Postcard from Oahu, Hawaii

“Mama, this is paradise,” says my six-year-old daughter, Rory, as she leans back on the white sand beach that stretches into endless turquoise water.

I’ll admit it, I had hesitations. I’m a single parent who’s used to travelling (even camping) alone with my kid. But never for seven days. When I considered the 11 hours of flying each way, I knew our trip couldn’t be shorter than a week. I thought I’d lose my mind by day three.

But as soon as I got off the plane and sensed the relaxed vibe, I knew this would be a trip we’d remember, especially because it was our last one together. (By the time this story is out I will have a new husband and a stepson in the house!)

Neither of us was ready to leave when the time came. Rory was right. We were in paradise.

A version of this article appeared in our October 2012 issue with the headline “Oahu, Hawaii,” p. 30.