michelleonmaui

So Little, So Much

2009-02-23T20:20:00.008-10:00

On Wednesday, on the red-eye, I will be on my way back home...

I've done so little. Part of me is truly surprised at how little I did the past 5 months. Some of the things I'm disappointed about?

I didn't sunbathe nude (or at least topless) at Little Beach.
I didn't become that "intermediate" surfer.
I didn't try stand up paddling.

I've done so much. But I am proud of the new things I did do.

I saw the sunrise in Hana.
I did yoga on the beach - regularly.
I learned to surf.
I can get by in Spanish.

I've learned so little. Still, after this life changing event, I am still the same person, with all my foibles.

I still get stressed and yell at my kids.
I'm still a little scared to try new things.
I still expect too little from people.

I've learned so much. But more than anything, this trip has given me the opportunity to learn things about myself that I never would have in my "normal" life.

I always cry when my children sing.
I can live with surprisingly little, but still want a lot.
I really miss my family and friends.
After 9 years I'm still in love with Neil.

And thus ends this trip and this blog. Knowing people were reading kept me writing - and I thank you for sharing in this part of my life with me. Adios, mahalo and aloha.

Random Blogger Challenge

2009-02-15T19:33:00.004-10:00

This week has been great. My friends are visiting and we have been having a quiet and very fun visit with them. They are so easy going and great houseguests, and moreover, the girls LOVE them. They are constantly asking where they are or what they're doing. They may very well like them as much as their own grandparents! Anyway, our friends are now at a hotel enjoying some much deserved quiet time by their own pool, but we'll be sure to hook up with them a few more times before they leave on Thursday.

So I am passing on a challenge from my friend Gillian to fellow bloggers (or facebookers for that matter). The deal is this:

Go to where you store your photos on your computer. Go to the SIXTH folder and pick the SIXTH photo. Post that photo on your blog along with a SHORT story about it. Tag SIX people and leave a comment on their blog or email them letting them know you chose them.

I did what Gillian did to get to a picture that would work. I started at the bottom of my files and counted six up, and then chose the sixth photo from the bottom. And I arrived at this one. Our first Hallowe'en Party - 2004. It was this awesome night of many babies, fireworks and adults getting drunk and dancing in our kitchen, (after the babies went to bed of course). We had about 50 people show up, a veritable mix of work friends, fellow first time parents and great friends who were a little less encumbered. All the kids were the same age, and of course dressed up - hence this picture, (I think Taylor had gone to bed already?) It was the best party we've ever thrown, and I particularly remember Grant's costume of the Kokanee sasquatch dressed as the ranger, Graeme dressed up as a girl and Mike's huge mole (he was Enrique, before the surgery). Getting up the next morning was not so fun, as Taylor woke up at 7am and it was another 8 hours till I was feeling myself. And for many reasons, subsequent parties have never been as good as this one was...

So, in the spirit of this entry, I invite you to blog yourself on this random challenge - either in your own blog or on facebook somehow and I can't wait to read the stories! And I won't tag anyone in particular, just do it if you like - but leave me a comment and let me know if you did it and where I can find it...

Amazed...

2009-02-08T21:42:00.009-10:00

Seems like this week I've been witness to what I consider some really amazing things.

Last week, we were at the beach and not 150 metres offshore was an adult and baby whale, who looked to be teaching her child how to breach. She'd hang out at the surface, her dorsal fin just visible, while her baby leaped and jumped in the air. And we - along with other visitors - all stood on terra firma, eyes glued to the ocean, in amazement.

Another day, we went for a picnic bbq dinner at our favourite spot, Makena Landing. It's an old trading area from the 19th century and it's perfect for sunsets, swims and dinners out. All four of us were in the water and very close to shore was a massive whale slapping his/her tail. It was so close and so powerful that we could hear the thunderous clap each of the dozen or so times it hit the surface. And we stood in the water - amazed by this great beast.

This time of year, you see a lot of people doing handstands in the water. We've been told that it's so that you can hear the whales talking. Neil tried it, and yes, he heard them. The whistling, squealing and hollow sounds of their echolocation had him trying it back up on the beach. I further ruminated about these whales, how they stay in pods, looking after each other, teaching and travelling together such great distances. And it humbles me, who relies on steel and fossil fuels to get around and who ends up so far away from those that I care about.

And I am amazed at something different. Very different and nothing magical or awe inspiring. I am amazed this week at the corporate world. The corporation - that faceless, soul-less, magical entity that unlike any other living being - can act, move around, and conduct itself without consequence for their actions, (check this out http://www.thecorporation.com/). Recently, I am witness to acquaintances and close friends, some barely competent but many talented, being terminated in the name of improving profits. Not because of this "economy" but to simply deliver a better bottom line to its shareholders. I'm not really against anyone making money. But these corporations, after being bought by corporation(s) so that they can likely be sold to other corporations, have proceeded to thank some very loyal employees, by asking them to help them "transition" their knowledge to either remaining employees or offshore. That's right, "you're fired - but just stick around just long enough to share all that you've done for us, or else..." I know, I know, other corporations have done a lot worse, ones who steal from, lie to and cheat its customers and employees. Is it any wonder that Gen Y and the ones who come after have absolutely no loyalty to the companies they work for? Being one of the less numerous Gen X'ers around, my views are now mirroring those of my more plentiful younger colleagues. Sure, I'll offer what I've got, but not likely for long, and then I'll likely end up doing the same for your competitor.

So I can chalk up another thing I've learned this trip - the last thing I will tell my kids is to study hard, and get a good job with a big company to get good pay and benefits. Since in the end - it will benefit them very little. Instead, I'll tell them to study hard and look for the best individual (and that may be themselves) to help them deliver what will matter - innovative products or services at fair prices to great customers. And if they're with the right person or organization, they'll benefit immensely.

As I end this week, instead of looking west to the ocean and the whales, I end up looking to the east, at the horizon of the world that existed for me in a bygone chapter. And then I tell myself to turn around, let it go, and watch the whales.

Home?

2009-02-01T21:39:00.007-10:00

These past 2 weeks, my sister and her family have been visiting. We eagerly anticipated their arrival since it'll be fun for our kids to have people their own age to play with. All the kids are exactly 1 year apart from the next one, so with five kids under 6 in the house, it made for some fun (and very loud) times. Generally, we took them to all of our favourite places:

Pa'ia for surfer watching, lunch and gelato
Launiopoko Park for surfing and kid play in the lagoon.
Our favourite beaches - Keawakapu, Wailea & of course, our own Charley Young
Lava fields south of Makena
Costco and WalMart
Entertainment at the Shops at Wailea

So all in all, we had a great time. They all learned to boogie board and body surf (including the kids) and us parents had a relaxing time sitting back watching the kids body surf in the waves. The weather was pretty good for the 2 weeks. We had a few days of rain and a few days of high surf - but overall, sunny and warm. And now, after many long hours back to Toronto, they are back home and we are here at home in our little house.

Speaking of home, that is where we are headed in 3.5 weeks. Yes, we return "home" on February 26. Are we ready? The simple answer is - no. To tell you the truth, Kihei and Maui has become home for us. I know it's hard to feel sorry for us, but going back to Vancouver is going to be a big culture shock. Our lives here have been all about family, friends and living outdoors - being in the sun, the sand and the ocean. Watching the waves and the whales. Watching each other grow and learn new things. Wearing shoes that have no sides or tops. Living in our swim suits. Omnipresent sand in our hair and in our house. Letting people in front of us in line at the grocery store when they only have 2 items and we have a full cart. Other drivers waving us through if we're waiting to turn. Smiles from strangers and abounding aloha spirit.

This trip has really meant finding a new home, one that is temporary but still home because of how we feel and experience it. We're truly sad at the thought of returning and missing the many things that have made this a new home. However, we have promised ourselves that we won't stray too far from what this home has taught us - that our work needs to be flexible, that a sunset bbq dinner on the beach should happen weekly, and that Friday mornings should be spent at the playground and Sunday afternoons should be spent hiking through natural places. That we really don't need as much money as we thought we did. That stuff is really quite unimportant. That children should play with other children and not their parents. That all four of us are capable of things I never thought possible.

All of these things, we've promised to remember and take from this home to our Vancouver home. In three and a half weeks. And until then, we'll continue to take in the wonder and experience that is this "home".

Taking this week off...

2009-01-25T19:58:00.003-10:00

Yep, I'm on vacation from my vacation - and I'm going to leave this week with no new entry. Have a great week and I'll be back next Sunday for sure...

Visiting...

2009-01-19T20:25:00.007-10:00

This week, we've been pretty active - socially speaking, that is...

January is a busy tourist month on Maui, partly due to the PGA Tournament that kicks off their season that is held annually at Kapalua. Neil headed up there on Sunday for the final round and was able to escape the rain that had been plaguing the weekend. I asked him to keep an eye out for a couple people I knew would be there, but he didn't see anyone.

On Wednesday, we headed up to Ka'anapali to visit Kara, Sean and their baby Hailey. They are here for a week with their parents to celebrate their 10th anniversary. We hung out at their pool and then went for dinner in Lahaina.

We had heard from Brian & Christine, (I worked with Brian at Nielsen) and we made plans for them to come to dinner on Thursday night. They come every year and we were quite glad they were able to track us down and come for dinner. We sat on the lanai and chatted about all things Maui and what the hell we're going to do when we get home. (BTW, we still have very few ideas - but we'll keep you posted). They were great guests, bringing wine and compliments on my cooking - what else can a hostess ask for!?

Then after they left, I went to the airport to pick up my family. They arrived after a harrowing day of travel from Toronto. With 3 kids 5 and under - they are brave souls and expert parents. They arrived tired but fine and after a bit of adjustment, all 5 kids are having the greatest time playing in the waves and most importantly with each other.

Speaking of waves - this past weekend has had some crazy big ones. A cold front moved in and with it brought cooler nighttime weather (after we told guests not to bother with long sleeves!) and huge surf on the south side. It's calmed down now, but it sure was hard telling the kids not to go in the water.

Then today we had Kara, Sean and the crew over for dinner while they were on their way out to the airport. They're all good people, and we felt bad knowing they were getting on a red-eye with an 8 month-old. Good Luck!

So all in all, it's been a social week, and fun, and we're looking forward to more fun as the warmer weather returns with calmer surf. And now, I'll lay me down to sleep, and it's only 8:30pm, since for some reason I seem to have a knack of picking up colds/flus. This one is making me achey and cold with a strong desire for a lot of drugs. Nighty, night - and I'll look forward to more visiting tomorrow...

Whale Watching

2009-01-13T20:31:00.003-10:00

So the whales are here. Every year blue whales end up in Hawaii and you can watch them from the beach, a restaurant or your own lanai (patio). It's truly amazing, and I'm addicted to my binoculars. We always eat on our lanai and the binoculars are always there to catch glimpses of spray, tails or bodies glinting in the sunshine. Pretty much all of our adventures this week involved whales in some way or another...

So, sadly, Karilyn and Graham made their way home last week. But not after some action at the airport. Their overnight flight to Kona, Seattle and then on to Victoria went mechanical and 9 hours later after sitting in the airport making friends (as only K&G could do under these circumstances), the airline shipped them off to the Maui Prince Hotel in Wailea. So they had another day in paradise, sitting by their luxurious pool, sipping pina coladas and being treated to what seemed like their own private whale show right off their ocean-facing lanai. (And yes, as a matter of fact, we did crash their pool.) They were able to ship off that night with no incident, and made it home safely.

So the next week we had to ourselves, before my sister and her family arrives. It was weird at first, the house seemed so empty! But we made sure we got out of it and headed out for some great picnics in some of our favourite spots. The first spot was for lunch at Launiopoko Park, just south of Lahaina, which is a good beginner surfing spot and has a great little lagoon for the chitlins. So after lunch, as Neil surfed (my ribs are still too sore to lay on the board to paddle), and the girls played with new-found friends in the water, I watched the ocean. And not 100 yards from shore, a mom and baby whale were playing around. And then, just as people were pulling over off the highway and everyone at the beach was taking pictures, they breached (came right up out of the water), putting on the most spectacular display I've ever witnessed. Truly one of the highlights of this trip.

A couple days later we headed to Makena Landing, an awesome cove quietly tucked away, we set up a bbq dinner and went for a little swim before cooking up our smokies. And as the sun went down in a pink and blue sea of light behind the empty island of Kaho'olawe, we kept our eyes on the ocean, which intermittently erupted in spray as the blue whales also said goodnight to the sun.

And now we are awaiting the arrival of my family. It'll be loud with five kids 5 and under; but ridiculously fun, as we watch our nephews and niece (and sister and brother in law) learn to boogie board, negotiate the waves and build some awesome sand structures. And, most wonderfully, through their eyes, see the whales and Maui for the first time...

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T21:54:00.006-10:00

So, I am not sure what my problem is, but I am a little uninspired to write lately. It could be that I feel that our life here has now become "routine" and "average", so I am less inclined to write about it. What more can I write about? We get up, have breakfast, go swimming, surfing or boogie boarding, have lunch, have drinks, eat dinner, go to bed. So, to help me get over my writer's block, I'll lay out the events of the past few weeks in true Nielsen fashion - bullet points, (it's hard to get over what was 10 years of one's life):

Christmas - was so fun. As you'll see from the pictures, Taylor and Alex awoke to find that Santa had indeed found our house, even without a real tree and a fireplace (as Taylor nervously asked the night before). This Christmas was very simple, with small gifts to each other (which in many cases had been picked out by the receiver). But we had an awesome roast dinner with our family and swam on Christmas Day. Really, what else could we ask for?
New Years - was alright as well. Okay, so we celebrated it at PST (10pm here), but on Maui, fireworks are the norm and our $34 package from Costco did not disappoint. (That same package would have easily cost $200 at home). The kids loved it and Graham and Neil had a lot of fun setting things on fire and watching them blow up.
Spanish - it's coming along! I have completed almost 25 lessons (I'm a little behind where I wanted to be), but I think I have all the basics. I just need to expand my vocabulary a little and think a little faster on my feet. Neil always knows when some Spanish speaking people are near that I will be eavesdropping, trying to understand what they are saying...
Cracked my ribs - nope not falling off my surfboard or getting barrelled - but picking up kids toys out of the tub, slipping and crashing into the side of the tub. So for the past 2 weeks, I've been waiting for them to get better, doing yoga poorly and trying to stay off the boogie board (which is really hard, and inevitably I end up more sore than I was. How do I know they're cracked? Well, it's been 2 weeks, they're not better and it still hurts to breathe deeply. So, surfing is on hold for now since it hurts to lie down on my stomach, which makes paddling impossible.
Reading - way too much. To the point that I am up late finishing novels because I can't put them down. I can't even tell you how many books I've read this trip - 10 maybe? Some fine, some excellent. Most recent reads that I can remember - Back Roads, The Beach House, The Pilot's Wife. Reading (and fiction) has always been a huge part of my life which has seen little indulgence over the past 5 years. So now, I feed this passion when the house is quiet and everyone else is sleeping. Hell, I'll sleep when I'm old, right?

So, I'll sign off this week, saying Happy New Year - with the hopes that 2009 brings you love, peace and good fortune...

Uninspired...

2008-12-31T20:20:00.003-10:00

...or no time? I haven't quite figured it out. It can't be a lack of time, since I do have lots. So I must be uninspired to write...

My apologies to those of you who have come looking for this week's update, I promise I will write again next Sunday. Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve and see you next year...

The Road to Kihei

2008-12-21T21:40:00.006-10:00

This week, we were able to do something new. Something we've never done before. And really, this is a big part of this trip. Doing things we've never done before. Like a quick 180 on a boogie board. Or speaking another language. Or decorating a fabric Christmas tree. This week, we traded in our beater Corolla for a beater Jeep and headed out on a little adventure.

The road to Hana is well travelled by virtually everyone who comes to Maui. Maui`s circumference is traced by basically one road that hugs the shoreline, all the way around (except for the very south west), and a few roads that head up Haleakala (the old volcano). The road to Hana starts in Kahului (the big city) and heads east past Pa'ia on a winding road full of ocean vistas and waterfalls too numerous to count or stop for. We've actually done this trip before, many years ago. The eastern side of the island is a rainforest and the greenness and freshness of the landscape is breathtaking. The general idea is that you pick up a boxed lunch in Pa'ia, put in a audio tour cd in the car stereo, pop a Gravol and start driving. When you get to Hana, you have lunch at Hana Bay, then turn around and come home the way you came. All in all, it's a day trip. But this time, our goal was not the drive to Hana, but the trek home around the other side, past Hana. So we decided to stop first at Ho'okipa where the Billabong Triple Crown of surfing was relocated to from Honolua Bay and take in some world class surfing. We then kinda blew by the many waterfalls on the way to Hana, stopping at places we haven't seen before. We got to Hana in mid afternoon, dropped our stuff at the small studio we had rented (very basic but right on Hana Bay) and checked out parts of Hana we haven't seen before like Hamoa Beach, where the waves are teal shade of gray and come in fast and furious. We generally like Hana. It's old, curious and has a charm that is untouched by typical tourist areas like the one we live in. However, this "charm" also means that there is no-where to eat! There are 3 places, a bayside burger shack that closes at 4. A restaurant touted as the worst on the island that closes at 7 and the ultra expensive hotel. So, we went to the hotel, but ate at the bar, where our $18 burger and $15 caesar salad filled us enough to go back to our little room and sleep.

The next morning began the real part of this trip. We got up early to watch an amazing sunrise with no other soul on the beach. We see sunrises here, but they come up over the mountain, about 30 minutes later. This one was right out of the ocean. We then got ready, packed up and went looking for food. But unfortunately the only place to eat breakfast was the expensive hotel, where $19 bacon and eggs wasn't really turning us on. So we grabbed some yogurt, coffee and banana bread at the local general store (where chili dogs were cooking and being bought) and headed out. Our first stop was the Ohe'o Gulch - part of the national park of Haleakala and hiked around a bit. We really wanted to swim at the 7 Sacred Pools, but they were closed due to high water levels. So we carried on the bumpy, unpaved one lane road full of blind hairpin turns and watched the rainforest turn back to grassland and desert. The ocean is always on the left and the mountain on your right. In a lot of areas if you lean too far out the passenger window and you`ll scrape your arm on the 100 foot high rock face. Look out too far on the drivers side and you`ll get vertigo from staring down hundreds of feet to the ocean. A term that Alex uses `Dat carey`was used by us a lot! Our favourite part was putting the Jeep in 4WD, offroading to a deserted beach area and checking it out. As we carried on, and made it back to smooth pavement, we passed people coming the other way (to Hana) in their normal rental cars and thinking to ourselves that they were in for some major surprises. The road to Hana from the north is nothing compared to that back road, and a truck or jeep is I think necessary.

The road doesn`t hug the ocean the whole way. Instead it snakes up the mountain to Kula - which is directly above Kihei and then down again heading north to Kahului, where you double back to Kihei. So the Road to Hana for us, was really all about a road back home to Kihei. It wasn`t the destination but the trip itself. Which funnily enough, is exactly what this whole mini-retirement is all about.

General Badness

2008-12-15T14:10:00.006-10:00

You know, this week has been a little rough?

Big Boo-Boo's - it was bound to happen. I love the waves, and I respect the ocean. As I wrote last week, I sit and watch and wait for the waves. It's one of my favourite parts of this little journey. The other day, there was no waiting - simply since the waves were so big on the south shore. So, while Neil played it safe boogie boarding in the run up - I paddled out to the big ones with the boogie board and make some rather successful attempts at riding them. They were so big and powerful (well for me), that catching them, dropping a knee and riding them through the tube were easily achievable. And then it happened. I paddled out to the next one, thinking "oh yah!!!". I turned, caught it and realized that I was about a foot too far in front of it. And these shore-break waves are pretty powerful. I was perched on top staring down at the trough while it proceeded to drop me about 5 feet right into the washing machine that is the break. So at the end of this not-so-gentle cycle, I've got beach-rash under my chin about 1.5 inches long and a slightly torqued knee. But it looks worse than it is. My knee is fine, nothing a bit of TLC during intense yoga poses won't cure; and my chin makes for some great embellished stories to those who ask...

Cold - on Maui? Yes, we all have them. In some form or another. Graham and I have sinus pain and headaches. Taylor has a dry cough and Alex regularly asks for medicine. Karilyn and Neil are fairly healthy, but not 100%. Nothing like being hot with a cold.

Unprecedented Rain - earlier this week, we had the biggest rain storms and state-wide flash flooding. It rained hard and solid for about 36 hours. And not just light Vancouver-style rain. Huge raindrops that unrelentlessly pelt you into submission of staying inside. It was so dark and the thunder and lightning were intense. But what did we do? We stayed inside all day, listened to Christmas songs and decorated our tree. A green cotton cut-out decorated with ornaments we all crafted together with pipe cleaners, construction paper and beads. And as we sipped our rum and eggnog, we were thankful for this excuse to stay inside - instilling a reminscence of home at this time of year.

Sitting, Watching, Waiting

2008-12-07T21:40:00.008-10:00

We go to the beach almost every day. When you're at the beach, you are always doing one of the following: sitting, watching & waiting. I'll give you some examples from this week:

Tuesday: With our whole family, we head down to one of our most visited beaches - Wailea. Aaah, Wailea, where the sand is raked every morning, where the gentle waves hit the shore with a measured evenness and where the smell of money wafts in the air like that of freshly baked bread. We like to hang out there and pretend we're one of the privileged lot. And as we sit on the warm, even sand, we watch the kids play in the run-up and wait for the time when we spell each other off to take a boogie board and go for some exercise by paddling across the bay.

Thursday: Neil and I head down to the Cove to surf. We rented a second board from the Surf Shack - an 11' hard top. Given that the waves were small and it was high tide, we'd have better luck catching some waves with a bigger board. So, we paddle out, turn the boards around, straddle them and sit. Sit on the board, watch the ocean and wait for a wave. Sitting up gives a little break from lying down as you bob in the swells and watch. Watching the horizon in the early morning while the ocean is still, the air is fresh and the West Maui mountains glow as the rising sun hits them almost horizontally. And waiting. Waiting for that perfect wave. That wave that is big enough to pick you up; that breaks at just the right time; that makes that perfect rushing sound as you summon your balance to stand; that carries you as far as you let it; and then jump (or fall) off as it travels on beneath you, leaving you behind on its trek onward to shore.

Sunday: We made this trip to the beach a little different. Normally we go in the morning, when the ocean is calmer and it isn't too hot. But today, we waited till later in the day and packed up boogie boards, changes of clothes, dinner, hibachi and lawn chairs and headed to Kama'ole Beach 3. Weekends are quite busy at the beach - much like Vancouver, people make it a point to enjoy the beach, spending the whole day there with food, family and friends. So after some swimming, we set up our camp on a grassy little hill, ate some BBQ'd dogs and played catch with the kids. And then, we sat on our lawn chairs, and watched the pinks and oranges turn slowly to blues and blacks, and waited - well actually, we waited for nothing. We just sat, and watched.

So, as we wrap up this week, I realize that I shouldn't waste time waiting. Unless of course, it's for a wave.

Little Luxuries

2008-11-30T19:23:00.007-10:00

This week, we have been relatively busy. On Monday our friends moved into their condo that they rented here in Kihei and Neil's parents arrived. We've celebrated by having veritable parties at our place and theirs - either impromptu lunches or planned dinners. We did have a very traditional Thanksgiving dinner of rum, grilled steak and pumpkin pie.

Throughout the week we enjoyed the small luxuries of adult time. Our friends attempted to get Neil to overcome his pseudo-claustrophobia and try snorkelling. Any time we've been here, we haven't really tried it, inadvertent swimming with honu (sea turtles) and fish is as close as we've gotten. We just weren't all that interested in what was underneath. But Neil tried it, and loved it, he couldn't stop talking about it, got on the internet later to research what he saw. But a day later, when the boys had their free morning out (sans kids), and they went again - Neil's idiosyncrasy returned and he swam while our friend snorkelled. Hey, he doesn't have anything else that is weird, so I'm pretty happy to accept a snorkelling-aversion. Wednesday morning was the girls' turn to have some time alone and we hit my yoga class with breakfast after and met up with the rest of the family for a swim at their pool.

On Saturday, Neil's parents generously offered to look after all four kids and us adults took off for a day of exploring. We were actually a little torn on what part of the island to check out on our free day. Surf forecast for the north shore was '15 plus, plus'. Which means that the wave faces are expected to be at least 15 feet, but they don't really know. We were intrigued to check out Jaws - massive waves that hit Maui's north shore. Check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nS_aR8XX_U&feature=related. But you never know what will be happening, so after a brief Starbucks visit we headed up to West Maui to check out some sights we've never seen. We've spent a lot of time on the north shore, so we took our chances at missing Jaws this time. Our first stop was the Dragon's Teeth, an odd lava formation at the end of a point near Kapalua. A quick lunch at the Honolua General Store and we were on our way to check out the surfers at Honolua Bay and carry on to the Nakalele Blowhole. The blowhole was awesome - a 40 inch hole with a massive cavern underneath where waves crash in. When they do, water and spray pump from 3 to 60 feet high. When we were there, the highest was about 40 feet - and the ground shakes beneath your feet. Way cool. As we headed home, we called ahead to say when we'd arrive and were told to stay away, and have more fun - so..... we hit a bar! Ate nachos and drank cheap happy hour drinks. Came home to happy kids and happy but tired grandparents and we thank them still for the luxury of a day away with good friends, cool sights and no talk of children.

And now we come to the end of this week. Our friends leave tomorrow and we will miss them terribly - we've gotten used to having them around! But as Taylor put it tonight at dinner - "It's okay, we have lots more people coming to visit us!" Which is true - we just got word this week from another friend that they're coming in February.

So let me wrap up by remembering that our family of four was our only company for the past 2 months - and for the past week we were surrounded by 6 additional people that we know well, love and like to be with. And it is indeed a luxury to have family and friends who fit into all three of the above categories.

Losing Track

2008-11-23T20:25:00.011-10:00

Week #8... I think. In Week #2, I wrote about getting in a groove. In Week #8, I speak of losing track. Honestly, I am starting to lose track of time, dates and general happenings in rest of the world. For example, did you know that Jennifer Aniston (39) is back with John Mayer (32)? According to him, "she just gets him". Women-who-appreciate-younger-men around the world, rejoice! (FYI - Neil is almost 3 years younger than me).

The only thing we do keep track of is gas prices, exchange rates & surf reports. As gas goes down (good thing), the dollar does too (bad thing) and wave size mitigates both. And since I've been waxing poetic and philosphic about our little time away here, I thought I should lighten up a bit and actually tell you what we've been up to.

The beginning of the week saw us venture out in a veritable hurricane to check out a beginner surf area in West Maui south of Lahaina. The four of us pile into the car after my yoga class, when experienced surfers would be thinking the wind was too big and the waves too small. Strapped onto the car is our new, old surfboard and strapped into the car are our little children. While I passed out the lunch, Neil paddled out to the waves. Then, we switched. It'd be nice if we could surf together, but for now we have to take turns. So, basically the waves were okay, small enough not to scare us, but big enough to get up on. Well, if one knew how to surf, one could get up on them. Me? I did get to my knees. Which, on checking with experienced surfers is generally how one learns. Neil did better, got to a squat, which was an improvement over last time. So a bruised knee, a few expletives and many rubouts later, I packed it in, but was not so disappointed that I won't do it again, and again, and again. Neil and I agreed on the drive home, that one should not try surfing for the first time on the 12 foot foam boards. It contributes to the highly deluded belief that one was made to surf, even born to do it, since "it is so easy!" Yah right. It's (expletive) hard, and because it is, makes one even want to do it even (expletive) more.

So a couple days later, (I think), we get ready for another first. The arrival of friends! People to talk to, playmates for our children. We had lost track of what it was like to spend time with people other than our family! They're here for a few days with us, then move on to their own condo. They're awesome to have around, great houseguests, but we're pretty sure they'll enjoy the peace and quiet of their own vacation rental, replete with pool. And, we're excited too, since that means we can visit and go swimming without washing handfuls of granules from our most private parts. We've had a great time with them so far - the first day was spent at the beach frolicking in the omnipresent sun. The second day, it rained in the morning. The first rain since we got here (except for that one little early morning shower a few weeks ago). And it rained before lunch. We ventured out anyway, hoping Lahaina would be drier. But we were forced to eat our picnic lunch under the awning of an empty shop on Front Street while the rain poured down. We were soaked, and got home and checked the weather forecast while it rained all evening. "Rain tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, the day after that". Seems the trade winds had died away and there was some sort of system that was causing flash flood warnings state-wide. Man, did we ever feel bad for our friends. We're here for 5 months, but when you go on a tropical vacation for 2 weeks, you want sun! We were a little dejected last night, trying to make them and ourselves feel better. But then - we woke up this morning to clearing skies and calm waters. So, of course - we headed to the beach! Key Learning: Don't bother with weather forecasts.

And so we come to the end of this week. Tomorrow our friends will move on to their spot and we'll pick up Neil's parents at the airport for the start of their 6 week tour of duty with us. And thanks to this tour, Neil and I will be able to rediscover the track of time well spent with each other.

Changes

2008-11-16T21:46:00.000-10:00

With 10 days to ourselves in between the visits of friends and family, we've taken this week to do fun stuff just the four of us. And with this time to watch and reflect - I have to say I've noticed a few changes from the people we were before we got here.

They grow up so fast - One of the biggest changes we've noticed has been in our children. First off, Taylor can now swim in and ride waves. We're pretty impressed. She's always been more on the cautious side, but in the water - she's completely at home. She treads water, can get her butt up to actually propel herself forward and just this week started playing in the waves and run-up. Alex also loves the water. She wears underwear now (most of the time) and as you parents all know, that is a huge source of happiness and pride for us all. But the biggest change in our kids is the way they play together. We're not sure if it's the fact that Alex can now communicate and play better or if they're so bored without other kids that they have turned to each other out of sheer desperation. But who cares. They play together so well, making up elaborate games, chasing each other, and saying "oh honey" when one falls down. It is truly amazing to see. It's not all roses though, they fight often, with either one or both ending up in the naughty chair. But the level of interaction, conversation and depth of play is quite remarkable and worth the intermittent rows.

Appearance - I haven't worn the same clothes this many times since - well, since never. Each of us has the equivalent of 1 or 2 dresser drawers of clothes. And like on every trip, we have worn half of them. I haven't styled my hair once, and wear hardly any makeup. But the funny thing is that I don't really care. And for those who know me, and how I'm quite girly, this is surprising news indeed. Obviously for all of us, our skin is darker and our hair lighter. Taylor & Alex's clothes are too little and Neil's and mine are too big. And then, on one of our drives to somewhere, I look over at Neil; and see an easy smile on his tanned, stubbly face with his long, kind of wild hair blowing in the breeze of the open window, and I'm reaffirmed that this trip was the absolute right thing to do.

Assets - As I've stated before, we can't afford to buy much. But we did add to our board collection. A 9' Rusty - glass, single-stringer with a bag whose zipper doesn't do up all the way. Bought it cheap from a guy who spends a lot of time on Maui, lives in Whistler and for some reason is able to work in the US (we didn't ask any more). He is moving back to BC with his young family, so had to offload some stuff. We were pretty proud, strapping to the roof of our Corolla and driving home, checking half way to make sure the straps were holding the board down on the 2 pool noodles we are using as a roof rack. (Hey - my yoga teacher loaned us the straps and told us noodles make good roof racks). Neil even took it out for a paddle the day after. Let's just say it's a lot different than the foam picnic table that we learned on. But tomorrow we're packing up the kids, heading up Lahaina-way, gonna pull over in a remote spot with 2 foot rollers and just try to stand up. We're quickly getting the idea that surfing has got a massive steep learning curve. Especially when you're on a real board.

The 7 (well, 3) Deadly Sins - Desperate times call for desperate measures. Would I do this at home? No, but here.... Sin #1 - Drink. Our days start with Baileys coffee. Then sometime after noon (we do wait till noon), we crack some sort of beverage. It could be a beer, pina colada, sangria, wine, rum & ginger or mai-tai. But it's not like we're drunk all the time. Just maybe slightly tipsy. Sin #2 - Theft. We are stealing wireless internet signals from our neighbours so we don't have to pay for our own router and service. And.. we're downloading tv shows and movies galore from thepiratebay.com. Sin #3 - Sloth. Most days, we don't make the bed, or plan meals, or pick up after ourselves. And a lot of times, I read a book or take a nap instead of doing those things that I would normally be doing at home. At least I don't look like myself. And I'll be a better person back in BC, I promise...

So... we've changed a little. But just a little. And I'm sure things will get back to normal when we get back to BC. Mind you after this, we might have to question just what normal is.

As we grow older, the horizon begins to fade away

2008-11-08T21:27:00.022-10:00

As I mentioned before, many people now ask where we live, not where we're from. It's still a cool feeling, I'll admit. But we do, of course, meet other vacationers and we make small talk, like on Wednesday nights when we hit the local mall to watch the free musicians/hula dancers. We met the father of a young family from Port Moody BC, who is going through all the same stresses and life experiences that we have gone through in the past five years, and our conversation with him is the inspiration for this entry.

While the small talk ensues (with whomever we might be chatting), they are nodding, anticipating our answer to the standard small talk question of "How long are you here"; and we say 6 months, they do a rather exaggerated double-take. The subsequent facial reactions to our reasons for doing it range the spectrum from incredulous, doubtful staring to a knowing, admiring smile. It's the people that do the latter, that get it.

The "get-it" refers to those who know that this decision had very little to do with sitting and relaxing on a beach drinking rum (not to say that we don't do that). And now, with 6 weeks into this excursion, I can't say that I haven't thought about money issues and possible loss of position in my career. The plummeting Canadian dollar, world market freefalls and recent layoffs in my old company made me do a more subtle double-take. But a few minutes later, I shook my head and remembered the purpose to doing this...

To reconnect with my partner, my children and myself.

Anyone who has a job, kids, spouse, friends knows that the minutiae of life often gets in the way of that feeling of connectedness. Those profound times that you remember you had when you were younger, greener, when there was so much to learn; moments that one just doesn't seem to have so often anymore. So, at the risk of sounding flaky, either to our friends or strangers, the re-discovery of those connections is the reason we did this.

I'm not putting myself out there as some sort of model for the way to live life. I know I've mucked up situations in my life many times, and I may very well be doing that again now. However, if by talking about our reasons behind our very small adventures, it inspires even this one person in a Wailea mall to make a profound change in their life, then I'd be pretty damn happy. And the world would be a happier place for it, too. Some of you know that the title of this post quotes a local, by the name of Jack Johnson. When I first heard this song, we had already made our decision to do this, but listening to the lyrics in that song cements it to this day.

I'm 99% sure that the money and position-in-life issues will be looked after - somehow. And it's not like we've simply thrown our future to the fates. As many of you know, we're rather pragmatic, anal-retentive, planners by nature. We did and continue to do things to help this adventure happen. And at the end of the day, for the people that had that incredulous, doubtful stare - I think it's those things that they're curious about. For them, maybe I'll write another blog or book or something on that part - the nuts and bolts of taking your young, average, middle-class family on a mini-retirement. The mini-retirement being somewhere between the annual-trip-to-somewhere-warm-with-a-pool and vagabonding. It's attainable; it takes a bit of planning, some room on a line of credit and a willingness to take a chance.

To quote another song, please don't let me be misunderstood. I know that there's a whole lot of folks who are in absolutely no position to do this. I'm not so egobound that I don't recognize that, and I am most thankful for the good fortune in my life. But for the middle class folks that I meet here or at home, it is possible. Possible to reconnect with that same feeling we had when we were young, or that we normally reserve for 2 weeks out of a year. And then, when we go home, we won't let the horizon fade away.

Childcare - anyone? Please???

2008-11-02T18:57:00.001-10:00

A friend recently teased me because I said Hawai'i like Hawai (stop) ee. The matter of fact is that the glottal stop is one of the main rules in the language. And me, being the perfectionist that I am (and right now, particularly in tune with languages) am trying to pronounce Hawaiian words the correct way. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian language, 5 vowels and 7 consonants. Like Spanish, Hawaiian vowels are always pronounced the same way and separately. You don't blend them like in english (e.g. weather). And the apostrophe denotes a glottal stop, like when we say "uh-oh". I don't sound like kama'aina, but I'm trying...

This past week has been rather quiet. Once I got sunned, salted and sanded after my trip back to Vancouver, I was all healed and ready to take on the next four months. It's so funny, after going back to Vancouver, I felt like I'd been away for so long (it had been a little less than 4 weeks), but my return to Maui felt like the real start to this min-retirement, knowing that I have four months now until I return.

My dad arrived on Tuesday after his long trip from YVR to LAX to OGG. He was alright, I was pretty impressed. We have taken him around to our favourite spots, Big Beach (where we couldn't swim with either him or the kids, due to awesome huge waves), Pa'ia & Ho-okipa (where my dad asked me in front of many tourists if I ever surf there - I love him for that), Lahaina & down to the lava fields south of Makena. The trip to Lahaina was quite funny, we got all dressed up for Halloween, the three adults were pirates and the girls were fairies. We did fit right in at the biggest Halloween party on Maui (and possibly Hawai'i). The highlight of Neil's night was seeing a supermodel dressed as some sort of sexy bunny and mine was a man dressed in a leather penis holder. Nothing else, just a leather penis holder. Not really sure what he was trying to be, but hey, how often do you get to see a man wearing a leather penis holder???

The week has been pretty quiet, I think my dad is quite amazed that we pretty much don't do much except go to the beach and drink. But without childcare, we can't really do too much. After one month, Neil and I are feeling this very strong need to "escape" our children. Please, don't get us wrong, we love our children more than anything. But we're really tired of them. And just between us adults, I think they're tired of us too. Okay, correction, we're not tired of them, we just need a little break for some couple-time. You know, nothing fancy, a walk, a coffee, some surfing or boogie boarding. Ooooooh, or how about getting drunk together at the local pub and stumbling home, or a morning hike in the crater, or scrabbling on all fours along black lava to a massive blowhole or a really long road trip where you drive with coffee's in your hands, snack whenever you want on whatever you want and pull over to take a hike inland to a really cool waterfall... Okay, for all you non-parents out there, you're thinking "just do it and bring them!" But for all the parents out there, we know you feel our pain. There's just so many awesome things to do here and our kids are just a little too little to do them all with us. We don't want them to get hurt or even worse, whine at us...

But - it's only 4 more weeks till Neil's parents come and I think we've told them (and any other house guest) that the only charge for this hotel is that you have to take on a bit of childcare. They're awesome and we know we'll have some alone time when they come. But in the meantime, our surfboards will have to collect a little more sand instead of salt, unless we can find someone else to look after these rugrats.

So, the moral of this story is this and I'm not sure how many parents will tell you this. Kids are a loud, highly irritating encumbrance. But I'd take that pain over any fleeting moment of drunkeness, gorgeous vistas or adrenaline. The End.

Math, An October Horror & A Very Happy Day

2008-10-29T20:14:00.001-10:00

This past week has been rather eventful but not necessarily because I've been on Maui. Last week we did our regular stuff, you know beach, wave riding & picnics in beautiful locales. I know, I know, you're tired of hearing about it. We did take the kids to a local playgroup which was fun for them and a good outing for me. On Wednesday night (at midnight), I took off to the airport to get on a plane to go back to Vancouver for Lynn and Jonathan's wedding. You know what's funny? Many people assume that because we're doing this, that we have somehow become independently wealthy. But the funny thing is that this has been a total exercise in restraint. We don't eat out, we drink in and everything we do is free (or very close to it). So, in trying to get to the airport, normally we wouldn't think twice about calling a $40 cab. But, at 10:30pm, we wake the kids, pack them in the car and head out for the hour travel that Neil will have to do to get me to the airport. (total savings = $37) I'm off just fine, but man it was a long flight in which I did NOT sleep, but also brought food with me, so I didn't have to buy any food on the plane (total savings = $10)

I arrived in Vancouver at 8:30am and Lynn picked me up at the airport to drive me to my old work (total savings = $15). I visited with my friends there. It was really great seeing them all again, however the office is a little gloomy (no, not because I'm not there), but because Nielsen has been going through some pretty major lay offs and it hasn't done much for morale or motivation around there. While no-one in the Vancouver office was affected, it has affected a lot of friends/colleagues from Toronto and it's pretty harsh to say the least. Some even surmised that me quitting likely saved a lay off in our little office. Not too sure about that - but I'll leave this whole subject by saying that I hate that often the control in people's lives are subject to the whims of corporate bullshit. Sooooo, anyway.... around noon I started to realize how much I needed food and sleep, so headed home for a little of both. And of course, took the bus home. (total savings = $30).

The next day I made my way into Richmond via bus (total savings = $25) and met up with Lara and her beautiful 3 month old son. We spent the afternoon chatting and doing the centrepieces and floral decor for Lynn's wedding. We then made our way over to Lynn & Jonathan's for an evening of out-of-town friends & family and a little too much wine. (total savings on not having to buy dinner, drinks or cab ride home thanks to Robyn? = $100).

The morning of the wedding saw me lounging in bed nursing a very tiny hangover. I packed up my things, and headed into Vancouver after patting Buddy good bye. (total savings by taking the bus = $50). I was meeting up with Robyn again to do some stuff for Lynn, like picking up the cake and making sure that Lynn's 98 year old, very remarkable cousin Bruce got to the wedding. I stopped at Chapters to grab a coffee and some lunch and while I was waiting for Robyn to pick me up, the most disturbing and horrifying thing happened. You know how you automatically assume that pigeons will move when they're on the road? Well, they don't. And one very unfortunate girl bird was most horribly squashed not 5 feet in front of me. It was terrifyingly sad, especially because her friend/partner fluttered away momentarily and came back to find her after it happened. A really harsh October moment, it must be the advent of Hallowe'en. But I have to say, that image and sound of (well, I won't describe it here) has stuck with me since then.But then, I was picked up and proceeded to have the MOST amazing time at a MOST amazing wedding of my MOST amazing friend. Lynn was gorgeous, Jonathan was handsome and everyone there was fun and super nice. We actually tried to go out after, and when we got to the karaoke place, only then did I realize that it was 2:30, not 11:30. Yes, Lynn, that tequila did a lot of us in...

Sunday morning saw me awake after only 3 hours of sleep at Lynn & Jonathan's and head out for 14 hours of travel back to Maui. (Total savings by staying at their place = $20). I'm home with my loves now, - I really did miss them - and have heard all about their adventures to the Harvest Festival, the beach and farmers markets, four days replete with the simple things that make life awesome.I'll be sure to get some pictures up as soon as I can. Unfortunately I had left my camera on Maui and must rely on friends of friends to send along pix of the wedding.

So, I'll leave you with some math:

Total cost to get to Vancouver from Maui and back by booking on points = $140

Total savings by remembering how to live like a student = $262.

A long weekend watching the best friend a girl could ask for get married = priceless.

New Zealand Storms

2008-10-19T20:27:00.003-10:00

Okay, so what events have befallen us this week? Well, it all seems like so long ago, but I'll do my best to remember. This week we have made it a point to get out and do some new stuff. On Monday, we went for a picnic at one of my favourite spots on the island. Where the road turns to gravel and black lava flows from eons past meet aquamarine in a violent crash of foam (that was for you, Karilyn). Near La Perouse, the beaches stop and the ocean is right there. Stopped to watch the fishermen and eat our lunch and got some nice pictures of us, then took the kids into the tide pools to point out the small fishes and crabs.

Tuesday saw Neil hook up with Micha, a rather attractive girl (his surf instructor!), who taught him the basics of surfing at the Cove, a great spot to surf near our house. He did great! Was up most times and from what we could see, looked to be a natural. The Cove is a great spot for people to learn surfing, reefs aren't too sharp and the waves range from 1-4 feet and come in nice, even sets.

Wednesday, Michelle hit her on-the-beach yoga class. We are meeting some pretty cool people. Meg, the instructor is a pretty awesome wahine, she was just selected to do a leg of the Hokule'a - a traditional 12-person Hawaiian canoe that will circumnavigate the globe for 3 years using only the stars, wind and animals to navigate (the way that Polynesian cultures used to get around hundreds of years ago).Then Wednesday afternoon we were headed up to Kahului (the main town) to the farmers market and the van we rented overheated. We did make it back home, but that highway is pretty remote and we were a little nervous. So, we spent the rest of the day figuring out what to do since the van was a private rental from the guy who owns the house. We decided to go with a local company who rents out VERY Maui cars. So our new ride is a 2000 Toyota Corolla with what appears to be a shark bite in it. Man, it is one sweet ride, but we DEFINITELY look like locals now. We even get waved ahead when making turns. Hey, it has A/C and it gets us around and it's cheap, so what else can we ask for? Plus the company is really great and they'll come and get us if we do happen to break down.

On Thursday, I had my turn at surfing, and yes, I am officially addicted. I did aw-ite! It's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be, the pop (getting up), and the stance is pretty easy, but it's the catching that is the hardest. And man, you almost don't want to ride that wave too far, cuz then you know you have to paddle back out! And paddling is killer on the old shoulders. We were pretty sore, mostly from doing a bunch of push ups and a few little scratches from rocks here and there. My surf instructor was also quite hot - I ended up with a private lesson, even though I paid for a group one since no-one else had signed up (business all over Maui is pretty slow right now). Corey (doesn't that just sound like the cute guy from high school?), was a great instructor and a nice guy (who also knows Meg, the yoga instructor). So our next step is to go down to the local surf shop and set up a deal where we can either buy a used longboard (likely 10 feet), that we can keep there to surf the Cove.

Friday saw us itching for more surfing, so we headed up past Pa'ia to Ho'okipa to watch the locals surf. This is where the best surfers in the world come to surf Jaws (a 50-60 foot wave that hits the north shore in January). This time of year, surf is still high and the locals are all saying how happy they are that the winter swells are here. Funny to hear that, since in BC we all talk about how happy we are to see winter (but for the snow).This weekend, we've been taking it easy. As we drove by the Cove Saturday morning, we were shocked to see it packed with surfers. Reason being a storm in New Zealand whose energy is hitting the south shore now. Waves were bigger here than on the north shore - so it was neat to watch that right from our local beach. We were actually a little nervous with the kids in the water - waves were pretty massive, and we made sure we got out in between sets. Of course, they don't notice anything, cuz we're holding them up above the swell, (we were out past the break). But we'd look out and think - "Holy crap - that's big - wish I had my boogie board!"

And today, we hit the Ukulele Festival for some free entertainment. (We're all about free, since we have no income). And so begins another week. I'll actually be taking off on Wednesday night to Vancouver for the weekend for Lynn & Jonathan's wedding on Saturday. Then back home on Sunday. Then on the 28th, my dad comes to visit for 10 days. Don't worry, we'll be sure to take him surfing too...

Getting in a Groove

2008-10-12T21:14:00.002-10:00

Buenas Noches! As you can see, my spanish is coming along. Thanks to a friend, I am using the Pimsleur method on my ipod. It's pretty intensive and I love doing it. Every night, I slip in the earbuds and lay down on the bed and say "perdon senor, habla usted castellano? Yes, I am speaking virtually with a very handsome-sounding latino. Okay, there's an english guy and a woman there too, but hey, all in the name of learning!

Things are going pretty well here in Kihei, the weather is the same every day, sunny and calm in the morning and the winds kick up in the afternoon, (thank god). So swimming, surfing and body boarding are best done in the early hours. Which is what we normally do. Get out of bed, put on swimsuits and walk down to our local beach (Charley Young). When we're feeling adventurous, we hop in our very-Maui mini van (beat up, transmission about to fall out, moldings falling off, etc) and find a new beach. Today, that's what Alex said to us, "Daddy go to nude beach" We're like "What???", "Nude beach, nude beach". We're assuming she means "new beach". Today we hit Polo beach, frequented by locals and very few tourists with some awesome waves coming in. We brought our body boards with us and I put Taylor in front and I laid behind her and caught some pretty big ones in. The whole way she shouted, WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!!! It was pretty funny, and in some of them, I can't believe she wasn't scared. They were a good 4 feet!.

Yes, we're totally turning into locals. Yesterday we hit the local park with the kids which borders on a skate park. there was some sort of competition being held with some pretty good skaters. We all watched for a while, listening to some amazing music. In Safeway today, the cashier assumed I lived here. When we first got here, we were asked, "Where are you from?", now people ask where we live. Awesome. The brown skin and bleached out hair help I guess. Not too much else is new. Neil has been playing the guitar and even got out to the driving range. I did my yoga at the beach and will do it likely 2X a week. Signing up for a surf lesson this week, although many have told me that you don't really need them. I do love body boarding and catching some big waves, it'll be interesting to see what it's like standing up on them! I'm sure a bunch of reef cuts and some sore abs later, I'll be just fine.

So thus ends, or begins, another week of our mini-retirement. Please keep emailing, sending notes and postcards, etc - they're really appreciated. The only thing we miss on this trip is our friends and family (and our cat).

Coping With Heat

2008-10-05T21:12:00.001-10:00

Okay, I know you are all about to start playing the tiniest violins, rolling your eyes and/or cursing as you look to the west. But it is hot, friggin' hot. It's at least 30 degrees and the sun is relentless. I know you really don't want to hear this - sorry. That first day, I said to Neil - "do you think we'll get used to this?" Like seriously, one must get used to it. Locals wear jeans and t-shirts on a regular basis. I guess we feel it too, since we don't really want to fry our skin too badly. I haven't been burnt yet, but Neil did get one on his shoulders from being in the water a bit too long (the one place you don't notice the sun/heat!)But seriously we're just fine - and our house is very breezy - it gets awesome cross breezes almost all day. Kihei gets quite a wind as it funnels through the valley between the West Maui mountains and Haleakala volcano.
We are now one week into our little sabbatical and have had a good rest this past week. We didn't do much, swam when we wanted, bought groceries, got the place set up, invested in some boogie boards, researched surf schools and locales. But now, it's time to settle down to business. This trip is not meant to be a simple "lie on the beach vacation". We have goals and so we are setting up a schedule to achieve those. We think we'll trade off the childcare so that each of us can pursue our interests. Here they are:

Neil - guitar, body/boogie boarding, stand-up paddling, golf
Michelle - spanish, yoga, surfing, body/boogie boarding

By the time we come home, Neil will be able to play the guitar on a stand up board, while I do yoga, singing in spanish... Tonight is for laying out the schedule, cuz if we don't, we'll never git 'er done!

While we sit here in paradise, we do miss our friends and family and we are definitely thinking of you, wishing you were also here.