Aloha
I love that it's come to mean both hello and goodbye.
We're back from Maui now. I did absolutely no writing and read exactly one book and feel GREAT. If not a little tired.
I always sucked at travel journals, so here's a list of 20 things that left an impression with me from our trip to Maui.
1. My parents weren't convinced doing the road to Hana with the kids would work. But it did and it was maybe the best part of the trip. (You already saw this picture, right?) Claire was totally adventurous about swimming in all the pools with daddy, mommy, and the grand-paparazzi.
2. The Old Lahaina Luau puts on a great show and I loved hearing about some of Hawaiian mythology. I do not know how I don't own a book on Hawaiian mythology, but I expect to rectify that soon.
3. At the Old Lahaina Luau, we got seated in the Orchid Station. As Hurley would say, "Dude."
4. There were literally no waves at Baby Beach which provided an excellent oppurtunity for Claire to use her snorkler. Funny thing - she liked looking at the sand our feet kicked up more than the coral (which there was a very decent amount of.
5. I found the best local coffee shop in Maui evar. The coffee is grown a few miles up the hill and roasted. I bought several bags and am seriously considering ordering online.
6. The new and improved family hat. Pictures forthcoming.
7. I went swimming for HOURS everyday. I went night-swimming with Claire at least four times. I went swimming by myself in the ocean for about 10 minutes (right before I saved Claire's hat from a rogue wave.) This is not a complaint.
8. The banyan tree looks as good as ever. The old fort wall? It feels like it shrunk, but that's probably just my childhood memory.
10. I came THIS CLOSE to buying a shirt that said HAOLE on it. I decided if I ever sell "Haole," I'll buy the t-shirt.
11. I did buy a t-shirt that says Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness on the front and reads OBAMA SURFS! on the back. According to Emma, I look Awe-some in it. (Emma got a "You Had Me At Aloha" shirt I love.)
12. There was a van parked on Front Street that read "The End Time Are Not Coming" yet was clearly an evangelical fire insurance you're gonna buuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrn-type set-up. Behind the van in the surf a boat had crashed on the reef.
13. The sand is so incredibly soft.
14. We saw a children's Hula performance in the local mall. I expected it to be, well, cheap, but it was actually a lot of fun. Funnily enough, they were performers from a local Hawaiian church - the big Hawaiian dude playing the ukulele shared the stage with three of his sons, two of which had beautiful voices. The other played a mean bongo. They kind of considered their little performance to be something of an outreach event. Sunday, we went with my parents to the church they usually attend and there was not a Hawaiian in sight. (And the message was, well, generally moronic.) Why we didn't try to find out where these people went to church and break bread with them is beyond me. But if I get to Maui again, I'm tracking down the other church.
15. Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee. And Pineapple.
16. We had many Mai Tais, but apparently the restaraunt in our condo was awarded the best Mai Tais in Maui. Unfortunately, we never got to try them. (Something to do next time, maybe.)
17. Claire's hula dance lessons. Which I talked Emma into taking at the last minute.
18. There is a K-Mart, Walmart, and Costco all on-island. I was forced to shop at one of these places.
19. A late night walk on the beach.
20. As much as I loved Maui, I am really happy to be back. I thought about the Job Blues maybe two or three times. Actually, I'm not sure whether or not this is a good thing. I am ready to sink my teeth into a couple of rewrites including the novel. I am recharged.
Not a favorite but interesting to note: There is a severe lack of vampires in Hawaii. And by vampires, I mean the bloodsucking variety, of course. There are a lot of haole dipshits who you might confuse with metaphorical vampires, though. Hmmmmmmmm.
So...how has everyone here been?