ROANOKE, Va. – A family vacation almost turned into a nightmare for 17-year-old Vivian Pickeral.
Pickeral and her family have always had a love for Hawaii. Her dad actually used to work out on islands and since the spot has become a common vacation spot.
Only this year’s vacation went differently than according to plan. Pickeral and her family were stuck on the island of Maui while one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history raged in the town of Lahaina.
“The unknown was the hardest part,” Pickeral said. “We just knew that there was no power for anyone. No one had food. There were rumors that the water was going to be turned off. There was just so much going on in our heads about how to keep our family safe.”
What ultimately kept the family safe was the locals. With no power and no communication, people relied on each other to get things done.
Pickeral recalls the story of one of her neighboring guests at a hotel making a long journey from a town on the other side of the island just to get food and water for all the guests and locals staying at the hotel.
“They have lost everything but yet still feel so compelled to help each other because they know that they have nothing but each other. They’re just so strong together,” Pickeral said.
Pickeral ended up growing strong connections with people at the hotel while she and her family waited for their flight home. They decided against getting an earlier flight because they knew other people were far more desperate to get away.
One of the biggest connections she grew was with the hotel’s security guard Albert.
“If I were to pick one person that exemplified the Aloha spirit, it would be Albert. His family and him lost everything,” Pickeral said. “He told me his family had seconds to get out.”
Albert was one of the many people Pickeral made a lei for. She said it’s a sign of love.
While making the trip back to Roanoke wasn’t easy, it eventually was time. Pickeral said she has a new Ohana – one with a spirit she will carry on forever.