Dancing with Pele and Chug-a-lugging Lava
I was intimate with a volcano today. It was gassy, smoking, sulfuric, crater-licious, and quite devastating judging by the miles upon miles of lava fields (proof of decades upon decades of past eruptions) -- and I was quite appreciative of all its glory. Couldn't help comparing it to Mt. Saint Helens, but since I haven't been there in ten years, my memory was a little fuzzy. I do remember driving and driving and driving (or, rather, since I was the passenger, riding and riding and riding) and the mountain never seeming to get any closer. Meanwhile, nothing but dead things and knocked over trees were around us. The volcanoes on the Big Island, on the other hand, just WHAM are in front of and around and under you. People live all over the darn things! We snuck onto a prohibited lava field and were disappointed to see that locals lived on it. Craziness. I got to see it from the air during the ill-fated helicopter trip, but it was far different to see it from the ground. Nifty.
As a side note, I'm enjoying seeing all these lovely discarded car bits, chassis after chassis after chassis -- with everything else carefully stripped away and then the rest crunched together and then flipped onto its side or back in the middle of no-where-land of the lava fields. Somewhere out there, a successful car stripping business is thriving and tourists everywhere are weeping as their precious 'vettes and 'stangs are stolen and never seen again.
I also saw (and climbed all over) the southern-most point of the U.S. I'm sure if I'd wanted to go for a swim, Australia and Japan wouldn't be too far away, right? And played in the black sand beaches and nearly walked into a giant sea turtle. It (the turtle, not the black sand) seemed unimpressed, but magnanimously obliged for some photo ops. I've worn flowers in my hair every day and I STILL can't get a tan. Curses upon my skin, my personal light source! Ah well, I'll look awesome when I'm 40, right?
We ate at Bubba Gumps' tonight. Weird. Forrest Gump's version of Hard Rock. The waiter was very energetic and nice, providing that we took his suggestions, that is. Otherwise, he would pout and make an excuse to touch my shoulder. Reminded me of my touchie-feely student from last semester, only older and more leathery thanks to the sun. He asked me for my name and I gave him my father's. Dear Dad, thanks for planning out every single moment of my "vacay." I'm tired, can't I sleep in one morning? It's bad enough that I can't sleep past 4 am here! Darn time zones...
I'm going to graduate on Saturday. I don't have to take any more classes. I don't have to write any more paper for a grade. Hmm. My life is suddenly empty. Good thing my PhD beckons someday. Although, as much as I want to teach, the position as a librarian I that opened up nearby is awfully tempting -- could earn 2-3 times as much WITH FULL BENEFITS! Tempting, but mainly for the money now that loans are gonna need to be paid.
I'll just become a prostitute. That'll solve all my problems. And create new ones. If I ever disappear, just look for my body among the abandoned and stripped chassis creatures between Hilo and Kuna.
Tomorrow: more driving around; more hiking; and a bit of horse-back riding up and down the valleys too. And then packing. We're hopping back to Oahu, touring for the day, and jetting back to San Fran Tuesday night. Then back to Chi-land (hope to GOD the suitcases follow suit!) and back to Raleighwood sometime Wednesday -- unless another flight is canceled again.
Aloha and Mahalo!
PS: I bought shotglasses and I plan to use them this weekend. Who wants to help me celebrate my decent into unemployment, hmm?
As a side note, I'm enjoying seeing all these lovely discarded car bits, chassis after chassis after chassis -- with everything else carefully stripped away and then the rest crunched together and then flipped onto its side or back in the middle of no-where-land of the lava fields. Somewhere out there, a successful car stripping business is thriving and tourists everywhere are weeping as their precious 'vettes and 'stangs are stolen and never seen again.
I also saw (and climbed all over) the southern-most point of the U.S. I'm sure if I'd wanted to go for a swim, Australia and Japan wouldn't be too far away, right? And played in the black sand beaches and nearly walked into a giant sea turtle. It (the turtle, not the black sand) seemed unimpressed, but magnanimously obliged for some photo ops. I've worn flowers in my hair every day and I STILL can't get a tan. Curses upon my skin, my personal light source! Ah well, I'll look awesome when I'm 40, right?
We ate at Bubba Gumps' tonight. Weird. Forrest Gump's version of Hard Rock. The waiter was very energetic and nice, providing that we took his suggestions, that is. Otherwise, he would pout and make an excuse to touch my shoulder. Reminded me of my touchie-feely student from last semester, only older and more leathery thanks to the sun. He asked me for my name and I gave him my father's. Dear Dad, thanks for planning out every single moment of my "vacay." I'm tired, can't I sleep in one morning? It's bad enough that I can't sleep past 4 am here! Darn time zones...
I'm going to graduate on Saturday. I don't have to take any more classes. I don't have to write any more paper for a grade. Hmm. My life is suddenly empty. Good thing my PhD beckons someday. Although, as much as I want to teach, the position as a librarian I that opened up nearby is awfully tempting -- could earn 2-3 times as much WITH FULL BENEFITS! Tempting, but mainly for the money now that loans are gonna need to be paid.
I'll just become a prostitute. That'll solve all my problems. And create new ones. If I ever disappear, just look for my body among the abandoned and stripped chassis creatures between Hilo and Kuna.
Tomorrow: more driving around; more hiking; and a bit of horse-back riding up and down the valleys too. And then packing. We're hopping back to Oahu, touring for the day, and jetting back to San Fran Tuesday night. Then back to Chi-land (hope to GOD the suitcases follow suit!) and back to Raleighwood sometime Wednesday -- unless another flight is canceled again.
Aloha and Mahalo!
PS: I bought shotglasses and I plan to use them this weekend. Who wants to help me celebrate my decent into unemployment, hmm?