This Traveler Took an Epic Journey to Hawaii After Spending 2 Months within the ICU—and Spent $0 on Her Lodge

Stella Shon all the time liked to journey. After graduating from faculty in North Carolina, she moved to New York Metropolis to pursue a profession as a author at a significant journey publication. However in August of 2022, Shon’s life as a wholesome 26-year-old modified ceaselessly. 

Shon was identified with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), a uncommon however critical dysfunction affecting the pores and skin and mucous membranes. After battling flu-like signs for a number of days, her temperature spiked to 107 levels. This was accompanied by extreme ache, and Shon’s situation deteriorated a lot that she was compelled right into a hospital’s burn middle. 

“Once I was within the ICU, my world fully shattered abruptly,” Shon stated. “I used to be blind for a few months, and components of my physique had been so broken that returning to my regular life, not to mention hopping on a airplane once more, appeared inconceivable.” 

Miraculously, Shon survived the ordeal, beating a mortality charge of 30-50%. Whereas she has nonetheless needed to navigate a seemingly unending array of physician’s appointments, power ache, and uncertainty, journey grew to become a part of Shon’s routine as soon as once more. 

Eight months after her hospitalization, Shon took her first large journey—an epic journey to Hawaii together with her greatest pal. “The journey felt like reclaiming part of my identification. With the ability to step again into journey, one thing I liked, confirmed me that I might nonetheless pursue a significant life, even when on completely different phrases,” she stated. 

Right here’s how she made the resort keep occur on factors, and what made it so significant. 

How She Booked It 

In March 2023, Shon jetted off on her first large journey post-ICU, and Hawaii appeared like the right vacation spot. Not solely had she not been there earlier than, however her greatest pal of practically a decade, Taylor Hobgood, had simply moved to Honolulu. 

“Taylor was certainly one of my many wonderful mates who spent days with me within the hospital and helped my household out as a lot as attainable. She noticed me at my absolute worst, and I might belief her with my entire coronary heart to take issues gradual, see some lovely sights, and share new recollections collectively,” Shon recalled. 

Shon and Hobgood determined to go to Maui, with a keep at Hyatt’s Hana-Maui Resort. Shon booked the three-night getaway utilizing World of Hyatt factors—precisely 30,000 of them—per evening. Hyatt assigns every of its resorts a class, they usually correspond to a set variety of factors. As a Hyatt Class 7 property, rooms on the Hana-Maui resort require between 25,000 to 35,000 factors per evening (relying on the season). For context, on the time, the Hana-Maui was charging over $800 per evening. 

The Hyatt chain has many aspirational resorts, and its loyalty program usually has high-value redemptions. Apart from Hana-Maui, resorts just like the soon-to-open (or reopen) Park Hyatt Tokyo and Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo Del Sol may be booked with factors. 

Conveniently, two of the most effective loyalty packages within the area—Chase Final Rewards factors and Bilt Rewards factors—switch to the Hyatt program immediately, at a one-to-one ratio. To switch Chase or Bilt factors to journey companions, it’s essential to log into your account, navigate to the respective journey portal, and choose the choice to switch to Hyatt. For first-timers, you’ll additionally have to enter your World of Hyatt account data. 

What the Expertise Was Like

For Shon, the expertise in Maui was about pursuing her love for journey as soon as once more. 

“This was my first large journey the place I needed to rigorously plan and pack medicines for an prolonged time away, however I conquered it, which gave me the arrogance to proceed to journey fully by myself phrases.” 

In Hawaii, Shon says not a single second was taken with no consideration, regardless of now having to alter how she sees the world. “Earlier than I bought sick, I all the time liked seashore holidays. I might spend hours simply floating within the ocean, fully mesmerized. Now, my situation means I can’t swim anymore, however there have been so many wonderful issues we did that we nonetheless snort about to at the present time.” 

Shon recalled how the property, sprawled over 100 acres of land, was built-in into the primary city of Hana. The resort distinctly felt prefer it was part of the group, Shon stated. “Meals vans are at the doorstep, and there’s a hidden pink sand seashore close by.” 

As well as, with Hyatt Globalist advantages—the best stage of standing with this system—Shon was upgraded from a backyard view room to a seashore bungalow, which not solely afforded her and Hobgood more room, but additionally killer oceanfront views.

The dynamic duo went on loads of hikes close to the resort, drove your entire size of the Street to Hana, and stopped at each meals truck they noticed for garlic shrimp, poke, acai, and banana bread. 

“Most of all, the journey gave me a way of normalcy I hadn’t felt because the begin of my illness,” Shon stated. “Journey is not only a trip for me; I see it as proof of survival.”

A Factors and Miles Tip for Vacationers

Don’t be afraid to make use of your factors, Shon suggested. Her method isn’t to hoard and refill over time, however as an alternative to redeem every time attainable. Factors can unlock experiences price excess of their money worth. And in contrast to cash, factors don’t recognize over time. Airline and resort packages can devalue with out warning. 

Most significantly, life is unpredictable, so if in case you have the prospect to show factors into significant recollections or moments of therapeutic, take it. “If there is a reward in any of this, I’ve liked embracing gradual journey and taking my time to discover a vacation spot,” Shon famous.  

Lately, Shon is an outspoken champion for SJS advocacy, and you’ll watch her TikTok movies right here.