LAHAINA, Hawaii – Tiffany and Jon Bosslet booked their Hawaii honeymoon getaway at the end of June.
“We did a nice hike on a really cool trail,” Tiffany said. “We learned a lot about Maui’s history.”
What was supposed to be a once-in-a lifetime vacation took a turn for the worse.
“Gas stations were all closed,” Jon said. “Fast food places were all closed, too.”
First, Hurricane Dora knocked out power, which turned finding food on the northwest side of Maui into a multi-hour effort. They would lose power and be without cell service for a couple of days. The Bosslets traveled to several grocery stores before finding one that had any food.
“It was just a lot of people randomly forming lines,” Jon said. “People were just getting in line because other people were.”
Just a few minutes from where the newlyweds were staying, a fire started burning in Lahaina.
“When I saw the smoke, I knew it was pretty bad,” Tiffany said.
The fires have now burned thousands of acres and killed nearly 100 people. At one point, Tiffany and Jon’s parents feared the worst.
“Our parents really didn’t know where we were,” Tiffany said. “They actually thought we died because we didn’t talk to them for two days.”
The experience has given the Bosslets a new perspective on life, filling them with gratitude.
“As good as it was at the beginning, your honeymoon is replaceable,” she said. “We are just grateful we are here, and we are safe. Hopefully there will be another honeymoon in the future.”
The newlyweds donated some of their honeymoon money to help the residents of Maui. They spent the rest of their vacation in Honolulu to escape the fires.