watch sea turtles bask in the sunlight and the warm salty, glistening water. For those of us who live on the East coast, the winter seems endless. I know because this is the first year in ten years that I haven’t gone to Hawaii. My husband and I moved this year after selling our primary residence and I didn’t feel I could leave our home until I got it organized and everything into its new place. Although I love my new home, I definitely regret not getting my “dose” of Maui. I can feel that my body is not as relaxed as it is in Hawaii. Just not hearing the phone ring non-stop is one of the joys of getting away from it all. Although at home I wouldn’t dream of not reading the New York Times every day, I somehow make due just fine in Maui without knowing what is going on in the world! Sometimes when I am away, I feel as if I am in a world of my own and it is quite refreshing not to hear about one disaster after another.
So, give yourselves a break! Plan a visit to one of my condos, Nohonani 204 or The Whaler 661 and do yourself a favor. Even if you can’t afford to eat out, somehow grilling fresh fish caught that very day on the communal barbecues overlooking the Pacific, tastes a lot better than the fish served at home. If you want to re-new your sprit, feel healthier both mentally and physically, spend a LITTLE and you will get A LOT. After all, the daily rate of staying in one of my condos is less than the price of a therapist, who in any case will probably tell you what you already know…that you need to take care of yourself, communicate in a more positive way with your spouse and have that honeymoon all over again, even if it is only for a few days! To book, simply book on line or call us at 203-783-9094 or 866-270-1499 and we will do it for you. After all, you only go around once in this life and you deserve to be good to yourself.
As for me, I have already booked my time at both of my condos for next year. You won’t catch me missing out on Hawaii again. It is too important for my general well being and it will be for you as well! Remember, you can always justify the trip by telling your friends and family “It is just what the doctor ordered”!!!
Susan Kimmelman, owner
4/15/09 tax day!!!