Alix Prejean lives in Hana, Hawaii, a remote town in the eastern end of Maui. Her story of how she got there is interesting.
In 1968 Alix went to Quito, Ecuador to teach school. Quito had a very small American community, so if anyone had a party, everyone showed up. It was on one of these occasions that she met her future husband, Carroll Prejean.
At that time, Carroll was working as an instrument engineer in the jungle looking for oil. Alix and Carroll were married in 1971 and their daughter, Andra, was born in 1972. Carroll's work schedule had him working in the jungle for 21 days, and then back in town for 10, that is if someone wasn't called away or some other crisis! It was time for a career change and when Alix asked Carroll what he wanted to do, he said he would love to ranch, so they left South American in 1974 and settled in Hackett, Arizona to do just that.
After twenty years in Arkansas and a grown daughter, Alix and Carroll were looking for a new adventure and Alix said she wanted to go to Hawaii, but only to Hana, and not as a tourist. Their niece, Margot McAllister, had inherited some property in Hana and she asked the Prejeans if they would like to manage the property. “Well,” Alix says now, “I can tell you I have never been a tourist in Hana! It is an amazing place, very isolated, not for everyone, but we love it!”
Carroll passed away in 2010, but he has created a beautiful place, and Alix says it is now up to her to “Ma'lama the 'aina ... take care of the land”. She sends a big mahalo (thank you) to Margot for bringing them to Hana and an aloha to the family to come visit.
Sunrise in "Heavenly Hana" from Alix's front yard.
April 2013