illuminate

i'll follow you into the dark

2010-12-16T10:32:00.003-10:00

Timing is impeccable. It amazes me that certain people walk into your life at just the right time. It saddens me that the same people are usually taking steps to begin a new chapter in their lives just as you begin to fall in love with everything they're about. You know this person is leaving so you try to make the most of it. You want to spend every second with him and embark on adventures no one has ever experienced. You want to make new memories that will last forever. You know his heart isn't fully there with you, yet you can't help but want to feel exactly what he's feeling. You want to see the world through his eyes. You want to create a friendship that is everlasting, and you hope for a relationship that defies all normalities. A rather special bond has been formed and you’re afraid to speak up because after spending such a short amount of time in each others arms you feel it may be foolish. Foolish? You may never see each other again! Foolish is not following your heart; not speaking up; not going with your gut instinct!

Always go with your gut instinct. Trust yourself.

Baby, my eyes are wide with curiosity. My thoughts are traveling to foreign places. My body’s experiencing things like never before.

Again, timing is impeccable.

"love of mine,
someday you will die.
but i'll be close behind,
i'll follow you into the dark.

Sometimes you have to let a person find themselves before they realize what they want. Even after finding their self they still may be clueless. Is not knowing where you want to end up really such a bad thing? I know I want to fall in love. I know the man I want next to me. I know I don't want an everyday routine life. I know I want to fall in love!! With the world. With friends. "son, fear is the heart of love." Stop wasting time being afraid. Yes, people always leave, but if it's meant to be something more they'll come back. The hardest part of all this is simply being patient and trusting time.

it's nothing to cry about cause we'll hold each other soon.

I can wait. cause you're the only song i want to hear.

i don't feel the way i've ever felt

2010-07-24T22:45:00.002-10:00

TIMELINE FOR PAIN AND RECOVERY

7/16/10- @ 1400 HST: WISDOM TEETH REMOVED
7/16/10- @ 2000 HST: JAW STILL NUMB

7/17/10- @ 0900 HST: WAKE UP & GET READY FOR WORK/LOTS OF BLOOD IN MOUTH/CHANGE GAUZE
7/17/10- @ EACH HOUR --> CHANGE GAUZE. LIVING ON SOUP.
7/17/10- @ 2100 HST: PAINFUL, BUT NOT UNBEARABLE

7/18/10- @ 0900 HST: WAKE UP & GET READY FOR WORK/SMALL KINE BLOOD/CHANGE GAUZE
7/18/10- @ EVERY 4 HRS --> TYLENOL 500MG FOR PAIN.

7/19/10- @ 1000 HST: WAKE UP, FEELING NAUSEOUS.
7/19/10- @ 1600 HST: FEELING LIKE SHIT AT WORK. TYLENOL NO LONGER HELPING.
7/19/10- @ 1930 HST: LEAVE WORK EARLY MAHALOS TO KWANZA FOR CLOSING.
7/19/10- @ 2000 HST: I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN STABBED ON BOTH SIDES OF MY JAW/TIME TO TAKE THE VICODIN.
7/19/10- @ 2115 HST: BEGIN THE PUKE FEST!
7/19/10- @ 2245 HST: STILL PUKING WITH A 103* FEVER. CAN'T EVEN SIP ON WATER AT THIS POINT WITHOUT IT COMING UP. STARTING TO FEEL WEAK.
7/19/10- @ 2330 HST: LOTS OF PUKE AND TEARS.

7/20/10- @ 1230 HST: TIME FOR A TRIP TO THE ER THANKS TO LAU.
7/20/10- @ 0115 HST: NURSE IS COOL. HE LOOKS LIKE SOME B-LIST CELEBRITY WHOSE NAME I CANNOT REMEMBER. DR COMES IN WITH THE WORLD'S BIGGEST NEEDLE AND DEFINITELY TELLS ME TO "OPEN WIDE." AND I DEFINITELY RESPONDED "AS IF!" I ASKED HIM TO TELL ME WHAT THE NEEDLE WAS FOR AND WHAT WAS IN IT. DOC SAYS "LISTEN, I HAVE MORE SICK PEOPLE TO ATTEND TO SO IF YOU WANT TO STOP SUFFERING YOU'LL OPEN WIDE." THANKS FOR NUMBING MY WHOLE FACE WHEN ALL I REALLY NEEDED WAS AN IV TO PUMP SOME FLUIDS BACK INTO MY SYSTEM AND SOMETHING TO HELP STOP THE VOMITING AND FEVER.
7/20/10- @ 1300 HST: BACK AT DENTIST. HE CLEANS THE HOLES OUT. PRESCRIBES STRONGER MEDS.
7/20/10- @ 1430 HST: TOOK IBUPROFEN. FEELING A LOT BETTER. BEACH TIME WITH DOGGIE.

7/21/10- @ 0400 HST: STABBED IN THE JAW AGAIN. AFRAID TO TAKE PERCOCET JUST YET. 2 IBUPROFEN. PLS DRUG LORD, HELP.
7/21/10- @ 1000 HST: OK. A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
7/21/10- @ 1400 HST: FEELING WEAK AGAIN. HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EAT MUCH. TRYING TO STAY HYDRATED.
7/21/10- @ 1900 HST: PAIN IS MORE UNBEARABLE THAN MONDAY NIGHT. TIME FOR THE PERC-ULATOR. (SLEPT LIKE A BABY)

7/22/10- @ 0600 HST: PAIN STARTING TO COME BACK...TAKE AN IBUPROFEN.
7/22/10- @ 0800 HST: WHAT'S FOR BREAKF--VOMIT. VOMIT. VOMIT.
7/22/10- @ 1100 HST: FEEL LIKE DEATH. FML. STILL VOMITING. HEART FEELS OUT OF CONTROL. I'M PRETTY SURE I'M DYING.
7/22/10- @ 1130 HST: CALL KAISER. "PLEASE SAVE ME."
7/22/10- @ 1134 HST: CALL ERIK TO GET ME HELP
7/22/10- @ 1136 HST: CALL DADDY TO TELL HIM I THINK I'M DYING
7/22/10- @ 1215 HST: HELP (MAILE) ARRIVES TO TAKE ME TO KAISER.
7/22/10- @ 1300 HST: NURSE @ KAISER SAYS "WOW, YOU'RE REALLY DEHYDRATED. I'M GONNA SET YOU UP HERE ON AN IV AND I'LL GET YOU SOMETHING TO CALM YOUR STOMACH DOWN. DR COMES IN SHORTLY AFTER AND SAYS "NO NEED FOR AN IV. YOUR HEART RATE AND PULSE ARE OKAY, NOT GREAT, BUT OKAY. YOU'RE MILDLY DEHYDRATED BUT IF YOU START DRINKING WATER OR GATORADE IT SHOULD HELP YOU OUT TREMENDOUSLY." ME: "YEAH, I'D REALLY LIKE THAT, BUT I CAN'T STOP THROWING UP!" DR GIVES ME PRESCRIPTION TO STOP PUKING.
7/22/10- @ 1500 HST: FINALLY LEAVE KAISER. MAILE BRINGS ME HOME. I DRINK GATORADE AND IT STAYS DOWN.
7/22/10- @ 1800 HST: ERIK, WHILE IN CALIFORNIA, ORDERS ME A SLICE OF PIZZA, MOZZ STICKS & CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD. I EAT PIZZA AND MOZZ STICKS. WHILE WATCHING THE OFFICE AND FEEL INSTANTLY & TREMENDOUSLY BETTER.

7/23/10- @ 0900 HST: STILL SORE ON THE JAW FRONT. KINDA FEEL LIKE I HAVE AN EARACHE.
7/23/10- @ 0930 HST: BACK TO TAKING IBUPROFEN, JUST NOT ON AN EMPTY TUMMY.

7/24/10- @ 1030 HST: WOKE UP FEELING KINDA BLAH. BACK TO WORK TODAY.
7/24/10- @ 1300 HST: AT WORK, NOT FEELING SO HOT. SORT OF FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO PASS OUT.
7/24/10- @ 1500 HST: OK. I'M GOING TO PASS OUT. THIS SUCKS.
7/24/10- @ 1700 HST: ATE A TURKEY SANDWICH. I'M ALIVE AGAIN.
7/24/10- @ 2245 HST: HOME FROM WORK. EARACHE SETTING IN. HAVE A SORE THROAT. UGH. IBUPROFEN TIME.

and she says "don't worry baby"

2009-09-05T15:57:00.002-10:00

I am in Owensboro, Kentucky right now and I'm watching Law & Order. This episode features Hilary Duff. Apparently some spanish lady stole her baby. I'm not buying it though.

My company sent me to help train some new employees at our newest operations in Kentucky & Tennessee. As of right now everything is going great. The people here love us, which is truly a good feeling. I am actually enjoying myself a lot more than I imagined. I want to transfer up here. I'm almost certain it would be approved, but Erik doesn't want to come up here. He's holding out for his dream job in California. I'm so confused because this could be a really great opportunity for me.

Today I had to deny boarding to an elderly passenger due to his oxygen tank. I felt unbelievably terrible, but he completely understood. I ended up taking a break from work to drive him back home since his daughter stayed on the flight. We got to talking and I told him how I wasn't from the area. Later in the day he & his wife came back and invited me over for dinner. I had some of the best BBQ food ever tonight. We really just talked all night. Tuesday, Betty & I are going to go out on the town so she can show me around. I'm stoked!!

Looks like Hilary Duff is lying. It's only 15 minutes into this episode though...anything could happen!

there is just one moon and one golden sun

2009-06-20T10:29:00.003-10:00

Well, we survived philly and are now in Sunny California except it hasn't been very sunny.

We went to Disney Land on Thursday and had a blast there. We went on as many rides as we could and saw a parade which included just about every disney character ever.

San Luis Obispo is really nice. I don't want to go back to the islands... at all. Once you live somewhere it really takes the beauty and fun away from it.

I'm rushing this post. More later.

gonna fly now, flying high now

2009-06-20T10:25:00.002-10:00

So, I haven't posted here since I've been on vacation.

Erik and I left Maui on June 8th & we arrived in Philly on June 9th. We were delayed in Denver for about 3 hours which is no surprise to me. We covered a lot of ground in philly though.

I'll post more on that part of the trip soon...including pictures.

a change in style for a little while is only make believe

2009-06-05T18:11:00.006-10:00

Obviously, I am terrible at keeping this updated anymore. With that being said, I'm also terrible at taking pictures. I've never been one to have the latest devices in technology...well, except that one time I owned a blackberry for a total of 8 days. Luckily, I had Jackie talk me into returning it and putting my money towards something more useful. Anyways, I'm getting off track.

I'm just gonna upload one picture. Mainly because I think it's the best picture ever taken. I'll try to go into full detail of the happenings on Maui in the life of Lisa Nowacky.

First, Erin and Pete had a healthy baby boy on March 28th! Baby Peter and my pop have the same birthday...pretty neat. I can't wait to meet him.

Second, Jamie & Chace tied the knot on May 16th during a beautiful sunset on a beach in Sarasota. I'm so unbelievably happy I was able to be there to help them celebrate. Jamie & I might be a million miles apart but she's my other half and there's no way I would miss out on her biggest and most important day... And I'm talking about her bachelorette party. WOW! What a night!

I also finally met Jaedyn. He is the most calm baby ever. I wish I was closer so I could spoil him every day.

As for island life, well Erik & I finally moved in with our friends David and Melissa. We're living in a 2 bedroom condo in Kahului and it's wait for it, wait for it... awesome! We go to the beach every chance we get and grill, drink and surf. It's so sweet.

I met Lady Gaga a couple days ago. And now I'm sitting at work waiting to go meet & greet Kanye West. He's flying up to Hana on one of our planes. I'll post pictures later.

And in 3 days I'll be flying home to Philly! I can't wait to see my sisters and every one else. Sara graduates high school and I'd be really happy for her if it didn't make me feel incredibly old.

That's that.

going to the chapel and we're gonna get marrrrriied

2009-05-23T08:29:00.001-10:00

Jamie Lynn McMichaels!

sometimes you want to go...

2009-04-03T19:21:00.003-10:00

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?

All those night when you've got no lights,
The check is in the mail;
And your little angel
Hung the cat up by it's tail;
And your third fiance didn't show;

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee's dead;
The morning's looking bright;
And your shrink ran off to Europe,
And didn't even write;
And your husband wants to be a girl;

Be glad there's one place in the world
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to go where people know,
People are all the same;
You want to go where everybody knows your name.

Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;

oh good god, holy shit the joke's on us, not on them

2009-02-26T10:28:00.003-10:00

Everybody all over America is talking about it. They all want to know if it's true. People are joking and asking if the bail money was fake money. They don't understand how Ashley was a former Miss North Wildwood & could be doing this behind everyone's back. We (family & friends) all just recently boasted about how proud we were that one of our own was elected Miss North Wildwood.

Well, we always knew Ashley would be famous one day...

...I guess we just never quite thought it'd be for something as wild as this.

I didn't think it was possible, but Hawaii just got a little bit better...

sing your own kind of songeven if nobody else sings along

2009-02-24T08:46:00.004-10:00

I've been severely slacking in keeping this thing updated. January came with a lot of new responsibilities. I'm also another year older. My birthday was a fun day. I went to the beach with Erik and a few friends and saw lots of whales. Erik took me to a magic show that night called Warren & Annabelle's out in Lahaina. The show was probably the best thing ever. We even got to sit at the stage and participate in the show. All the magic tricks were being performed right in front of my eyes(... or in some cases right in my hands!) & I still wasn't able to catch on to how Warren was making certain things happen. Twas a fun night to start my 24th year.

I've worked every day in February except one & that was the Saturday that just passed. My pay has been nice, but it's all starting to catch up to me. I'd like to be off for maybe 3 days and just relax and go camping.

Whales are in full effect right now. When you go swimming in the ocean you can totally hear them singing to each other and it's kind of weird, but incredible all at the same time.

I'm planning on getting certified to dive soon. Hopefully, soon.

I've been baking using some ingredients my momma sent me. Everything I cook/bake turns out so freaking yummy. If you love cooking/baking I would definitely recommend checking out my mom's site & ordering some stuff from her. http://www.tastefullysimple.com/ Search her page by using her consultant ID# 0078842.

Bon voyage!

so come at me with your moon and burn me in the stars

2009-01-11T21:08:00.003-10:00

2009 and the living is super fine.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Thanks to Erik, I was able to make it home for the holidays to see family and friends. It was nice being home and seeing people. I love spending time with my sisters. I absolutely adore all of them.

Here are some pictures of me, Hannah & Lauren. I'll update more soon on life in Hawaii!

when i was small i believed in santa claus though i knew it was my dad

2008-12-17T06:46:00.006-10:00

So, here are some pictures from a little snorkeling adventure. Enjoy.

WOW WOW WOW- THAT'S AN OCTOPUS!

...like a big fat drunk disgruntled yuletide rambo

2008-12-09T06:35:00.002-10:00

so much to say, so little time.

12/18/2008

suit up!

time is on my side

2008-11-19T19:42:00.019-10:00

This very day last year I was in Dublin, Ireland with a great group of friends. Lizzie, Bill, Chaz, Geeble and myself flew from Philadelphia to Dublin and met up with Jim Stem (who was on leave from Iraq), Sull (she flew over from philly as well) and Michelle, Courtney and Dove (they were all studying abroad in Rome).

Twas a long flight to Ireland, but when we finally got there we were all itching for a Guinness. After meeting up with each other, some of us having not seen a friend, let alone a large group of friends for over 5 months and the others for just a few, it was a nice little reunion, and it was only obvious that we should go to a pub immediately... Even if it was 9:30 in the morning. And to the pub we went. First round was on Bildo. It was something he's always talked about long before any of us realized we'd be meeting up at a pub in Ireland. He always promised he would buy the first round of beers for whoever was with him on his first trip to the mother land.

I was two or three beers in when I did my first shot of Jameson and Jimmy Boy decided to violently shake me. It was 10:30AM, Friday morning, on the 16th of November in 2007 when I first puked my guts up in Ireland. All I remember thinking was "Well, that's just great." Next thing I knew I was drinking another Guinness to cure my illness.

The first couple of days in Dublin are still a blur. I remember visiting the Guinness Brewery and the Jameson Distillery. The distillery was where I got to hang out with my two true loves.

My best friend & sister, Michelle, and my companion & cheer-me-upper, Jameson Irish Whiskey.

When walking upon the "gates of heaven" we all stood back to allow Bildo have his moment of glory. It was as if Christ himself appeared.

Bildo dropped to his knees and kissed the ground in front of him. He truly was experiencing his version of heaven on earth.

One thing Michelle & I always talked about is how we'd eventually go our separate ways in life. No matter where we ended up we always thought it would be super cool to meet up in Dublin for a cold pint. We finally made a dream come true. And we didn't just meet up for one cold pint... we had a trail of cold pints waiting for us!

There's more to this story, so, stay tuned.

big me to talk about it

2008-11-05T19:53:00.006-10:00

Well, it's been quite some time. Apologies to those who like reading this to pass those boring moments during your days.

Phillies finally won! 2008 World Champions! I'm not sad that I'm so far from home either. Think about it... in twenty years when I'm telling my kids about my first World Series I get to say that I was living in Hawaii. I think that's pretty awesome.

In other awesome news, Obama! I'm pretty stoked to be able to say I voted for the first black president of the united states. Sorry McCain:

I originally took off 3 days of work because I was going to try to fly home for the series, but that didn't work out as planned. I ended up having a great long weekend here though. We did some major grillin', watched the Phillies win, lose & win win win, drank some beers and relaxed.

Last Monday was supposed to be Dan's last day on Maui for a good while. I figured with him out of the house I'd get to cook Erik a nice dinner, only Dan ended up crashing it! It was really no big deal. I actually offered him to crash it. Besides, look how delicious everything ended up looking:

I started dinner with a fresh salad with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, & peppers. And I cooked chicken parmesan. I made my own sauce with a bunch of veggies & garlic. Everything turned out perfectly. As you can see, Dan was happy:

Erik totally ruined dinner because he had gotten bit by a small doggie earlier that afternoon. Apparently his boo-boo hurt so much he wanted the doctor to look at it that night. Luckily for him, Hawaii is free of rabies.

On Tuesday Erik & I drove the back roads to Lahaina. We stopped to check out this crazy blowhole. Every time the ocean crashed into the shore it looked like a geiser was shooting out of the ground. It was really cool looking. We didn't bring a camera down to get a shot though. We also saw this huge giraffe!

Erik has more pictures on his camera, but he hasn't uploaded them yet.

In other events, my manager and I wanted to split a burger from Jack In The Box because they're so huge. Unfortunately we didn't have a knife to cut it. However, when you mix my brain cells with Maile's braincells this is what you get:

I've been working 9 days straight as of right now & I'm really tired. Oh, before I go, I know some of you are wondering who Erik is and what he looks like. He's an alcoholic pilot & he looks like this:

i'll stick around and learn from all that came from it

2008-10-22T18:49:00.007-10:00

QUICK UPDATE!

Rainbows are still awesome. Especially when you see them from beginning to end like this one:

I'm the only customer service agent that hangs out at the hangars with the mechanics. It's only cause my roommate is the Director of Maintenance for our airline & I usually wait around to get a lift home. I have lots of fun when I'm over there and I don't know why. Anyways, here are Sam & Kris putting the new logo on our aircraft (Tsunami 4) as seen in the following photo. Pacific Wings has two newer airlines up on the mainland. In New Mexico we have New Mexico Airlines & in Georgia we have Georgia Skies. Tsunami 4 is going to Georgia Skies obviously.

Last Sunday a few of us from work went to Erik's house for a pool/bbq day. Stacey brought her daughter Rylee and I hung out in the pool with Rylee.

We all had a fun & relaxing day.

Last night I went out to dinner with Erik & then we went to Mama's Fish House for some drinks. This place is amazing & super expensive, but probably totally worth every penny. All I had was a drink called the "Relaxer" and it tasted like a chocolate milkshake miracle with coconut shavings. I can only imagine what the food tastes like.

In other news, Phillies won Game 1 of the series. I should be home for this, but I'm kind of feeling like they might lose if I go home. I just can't believe the first time I leave Philly & my favorite sports team finally makes it to the series with an excellent chance of winning the whole thing.

every thing we did was wrong but we did it anyway

2008-10-13T07:09:00.007-10:00

At work we've switched our BBQ days to Monday...it just works better with everyone's schedule. We also switched beaches. We now go over to Kanaha Beach Park which is a lot closer to the airport & way easier for all of us to get to. It's more of a park where we hang out. There's picnic benches and water faucets for hoses and such. If you walk about 50 feet into the trees it'll open up to the beach & ocean. The trees are really neat looking. Standing very tall & looking similar to palm trees (only with longer leaves drooping over each other & giving off a gloomy feel) it almost feels like you're in another part of the world. Not like Maui doesn't already succeed in that! My manager has two little boys & my co-worker Stacey has a little girl. They call these woods the Dinosaur Forest. Every Monday I bring all three kids back there and we run around looking at "dinosaur bones," (photo #1) and we look at "dinosaur foot prints" which is actually just a butt print from the chickens cooling off in the shade. We'll also find the occasional 'lost sandal' which obviously means that person was dinosaur lunch.

As you can tell, I like my Mondays at the Dinosaur Forest.

This past weekend was pretty fun. Friday night I just had a couple drinks at a local bar with a friend from work. Saturday we grilled, drank lots of beer & played beer pong all night. We then went swimming in the ocean at about 1:30am, worked up an appetite and went to Denny's at like 2:30am.

Sunday a friend (Erik's a pilot at work) and I went hiking up in Waihe'e Valley. I've never been up to Waihe'e before, but I've heard about the swinging bridges (photo #2) and was pretty interested in checking it out. We had a little hike before going swimming in a little pool of water. At the pool there was a huge banyan tree (photo #3) that I wanted to climb...so I climbed up the roots towards the top. In the middle of the tree was a huge hole that dropped down to the water about 12 feet below. The hole was super wide at the top, but narrowed down as it went towards the bottom. How do I know that? Oh, well, because I fell down that hole and scraped the skin off the left side of my body between my ass and my shoulder. Yep. I wasn't in pain, but I was more shocked that I almost plunged to my death. Not really my death, but you know.

TRIVIA: The Banyan Tree is a tree that is frequently seen on the tv show LOST.

After my near-death experience (Grandmom, I'm only exaggerating!), we continued on our hike towards another pool of water with a dam creating a small waterfall (photo #4) . We jumped off the left side of the dam into the water fall. The water is maybe 12-15 feet deep right and the current from the waterfall really pulls you under. The background drop for right where we were at that dam was just beautiful. Looking back really far you can see a huge waterfall that's said to be about 400something feet (photo #5) . It doesn't look quite as magnificent from where we were standing, but I imagine being up and close is a surreal experience.

After our adventures up in Waihe'e, Erik & I went to a sushi bar. I've eaten sushi before, but never like this. It's sort of like a conveyor belt zipping past you with differents plates of sushi for your own pickings. I don't know what the hell I was eating last night, but everything tasted good. Even the thing I ate with tentacles & the fish that still had eyeballs. I love that I'm not a picky eater. Another pilot from work, David & his girlfriend Melissa met up with us at the sushi bar. We all went to an arcade called the Fun Factory afterwards. We won lots of tickets and gave them to some little kid.

Today is Columbus Day. Columbus bypassed Hawaii though so they don't celebrate. Instead it's called Discoverer's Day. More of a recognition to James Cook who found the coordinates to the islands & told the world about the existance of the hawaiians. All city & state offices do not regard either Columbus/Discoverer's Day as an official holiday; therefore, all offices are open as if it were a regular Monday. However, federal offices are closed because, well, believe it or not, Hawaii is still a state in the US of A.

sweet smell before the rain

2008-10-06T07:16:00.003-10:00

I'm alive.

Friday night there was a 49 year old's birthday party. Classic rock, Jameson's & lots of people. I wasn't impressed & I would have been more satisfied laying around on my couch watching scrubs reruns.

Saturday I watched the Phillies give up a game to the Brewers. I then tried explaining baseball to my filipino roommate. She still didn't get it. I don't see how baseball is a hard sport to understand. Saturday night I went to the Maui County Fair with a friend. He never had funnel cake before & I made him try it. Obviously, he loved it. We played a bunch of games and he won some prizes while I lost a lot. We also went on a couple rides before realizing we're old and get nauseous on all the cool rides. So we pulled the safe card and kept going on the swings.

Sunday morning I woke up at 6:30AM. Phils came on at 7AM so I was drinking coffee & bailey's & watching the game while waiting to be picked up for a Hana roadtrip. The road to Hana has been making me sick to my stomache lately, but it's worth it. I went up with a few friends from work, Andrew, Erik & Andrew's brother Phil. We went exploring in the caves and found more air pockets, but none of us had enough gear to actually go explore more. Next time we'll bring more flashlights, masks & maybe some tanks to breathe under water.

All in all, it was a really great weekend.

fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round

2008-10-03T14:15:00.002-10:00

GO PHILS!

This weekend is going to be wild & crazy. If I don't update by Monday it means I didn't survive. I wish Jackie was here for this weekend.

too deep now to ever swim against the current

2008-09-30T06:21:00.006-10:00

Today is the last day of September of 2008. I don't have much to say right now.

I've been out of commission again with something I've never had before. It feels like my chest is caving in...sort of making it hard to breathe. On top of that I had a migraine for a straight week. Thankfully I woke up yesterday without the raging pain in my head, but still the weird feeling in my chest.

Here are some pictures I've been promising:

This was girls night in Lahaina.

Here we are drinking...

...and deciding what to eat!

Lauren's going away party & the bungalow.

I didn't need to shove the cake in her face cause, well, she did it herself.

Me & my homegirrrrl, Lauren!

Alyssa sporting her demon face & me being oblivious to demon face.

"COME ON BABY, DO THE LOCOMOTION!"

and tonight will go on forever while we walk around the town like we own the streets

2008-09-21T08:16:00.004-10:00

I'm feeling much better than I was at the beginning of the week. I even picked up shifts at work today & yesterday to make up for loss time & I pulled in some sweet overtime hours. Hopefully, I have a pretty little paycheck this coming Friday.

It's amazing how life works sometimes. You close one door & another one presents itself. Whether or not you open it is your choice. I think it's good to close some doors and venture into new rooms, but you don't want to get too lost because then you'll just be alone in the dark. Friday night I went out with work friends. We just hung out at one kid's house and played Wii all night. Around midnight three of us went swimming in the ocean. I used to be so afraid of the ocean at night...fear of the unknown. Yet, that night, I just floated on back staring up at the sky. THEN A SHARK CAME AND ATE MY FRIEND! No, I'm obviously kidding, but how funny would that be?

I'm really tired right now. I plan on flying to another island next weekend. Stay tuned!

Oh, & GO BIRDS!

don't be afraid, cause no one ever sings alone

2008-09-16T17:24:00.002-10:00

I've been sick the past couple of days with a high fever, sore throat and just a stuffed up head. I haven't really eaten much since I've had no appetite & I haven't left the house. So, today I forced myself to get out, take in some fresh air and catch some sun.

On the bus ride over to Lahaina I did a lot of thinking. I'm gonna switch up my plans for the next couple of months and after I'm finished with Maui, I'm gonna head somewhere cold. Haven't put a lot of thought into it, but it makes sense... at least to me it does.

I did a lot more thinking on the bus ride home...

I often live my life as if I'm in a movie. This way the bad stuff doesn't always seem so 'bottom-of-the-barrel' bad. And let's face it, most movies have happy endings, and I guess that's what I'm really waiting around for.

The music I listen to makes up the soundtrack of my life. Certain lyrics having more meaning than others. As some of you may already notice, I title each blog entry with a line from a song. These lyrics help me through different situations, both good & bad. It's weird how things to seem just always work out for me. I used to worry myself sick about tiny, little problems, but see, the real problem is you spend all of your time worrying that you forget to appreciate the greater things in life. You forget to smile for no reason whatsoever. You forget to live. I've taught myself to stop worrying so much and to just breathe.

It amazes me thinking about my childhood and picturing myself now. I moved to Maui with only $200 bucks in my back pocket and nothing saved. It's been almost three months and I'm still kicking it out here with a smile on my face. Is it hard? Yes, but I'm not complaining. I refuse to give up so easily. I haven't found what I'm looking for yet. I've made plenty of mistakes in life and I don't want this to be added to that list. I just won't let it.

...just breathe.

well, i never pray, but tonight i'm on my knees

2008-09-08T13:39:00.002-10:00

You ever see two little girls who are just so damn adorable you can't help but stare at them? I mean almost to the point where you look crazy with a goofy smile on your face and in your head you're probably thinking "Wow, these kids are so gosh darn cute!" whereas, everyone around you is thinking "Keep the kids away from that weirdo!"

Yeah, that was some chick at the mall today. I was waiting for my bus to work and I couldn't help but laugh at the awkwardness of the situation as the mom held on to her girls' hands a little bit tighter and hurried away.

So, I'm in the market for a second job. I'm waiting on a night manager of The Ale House Tavern to get back from the mainland, and hopefully we can work something out. Turns out, it's pretty damn expensive to live out here.

After being out here for over two months, I finally have a charger for my camera. Once I get the usb cable to connect my camera to the laptop, I'll be showing you more pictures in no time!

you can watch me disappear

2008-09-07T23:59:00.002-10:00

I called Maui home for the first time Friday night, and it didn't feel weird at all. This weekend was a lot more fun than I had originally expected and I owe it all to one single person.

A majority of Saturday was spent in Manayunk with 3 people I never, ever hang out with. We went to the Red Bull Soap Box Derby. The remains of a hurricane were apparently passing through Philly and we got the worst of it. I was literally soaked all afternoon, but it was well worth it. The event itself was ridiculously wild and just mind blowing.

Saturday night I showed up at Paddy's and had some beers with a few old friends before the crowd came rushing in. It was great to see a lot of faces the past couple of nights, but honestly, it's usually the norm that I go a couple months without seeing certain people. I managed to fit in Sugarmom's and Lucy's as well on Saturday night. With only a few hours left before leaving the mainland, a friend and I walked around Philly for a bit. "That really happens to people?" is all I can say about this weekend.

I slept the entire way on both planes. I guess I was pretty tired from getting a total of 4 hours of sleep the entire time I was in Philly. I gotta admit, it felt great getting off the plane and being home.

don't be gone when i get home...i need you there

2008-09-05T16:35:00.003-10:00

I fought the law & the law won, but the fight was well worth the risk.

I ended up talking to a friend who already had a buddy pass booked for me and I payed $92 to fly home. As of right now, I do not have a way back to Maui on Sunday, but I will get back somehow. I need to be back there. I want to be back there.

Philly is still the same. It doesn't matter how long you go away, things will always be the same at home. I'll always be happy to see the skyline on a pretty day though. Philly is home, but I'm not done with Maui yet.

Lots of family came over for a couple hours last night and it was really great seeing everyone. My little sister Lauren (3yrs) asked me to please not go back to Hawaii. I felt like crying and staying just for her. After hanging with family, I went and met up with friends at Bar Noir. I felt so strange being out. I don't really know why though. I've only been away for two months...it's not that long. Some of the people that came out I usually only see every couple of months anyways. I do miss them for sure and I'm hoping to spend more time with everyone before I get out of here.

This morning was traffic court...the main reason I came home. That went really well. I'm guessing that heavenly angel got herself all cleaned up and remembered to keep an eye on me. Hopefully, she finds some sweet airfare deal for me to get home to Maui on Sunday!

Walking home from court was fun. I noticed how dirty Philly is compared to other places. At first I was thinking it was really gross, but I'm sure every major city is the same. I found it particularly amusing that there was some sort of flower bush growing along a wall and it looked so out of place. Not to mention there was trash on the ground around it and cigarette butts thrown into the bush.

You can almost see the flowers fighting hard to stay alive. Such beautiful flowers that if treated properly could really bloom and possibly change the view of the whole street. If only people cared more.

to the kids who would talk and stay up all night

2008-09-04T00:01:00.000-10:00

I'll see you soon.

Stay gold.

we were aiming for the moon, we were shooting for the stars

2008-09-03T13:24:00.004-10:00

I love falling asleep on beaches. I went to my secret, yet not really so secret, beach in Paia after work yesterday. After falling asleep for almost 2 hours, I went swimming in the ocean. What a fabulous way to wake up! Later on I had to head over to the hostel to help Dani move out.

Hanging out the bungalow used to feel comfortable. I would go there as if it were a safe haven. Just laying in the back on the hammocks and looking up at the blue sky would put my mind at ease while offering me a sweet, serene moment. Letting me forget all worries- past, present & future. Last night was a little different.

As I was eating some bananas from the banana tree (when I say 'some' I really mean I ate about 12 bananas. they just taste so good!), I got to thinking about that old saying "If these walls could talk..." and just wow. All I could think was "shit man, these walls have seen some of the most amazing people and some wild-ass parties." By the time I got around to the 5th banana, I couldn't help but realize that I was quite fortunate with the times I've spent staying/living there. There are people all over the world that I can happily call 'friends.' It's hard saying goodbye to these great people, but we have to help ourselves understand that it's not "goodbye forever" but more of a "see you later." People come out here for so many different reasons. The thing most of us have in common is we're not exactly sure what it is we're looking for and we have no idea how we're going to find it. Yet, we all seem to find ourselves through these wonderful friendships we create along our journey. We were never lost. We just needed to escape the everyday routine we were used to for so long. The same boring lifestyle that clouded our eyes and fogged up our view. There's something magical about this island. I'm sure I can speak for many people when I say that.

By the time I was on my 10th banana, it was getting closer to closing time. Erin and I were gonna take Daniele to the airport for her flight home. I played a quick round of guitar hero to show off my phenomenal HARD level skills- the song was Strutter. After failing the song, I stood up and blamed it on the 11th banana claiming "the bananas don't like Kiss, okay?" I don't think anyone bought it though. I played again on medium and managed to hit all the notes. My pride was back because well "oh, are you kidding? bananas looooove the Foo Fighters!"

All in all, it was a bittersweet night. I understand that the people I love are leaving for home and while the hostel may not be the same for me, it's just the way it goes. Nothing has changed at all. Amazing people come and go all of the time, and that's just how it's always going to be. On Sunday when I come home from Philly, I'll make my way to Little Beach. The bungaloids I know will be there with fresh faces, and I guarantee you that one of those faces will be another wonderful person. Yep, another wonderful person on a venture looking for something he/she doesn't fully realize is right inside of them.

To all of you on that journey: You don't know how lovely you are.

so long sweet summer

2008-09-02T08:48:00.002-10:00

Yesterday was Labor Day. That unofficially means it's the end of the summer. My sister Sara starts her senior year of highschool this week, and Hannah starts first grade.

After work yesterday we (pacwings people) went to Baldwin for a bbq. We had a good time, but they're not normal bbqs. No one is grillin, and no one goes swimming.

I was running around with the babies and having a blast with them. They kept climbing up on a wall and I would tell them they were gonna get hurt. This went on for hours and then (yes, mom, this is a typical "lisa move") Stacey's daughter Rylee (1.5yrs) was hiding behind the wall so I went to jump over it, but instead, I fell over it and somehow managed to make it look like a front flip. We were all cracking up...even the kids.

Today is Dani's last day on Maui. Her flight leaves tonight at 10:40pm, and I'm really sad, but also happy for her. It's bittersweet! I'm gonna miss the hell out of her though- that's for sure. I'm hoping we can get a good crowd to head over to Little Beach this afternoon.

Tomorrow night is my night.

all i needed was time

2008-09-01T07:30:00.004-10:00

"too stubborn, too ignorant, too crazy about you.
i didn't know love was blind
to say this world was made for us
i never knew...i never tried"

The day Jamie's son, Jaedyn Ace was born, I was spending my time snorkeling, swimming with huge turtles, and being buried under the sand. The following is me and my roommate Stephanie.

Saturdy, August 30th at 5:02pm EST, all 21 inches of Jaedyn Ace McMichael's entered the world weighing in at 8lbs 9oz. Like most deliveries, this was a tough one, but my cousin Jamie is a very strong woman, and she popped him out in just enough time to make the cut-off deadline for kindergarten in a few years. She wants him to the baby of his class just like I had been.

While she was going through a rather painful delivery, I was having a blast with my roommates. We hit up a couple different beaches in Kihei, and then had dinner at Cheeseburger in Wailea. Later in the night, we went back to Kihei and hung out at the Tiki Lounge where we got our dancing on.

Sunday was Little Beach day. Dani and Erin and I went to Little Beach and drank Mimosas all afternoon. Yesterday was my favorite Sunday at Little Beach thus far.

Life can deal you a terrible hand sometimes, but you learn from mistakes, be it your own or others, and you move on. The trick is rising above these little lessons and finding the correct path through your maze. Of course, there are always going to be little paths that branch off to darker unknown territories, but don't lose track of the light, and you'll be just fine. Now, if you get too lost in the dark, ask for a reshuffle. With a second chance, you just might get lucky on the next hand.

runaway train never comin' back

2008-08-25T07:21:00.003-10:00

"Just another manic monday..."

Riding my bike to work in the morning is very challenging. Especially when the wind is blowing against you. However, it is keeping me in shape and I've lost some weight and toned out my tummy. It's a win-win situation here.

Viper, Dan and I got a new roommate last Tuesday. Stephanie is definitely an awesome girl. I had a car for a few hours last Tuesday after work so we went to Paia and walked around for a bit and got some tacos at the Fish Market. Saturday morning we walked ALL THE WAY UP to the Iao Valley. We did a small hike once we got up there because we were too tired to do anything else. We hitched back down in the back of a pick-up truck. Then a friend picked us up and we spent all afternoon at my secret beach in Paia (Blue Towell Beach). It's the first beach I went to by myself when I first moved out here. After that we just went to the Opi Food Mart (across the street from the bungalow) and chilled with my friend Brad and the owner.

Sunday Brad and I went to Black Rock. There's a beach in Kaanapali and I swear it has the hottest sand ever. The sun is just so freaking hot on this beach and I don't understand why. Needless to say, I got a lot of color this weekend. After the beach we went to the Blue Lagoon on Front Street in Lahaina for happy hour. The last time Brad and I did a happy hour the Phils were playing the Marlins; last night they were playing the Dodgers. The game went into overtime so we went and got ice cream at Cold Stone. I ordered a cheesecake flavored with graham crackers crushed and fresh blueberries and strawberries smushed into it. Let's just say it was LEGEN- wait for it...waaaaait for it-DARY!

For those of you that actually read this, I'll be home on Sept4th. TIME TO MAKE PARTY!

oh, i'll break them down, no mercy shown, heaven knows, it's got to be this time

2008-08-19T06:38:00.003-10:00

Last Tuesday night we had a surprise birthday party for Dani at the bungalow. She was definitely surprised and excited. We all danced the night away and had a great time.

(LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren, Maylynn, Erin, Dani, Me, Alicia) These are the girls that have become really good friends of mine out here. We have girls night out, we do beach trips, etc. Just normal fun girl events. And they're all leaving me.

The rest of the week just sort of floated by. Then this weekend. Oh, wait till I get pictures. I know, I know. I owe you lots of pictures.

This weekend I went camping up in Hana. I went night-swimming in the seven sacred pools (http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/seven_sacred_pools.html) under a full moon! The water was absolutely freezing, but it was magnificent. On the way up to Hana I saw a really weird rock in the middle of the ocean. It was it's own little island and at the peak it sort of formed a Y shape. I made our car pull over and I told the people I was with that I was swimming out and climbing up. I felt so determined. There are pictures of me accomplishing this outrageous mission and I'll have them posted soon! The water was rough and made it almost impossible to climb up the rock, but I was not to be defeated. The jump down couldn't have any more than 25 feet, but still, what a huge rush of adrenaline!

I hopped a ride home with two other people, Luke and Evan, from Nova Scotia. We had been talking about the Commando Hike (mentioned in full detail in one of my previos entries) and they said they've heard of it, but had no idea how to go about getting there. So, I took them on the hike. Yes, I did the Commando Hike again and it was just as wild as the first time. Plus, a lot happened and I felt more alive than ever. So, yeah man, what better way to appreciate life than jumping off 50 foot cliffs and hiking up waterfalls inside lava tubes? I can't think of anything more exciting!

i'll tell them what the smile on my face meant

2008-08-12T07:10:00.005-10:00

Yesterday, I had me some good times. I hung out with Viper after work for a while. We just ate food and passed out for an hour to B101 type music. It was actually pretty funny because I passed out on the bigger couch and he was all curled up on the love sofa. I heard our other roomie, Bill, getting out of a car so I woke up and went to my room. I left Viper curled up on the smaller sofa while Shania Twain's "Looks Like We Made It" played on the stereo. Hilarious.

After waking up, I sat out front and took two pictures of my view (photo# 1&2). When you first walk out my front door, you see Iao Valley (pronounce eee-oww). Absolutely beautiful to come out and see this site every morning.

Around 5:30ish I went and met up with a friend at Gianotto's. We drove further out western Maui to Waiehe. There's another valley out there and the road to get there was similar to Hana... lots of curves, narrow paths. The only scarier part is there is no guardrail. Pretty intense.

This was what I saw when I got out of the car (photo #3).

The valley overlooking the ocean. And when I turned around I saw the following (photo #4):

We went hiking through the trees and came upon a small pool of water (photo #5&6).

The weather was a lot cooler up here and I was already shivering so I decided not to go in the water. Instead I walked around for a bit taking pictures of the water fall (photo #7&8).

While walking around, an attack was planned to strike my legs. Twas a mighty battle and the other team was very brave, but it was me who had the last laugh. I literally screamed FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM after I won the war. My legs don't look bad now, but let's just say that at one point last night there were 48 tiny female mosquitoes feeding on one leg. I didn't take the time to count the bitches on the other leg. Instead, I started beating the living shit out of it. I wrote a song about it. The song is more of an inside joke with my sister, Michelle. Anyways, here's a little something something:

High above the valley-val, mountains made of clouds,
There sits Lisagirl, sitting oh so proudly.
Not much to say when you're high above the valley-val.
Yeah, yeah.
Lisaaaagirl, what is the secret of your power?
Lisagirl, won't you take me far away from the valley-val now?

Now it's time for me to tell you about Mosquito Man,
archrival and nemesis of Lisagirl, with powers comparable to Lisagirl.
What powers you ask? I dunno, how 'bout the power of the bite?
That do anything for ya? That's bloodsucking holmes.
How 'bout the power to drive ya crazy from itching, anywhere in the world
with their poison! That's outrageous, Michelle.
How 'bout the power... to scratch you?

History of Lisagirl and Mosquito Man,
Riggah-goo-goo, riggah-goo-goog.
A secret to be told, a gold chest to be bold,
And blasting forth with three-part harmony, go!
Lisagirrrrrl, what is the secret of your power?
Lisagirl, won't you take me far away from that valley-val man?

When Lisagirl and Mosquito Man joined forces;
they formed a band the likes of which have never been seen,
and they called themselves Itchy and Scratchy. That's right,
Me! And Mosquittie!
[mosquito man]: That's me.
We're now Itchhhyyy and Scratchy!
Come fly with me, fly!

Lisagirrrrl, what is the secret of your power?
Lisagirrl, won't you take me far away from the valley-val now,
Oh!
Take my hand!
Mosquito man, we're gonna fly!
Bring out your broadsword.
There's the hydra.
Slice his throat!
And grab his scrote.
You take the high road,
I'll take the low.
There, the crevasse,
Fill it with your mighty saliva.

hey you, don't help them to bury the light

2008-08-11T08:06:00.003-10:00

Another boring Monday morning at work.

Last Monday night I went out to dinner in Lahaina with a group of girls I know from the bungalow. We had an awesome girls night! First, we had some dinner and drinks at Mai Tai. The food was really delicious. After that we just walked up and down Front Street for a little bit and talked.

Tuesday I got home from work and literally passed out. Ha, come to think of it, that's what I did in Philly every Tuesday. I'd come home from work at about 1, and plan on taking a 20 minute nap, but I'd wake up 5 hours later. Yep, that's what I did.

Friday I came to work at 9 and left at 5. I went to Kihei to help a new guy buy a car. He needed someone to drive the rental car back to Wailuku and I offered my help. Jason just moved to Maui from Juneau, Alaska. He's working at PW as a pilot.

On saturday, Jason and I went to Little Beach for about 3 hours. He didn't feel like driving, so I took the honors without hesitating. Plus, he doesn't know his way around yet. It's fun to be a passenger out here and just look around at all the spectacular views. However, driving around out here makes me realize I really want a a car. Saturday night I went out with a few guys from the bungalow. We went to Charley's in Paia and got completely smashed. I was with Roberto, his friend from home, Frederico, and a guy named Santiago who is from Spain. We had a great time, but I didn't get out of bed until about 11am on Sunday morning. And that was just to get a glass of water and then get right back in bed! After hydrating myself and laying around, Andrea and a jeep full of other friends picked me up and we all went to Little Beach for the Sunday festivities.

I love the people that I have met out here. Some have been here longer than I have, and some I met when I came back out here with Michelle. Regardless, they're from all over the world and they're some of the most amazing people. Saddening as it may be, everyone always leaves. Destined for home, or another fun-filled adventure, they always look back at Maui and their time spent at the Bungalow as a highlight of their life. One of the most amazing persons I have ever met is Jason "Montana" Crew. He was here in January, but has since moved back home in Alaska. He'll be sailing his way down here sooner than later. It was hard enough coming back here knowing Montana wouldn't be here. Now, come September 3rd, more than half the people I know will be moving back home. A bittersweet situation knowing that there is a huge possibility you may never see these people, these wonderful friends that you've basically lived and spent your days with, again. Yet, what a wonderful thought that you can always meet up for drinks somewhere in the world.

I'm waiting for friends to upload photos. There should be more than a handful coming soon.

we all want to be big stars, but we don't know why and we don't know how

2008-08-04T05:49:00.004-10:00

So, the end of last week was pretty boring for the most part. Wake up, work, eat, sleep, repeat.

Friday night there was a huge party at the bungalow. I only stayed for a couple hours and felt like I was upside down riding my bike home. Saturday was a complete girls day at the beach. A few girls from the bungalow picked me up and we headed to Little Beach. It was exactly what I needed.

The water felt great and the sun was bright and hot. I really had a great time.

I had to take the all time unoriginal photo of the foot prints Daniele and Maylynn left ahead of me.

And of course, another photo of the sun going down in Kihei.

Sunday looked like a terrible day for the beach. There was a dark cloud sitting on top of Kihei so Little Beach was out of the picture. Viper and I packed some snacks, bought a 12pack and headed to a beach/park type of place that he knew about. Turned out to be a lot of fun. My friend Bianca from the hostel was there with some of her friends and we all just hung out and drank.

Later last night I went and saw Step Brothers with some friends and it was hilarious. Started off great, got boring and sappy in the middle with some funny parts, and ended great. I had tears coming out of my eyes at one point, so that says enough.

It was raining all yesterday late afternoon and night. The weather got real cold and it felt amazing. Oh, and I cut my bangs the other night.

Today is Monday morning, August 4th. Exactly one month ago was my last day in Philly. Exactly one month ago was the last time I've seen fireworks. Exactly one month ago the Phillies beat the Mets. Exactly one month ago was the last time I've seen my friends and family. Exactly one month ago I was as nervous as one can possibly get. Exactly one month ago I had no idea that exactly one month later I'd actually be making this happen. Funny, isn't it?

you were watching the whites of your eyes turn red

2008-07-29T06:59:00.012-10:00

Tuesday, Tuesday...

First and most importantly, Happy 6th Birthday to my sister, Hannah! She's one out of four of the most amazing girls I'm lucky enough to call my sisters. I wish I could be there to help her celebrate.

Last week a few people at work made plans to go to the beach this afternoon and it turned into a huge work thing. So, now we're all bbqing at Baldwin Beach later. The weather is kind of muggy right now so hopefully that changes.

Yesterday, while I was waiting for my friend Brad to pick me up from work there was a guy in the boarding area with the cutest puppy ever. I obviously took a picture of Krysten playing with the puppy. All you really see is Krysten's ass though (HI KRYSTEN!).

Brad and I went to Little Beach to hang out and catch some sun. Some people from the bungalow were already there so we just set up our stuff with theirs. As we were walking from Big Beach over to Little Beach a paramedic car drove as far onto the beach as possible and a couple dudes got out with a stretcher and started heading towards Little Beach. All we're thinking is how shitty this situation is considering there's a huge wall you have to carefully walk over in order to get to Little Beach. Brad had asked what happened and apparently someone broke their hip. After we set up on the other side we're all just kinda chilling and waiting to see what's gonna happen with the dude who broke his hip. The paramedics have him on the stretcher and it looks like they were going to try carrying him. Nope. All wrong. The coolest thing ever happened.

They helicoptered him off the beach. Seeing the helicopter come over the rocks out of nowhere with some guy dangling in the air, dropping himself to the beach and attaching the guy with the broken hip to the rope and taking back off all within 3 minutes had to have been the coolest thing I've seen in a while.

What a day at the beach! The water was extremely rough. I was being tossed around and body slammed into the sand by waves that were reaching 7-8 feet high. A couple of us walked further down the beachline to see about jumping off a rock, but it was impossible to climb up due to the treacherous water. So, we all made our way back to the beach. We layed around and swam a little bit, and then Brad and I headed to the end of happy hour at a bar called Life's a Beach located in Kihei.

My second night ever on this island was spent at this bar with people I'll probably never see again. Still, we had a great time. Alcohol is always a fun ice-breaker. Especially, when it's served as pictured:

The food here is also really good. After getting trashed off a liter of Mai Tai and talking about how the Phils are better than the Mets -yes, unfortunately, Brad is a Mets fan- and then finding out that the Mets are no longer currently in first place for the east division, we went to dairy cream for some more food.

The following photo is of Brad eating his first of two orders at Dairy Queen. Brad is from Jersey. He's been living out here for quite some time now. I met him when I first came out here in January. [sarcasm]I'm only friends with him because he has a car[/sarcasm].

I'm kidding in case you didn't pick up the "sarcasm" notes. Brad's another awesome person I've had the pleasure of meeting out here. He looks like Matt McConaughey and I feel it should be a rule that everytime he walks into a room Lynrd Skynrd's Sweet Home Alabama should start playing on the speakers.

Kihei has some of the prettiest sunsets I've seen out here. On the drive back to Wailuku I tried to capture the sun at it's brightest.

the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire

2008-07-28T10:57:00.002-10:00

Maui is burning down. Not really, but it sure smells like it. Somewhere on the island a sugarcane crop is burning.

Here are some quick facts I just googled:

Sugar cane begins with a 12 inch long "slip" cut from a stalk of cane that is machine inserted into the earth. The sugar cane then receives irrigation and fertilization, but not much else in the way of human attention beyond that while it is growing, and is ready for harvest in 24 months. A single cane stalk can produce three crops. Then the field is replanted with new slips. An acre of land can yield over 90 tons of cane or 12.5 tons of raw sugar.

After a cane field burn, especially on calm days, there will be lots of smoke in the air. Tradewinds will clear it out by the following day. Cane field burning is used to clear debris and excess leaves from the cane. It does not "cook" or prepare the cane in any way. The cane burning must be carefully scheduled to take advantage of favorable winds and weather conditions. The sugar companies have teams that coordinate within the company and communicate to the public. Often announcements of planned harvests are made on the radio. Use the information and take another route if at all possible. Avoid breathing the smoke if you can!

While these huge sugarcane fires are amazing and sometimes beg to be photographed, bystanders can get in the way. It is NOT safe to stop near a burn and it is foolish to even get close. Fires are carefully watched, but a sudden wind shift can direct smoke or flames in any direction. The smoke can be dense enough to disorient anyone and the dry fields burn quickly.

The coolest part about this is when ashes start to fall from the sky and you're hanging around people who have no idea what's going on. You just look at them with the most serious look on your face and say "VOLCANO!" Some people actually get nervous....it's hilarious!

gory, gory, what a helluva way to die

2008-07-27T19:26:00.006-10:00

Thursday night I came home from work to all of my roommates watching Band of Brothers. I was so thrilled! I'm happy I remembered to pack my box set because I simply feel that every single person I encounter should watch this series. If you haven't seen it, please take the time to do so.

Friday night I came home from work to the same thing. What a great way to spend a Friday night. I'll never get over this series. The best part is (and I'm sure this is key for everyone who is into it) that when you want to watch it, it's not like you just pick an episode and watch just that episode. You gotta do it from start to finish. Each episode offering more emotional and comedic entertainment than the last.

On Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early at about 7am. Ate some breakfast, packed some lunch, and went to spend the first half of my day with my landlord, Cathy. She's a fun lady and quite adventurous for her age (you'd never guess her age by how great she looks!). We went to Lahaina to go on a sailboat with her friend Bill and his friend Nancy. Here I am hanging out with people three and four times my age and I had a really great time. Learned a thing or two about sailboats and got plenty of sun.

"Oh, captain, my captain..." This photo above here is of the owner of the boat, Bill. You can't tell from this picture, but he looks just like Hugh Hefner. We took the boat out pretty far and the waves were getting extremely choppy. Apparently, we were sailing in the channel. That probably means absolutely nothing, but to me it sounds intimidating and bad-ass.

If I would have known just how much sun I would have gotten, I would have taken a before and after shot of myself. Instead, your stuck with a before shot of my feet for now.

After the boat ride, Cathy and I went snorkeling in hopes to see some turtles. No turtles were out playing, but lots of fish were zig-zagging back and forth. Before heading to the car, we went to the nearby restrooms to dry off. Outside of the rest area were two of the cutest puppies I have ever seen. These guys were so playful and adorable.

I took a power nap then went and met up with a friend at a pizza shop he works at. The owner is from jersey and has amoroso rolls sent out here to his shop. It's good to have a cheesesteak on an amoroso roll when you're so far from home. At least someone knows what they're doing! When we finished eating we headed to the bungalow. A big group of us all went to a bonfire at Specks Beach. Nice and relaxing, and we had perfect timing in our leave because it started raining as soon as we got into the car.

Today was a lazy day. I baked a blueberry pie and went for a bike ride. The weather was great today, but I was trying to hide from the sun for a little bit.

Tomorrow starts week 4 at work.

there's something happening here

2008-07-23T18:28:00.002-10:00

Well, it's only a couple hours later from my previous entry, but I just had to post this picture of another rainbow. I don't think my fascination with rainbows will ever go away. They are just so pretty!

if you don't expect too much from me you might not be let down

2008-07-23T13:36:00.004-10:00

This morning I had to come to work early so we could go to a safety training session at the Kahului Fire Department. I basically got certified to perform CPR today. Pretty nifty.

The fire trucks were from another planet. The front of the trucks (photo #1 and photo #2) looked like something out of Transformers. Actually, the whole truck looked as if it would turn into a fighting robot at any given time.

My manager Cassie took a few pictures of us in front of the trucks. I'll load them in this entry after she gets them up and online. After modeling in front of the trucks, we went into this classroom at the fire house. There were mannequins spread out on the floor. Basically, we picked one to be our date for the next 2.5 hours. I had a sweet little blue number that was missing the bottom half of his body (far top of photo #3). We learned how to properly perform CPR, how to operate an AED machine and how to do the Heimlich Maneuver. It was a fun and educational session.

The wind is really blowing hard down at the airport today. I'm tired and I still have about 6 more hours to go here.

the impossible is possible tonight

2008-07-22T06:23:00.002-10:00

I've really been enjoying myself out here. This Saturday will be 3 weeks exactly since I've officially left everything and everyone I've ever known and completely moved my life to Hawaii, and it still hasn't sunk in yet.

I'm sitting here at work and I look out over the mountains and there's a rainbow mixing in with the sunrise (photo #1). Unreal.

gonna free fall out into nothin

2008-07-20T16:17:00.006-10:00

I'm really sorry for not keeping this going every day. During the work week, there's not much to talk about.

Friday night I went to Kihei with my friend Brad. He's a jersey boy who used to work at the bungalow. We went to a party and hung out with some friends. I had to drive the one kid's jeep back to Wailuku. My first time driving on the island and I missed it more than I realized.

Yesterday, I met another roommate. Let's go back to before I was living here though. When I first came to check the place out there was a lady sitting on the couch. Turns out she is my boss' mom. So, I met his mom before meeting him. I thought that was funny.

Anyways, there's Danielle, my boss' mom, then there's Bill. He's an older dude in his forties and he's from Minnesota. Super cool dude. He put my bike back together for me. Yesterday I met Jeremy. He's closer to my age and I swear he played Viper on Full House. So, I'm just telling people I live with Viper.

Yesterday, Viper had to drive to Kihei to see his brother so I went with him and was gonna walk around town for a bit until he was finished, but turns out his brother was sleeping. We met up and walked around for a bit, and saw an artificial wave machine that some kids were playing on. I should have jumped in on it. Once that got boring, we left and went to this Irish Pub that's sort of hidden in the Wailea Golf Couse and had some beers. There was an irish band playing, and well, you all know how I enjoy that. We had a fun little time. After that we drove south to a point where you couldn't drive anymore. It was dark out and the stars looked absolutely amazing. Oh yeah, Viper drives a jeep with the doors off so the ride is completely windy and awesome. I love riding with windows down (or completely off) and the radio and heat on max. After an awesome ride around Maui, he introduced me to Lappert's ice cream. I had the jungle crunch flavor...very yummy.

Today we went for a small hike in the Iao Valley. The water in the valley is so cold it makes your body feel numb. We came home and then went back out towards Hana and did the bamboo hike... no where near as extreme as the commando hike, but still lots of fun.

Above you can see the path I was walking in the Bamboo Forest. It's actually really neat to just stand there and look straight up. When it gets windy all of the trees shake and you just really gotta be there to experience it.

This is Jeremy (Viper) walking ahead and leading the way. The photo is a little blurry, but you get the idea of what it's like being surrounded by bamboo trees.

This cliff here really wasn't that high, but I was nervous to jump in first. I don't trust people when they tell me it's deep. I need to see them jump in first. After finally jumping in, I just had to do it again. What you see here is me trying to figure a way to climb back up. I'm learning quickly that anything is possible out here.

On our way home we saw a pig! You hear all these stories out here about wild hogs and pigs, and if you watch LOST you know that there are pigs on the island, but I've always kind of laughed at the idea of pigs running around here. Nope, saw one today on the side of the road. They're like deer out here. It's great!

We stopped in Paia for some fish tacos and then went and jumped off sand dunes. After finally coming home and laying around for a bit, Jeremy cooked up this awesome dinner for me and the other roomie, Bill. We all ate and then moved the furniture in the living room around to make it more "homey."

I had a wonderful weekend and I couldn't have asked for more.

I scored the morning shift at work tomorrow (that's in like 6 hours actually!) and Tuesday so I'm pretty stoked for that. I'll try hitting the beach afterward and work on my color.

are you gonna waste your time thinking, how you've grown up or how you missed out?

2008-07-17T14:44:00.008-10:00

I posted pictures in the previous entry of our beach party. Nothing too exciting, but pictures nonetheless.

I'm all moved in! And I got my bike yesterday!

One of my new roommates, Bill, put most of it together for me this morning, but we need an allen wrench to tighten the nuts on the front tire. I'll figure it out soon.

Tonight I'm going to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight with some friends from the hostel. I'm super excited to see it.

I found some pictures in a friend's facebook album of the commando hike I went on last weekend. Sorry, Erick, but I'm totally stealing your photos to show everyone how wild and amazing the hike is!

Ok, so these are the branches we had to swing through. For the record, all the people in this picture and the following are all amazingly awesome people.

If you look in the back on the right hand side of this photo you will see someone climbing up the wall. I did the same thing. It's really quite an adventure.

This is just one of the many walls we had to climb. Some were mini waterfalls and others were just rocks spaced really far away from each other making it almost impossible to climb up.

Here is April climbing up a small waterfall. April is from Vancouver and she's one of the most energetic and happiest girls I have ever met.

These are the caves we had to walk through.

This is the second cliff we had to jump off. I think we estimated it was between 45-50 feet high. Completely outrageous, but totally worth it!

Erick right before he lands face first into the water. OUCH! He's a manly man so I'm sure he dealt with the pain during his alone time. This is just an idea of what you're looking down at prior to jumping.

And here you have Joe, Erick, and Bernd just sort of chilling on the little beach by the one cliff. If you look in the background of the photo you can see the cliff.

Well, that's all I have for now. I'm off this weekend so I'll be doing more stuff that will lead to more stories and pictures.

Until next time...

lot of people spend their time just floating

2008-07-15T15:29:00.005-10:00

Last night was a blast. A bunch of people from the hostel went to Baldwin Beach for a chilled out bonfire with some drinking on the side. I met an irish guy, Tiernan, from Belfast and pretty much spent the night talking it up with him. He's very sarcastic which makes for fun conversations. It was also my last night to hang out with my roomies, Sandra and Louise. They're from Sweden and they're headed to Vegas next. I really enjoyed hanging out with them the past week and I'm gonna miss them, but we'll see each other again hopefully. Also, when Sandra sends me pictures from last night I will upload them. **Just as I had promised:

This is the party van!

These are our pretty faces...

and here are our funny faces!

This morning I moved out of the bungalow and into my own place. I was sort of in and out though so I didn't have much time to take pictures, but I will later tonight and tomorrow morning. All I have for now is the view of the outside of the house (photo #1) and if I were standing outside of my house I'd be looking up at Iao Valley (photo #2).

I literally put my bags in my room, took a quick shower and then walked over to the bus stop to go to work. Let's just say it felt great to shower in a full bath. Along my walk to the bus stop were lots of churches and one library. I went into the library to apply for membership, but I need proof of residency....so, that's my next step. Friday I will officially change my address and get a Hawaii State ID.

I recommend everyone listen to some music by Jack Johnson.

i'm going down to sleep on the bottom of the ocean

2008-07-14T18:01:00.005-10:00

Last night I drove around with Dan on his moped. Our short ride really inspired me to consider getting a moped. Dan is awesome. He's from Washington State and has been living/working at the bungalow for about 8 months now. He's my movie/tv/cartoon buddy. When I first met him he made me watch Metalocalypse. I was traveling alone for the first time in my life and watching Metalocalypse somehow put me at ease.

He drove me down the road to drop off some papers for the place I'll be moving into tomorrow. Yes, sadly, I'm leaving the bungalow and I'm gonna be living at my own place. I'm pretty sad about it, but excited at the same time. While the bungalow is an amazing and fun place to be, it'll be great to have my own bedroom and own privacy. The one thing that is awesome about my new setup is I'm still in the same area and I can head over to hang out with everyone whenever I want.

Today I slept in and watched some tv before heading to work. There was a movie on tv earlier that Dwight from The Office was in. I was really confused. I don't like seeing certain characters acting in different films. He's Dwight!

On a closing note, if you'd like to send me tastykake products or wawa goodies you should probably email me for my new address (lisamarienowacky@gmail.com).

ps.
It's been over a week and I'm still not homesick.

there's something sweet about seeing the world

2008-07-13T15:37:00.004-10:00

As for today, I regret to say that it was impossible to take pictures today...unless of course I would have had an underwater camera. So, try your best to use your imagination to the fullest as I go into detail about my absolute favorite day in Maui yet.

Today a few of us woke at around 7:30AM and headed out for the Commando Hike. Dan drove again this morning and it was Dan, myself, Fernando and two other guys...Phylis and Oliver. I think they're from Germany. Either way, we drove halfway out to Hana and parked the car on the side of the road in front of a blocked off gate that read Paaea Road. We hopped over the gate and started our voyage.

At first glance, it's hard to believe what lied ahead of me. While walking you're basically out in an open field- to your left is lots of land and trees, and to your right you're overlooking the ocean. Keep walking ahead and more trees come into view and begin to shade out the sun as you come across a very small body of water (creek/stream) with lots of large stones to walk along. Back home we call this step-n-stones. We "step-n-stoned" for a little while until we came upon a small waterfall. We had to climb up the slippery rocks as water was falling down and, surprisingly, I did pretty well. After achieving that goal, the path ahead seemed a bit tricky because there was no path at all. Nature was testing our physical strength to an intense limit for there were lots of branches and trees hovering over the stones creating something very similar to what you see in the top of this picture I found on google images:

We had to sort of "monkey bar" our way through those types of branches, but keep in mind there was a small stream of water and large stones underneath us. We were swinging branch to branch, climbing under them and over them, it was super awesome. Upon exiting what I refered to as the jungle, we found ourselves standing at the entrance of a cave. We had to dip into the water and swim through different "pools" of water and then climb up more rocks in the pitch black cave. We were in there for the longest time just swimming in the dark and making our way towards the light, which is not something you see for quite some time. The cave was absolutely amazing, but it's definitely not a place you want to be caught in when it starts raining!

Finally, sunlight once again! The sky seemed so much brighter than it was when we first ventured out, but that's only because our eyes had adjusted to the pitch black darkness. We gave ourselves a few moments to look around at our view then continued along the rocky, dirt path surrounded by trees to our next stop- a 10, maybe closer to 15 foot cliff. No big deal, right? Right. We all jumped in and it felt great. We swam to land and made our way to the next cliff. Now, mostly everyone who knows me knows that I'm terrified of heights. So, this next cliff was an extreme challenge for myself. I want to say it was almost 45-50 feet high. Fernando and Phylis jumped first and Oliver and myself were a bit afraid at first so Dan stayed behind to make sure we wouldn't chicken out. It's a good thing he did so, otherwise, I'd still be standing up there right about now. After about 15 minutes of breathing hard and telling myself I won't die, I jumped. Only problem is that I didn't jump properly. Yes, there's a certain way to jump off cliffs when you're that high up and I wasn't really thinking about that. Instead, I was thinking about how outrageously crazy I am to to have let myself get to that point. Needless to say, my body hit the water the wrong way and I had the wind knocked out of me and I messed my back up pretty bad. It still hurts right now. I swam to shore and tried to crack my back and do different things to it. It started to feel better than it did, but it's still sore. Regardless, I had no choice but to continue. There's really no looking back.

We had one more cliff to jump off of before ending our extravaganza. This cliff wasn't as high, maybe 30 feet, but I was more nervous this time because of my back. It took me almost 30 minutes to finally say "screw it" and just jump. I did it the right way this time, too!

We step-n-stoned our way back to the first and original path we were on, and I've got to be honest, as we were making our way out from the trees and out onto the open fields again, this time with cows grazing, and the ocean spread out underneath the sky on our left, I had a feeling of success. I felt like I was lost in the world for years, and I just found my way out. I felt like a survivor.

The whole time I was wishing I could capture each view and moment so that I could share it with everyone. You'll just need to visit so I can take you on the hike.

There really is something sweet about seeing the world.

clocks lie- we have no time at all

2008-07-13T15:01:00.006-10:00

Let's go back to Friday night.

I finished work at 4:30 and came home showered and went on a date to a thai restaurant. The dinner was very nice. After we ate we got some of the best ice cream I've ever had in my life. I'm not even lying. I think it's a hawaiian brand. If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure it was called Roselani and it was a coconut pudding flavor. After eating ice cream I kind of just chilled and hung out with other friends all night. A few people at the hostel decided to go get some food at Jack in the Box. I really wasn't that hungry, but I've never been there before so I HAD to try something. I wasn't impressed. For those who don't know, Jack in the Box is just another fast food place- not bad, but not great.

Saturday and today were my days off.

Yesterday, I went to Kihei with Fernando and Roberto. Roberto and a few of the other guys out here are into windsurfing. Apparently, Kihei isn't the best place for it, but there was no wind elsewhere. Anyways, the following picture is of Fernando. He is originally from Mexico but has been living in Arizona. I'm gonna miss him when he's gone. The place we're at is more of a park than a beach, but it was very relaxing. The sun kept coming and going from behind the clouds, but I fell asleep for a while and ended up getting a nice amount of color.

The next few pictures are of Roberto (Rome, Italy) setting up his board, getting ready to head out and show us what he's made of, and then finally getting on the board and sailing off. I recorded an awesome video as well, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to upload it right now.

After our long and relaxing afternoon, we headed back to the hostel to freshen up then headed out to Paia for some dinner. Dan (Ireland) joined us for this trip. He actually drove. We went to a pizza place called Flat Bread...the pizza was amazing!

That will conclude this entry.

if everything could ever feel this real forever

2008-07-10T19:09:00.002-10:00

I had the closing shift at work today. It's not too bad at all... I'd just much rather be working the opening shift.

Earlier, I met an older couple who were supposedly flying out go GO! Airlines, but apparently GO! had no flights scheduled. They seemed a bit upset, understandably, so they came over to my counter and asked if there was anything I could do for them. I said we couldn't get them out until tomorrow morning and gave them our number in case they wanted to call later and book a flight. The lady looked at her husband and said "Well, hun, this isn't as bad as US Airways losing our luggage when we went to Africa." I couldn't help but giggle, and then I explained how I just left US Airways to come live and work out here. She started laughing and said "We're from Philadelphia, and I..." I totally cut her off and said "I'M FROM PHILLY!!" Then she praised me on being so happy after not just for working for US AIRWAYS, but also working at PHL. It really is such a small world.

Tomorrow I'm in 8:30-4:30 (training schedule) and then I'm off Saturday. We get our schedules for the week every Saturday night.

I want a cheesesteak so bad right now.

talking to the songbird yesterday

2008-07-10T08:40:00.010-10:00

So, I'm a day late on this. "I'm sorry." (Michelle & Jamie are probably the only two who will get that!)

Wednesday proved to be the most productive, yet laziest day I've had thus far. I woke up at 4:30AM and got to work at about twenty after five. I enjoyed that shift a lot. Mostly because I have the rest of the day to do as I please. Oh, and before I forget, I got my pacific wings badge today (see photo #1). Yeah, it's official now.

I clocked out at 1:30PM and had exactly ten minutes to change and make it to the bus stop for the 1:40PM pick up.

Mission accomplished.

The bus took me to a town called Pa'ia. It was my first time out that way and I had a nice little afternoon. I found a small beach down the road that I later learned is called Blue Towell Beach (see photo #2, 3 & 4).I layed my towell out and fell asleep for an hour, then went swimming for a bit. There was a group of people hanging out further down the beach and one dude stopped to talk to me for a bit. I immediately pictured my grandmom and Aunt Pat yelling at me saying "He's a strange weirdo. Get away from him!" but I talked with him anyways. His name was Jed, which is short for Jedidiah. He is a 36 year old bartender at a local bar in Paia and seems like an awesome dude. He gave me a lift back to town so I could walk around and kill time waiting for the next bus. I was tempted to try hitchhiking, but once again, my grandmom and Aunt Pat popped into my head. My aunt always says "make sure you pack your common sense!" Well, I guess I remembered to bring it!

Anyways, there are lots of stores and restaurants in the main section of Paia. It was a nice little hippy town. On my walk back to the bus I saw a really cool looking cemetary (see photo #5) and directly across the street was a neat protestant church (see photo#6) that was kind of set on a hill. While waiting for the bus I met a 14 year old skateboarder kid who I'm still not sure whether it was a girl or boy. We'll call him lil dude. Little dude was extremely informative on a lot of topics...one of them being hitchhiking. He/She explained to me the common courtesies of hitching and was blown away when I told how it's illegal in philly and most places on the mainland. Next to the bus stop was a really neat looking tree with orange flowers (see photo #7) and across the way was my view of the ocean and sky (see photo #8).

I'm really enjoying this new found independence I feel out here. I can venture off to different places without being afraid to do it alone. It's honestly a great feeling.

I have nothing holding me back.

there's nothing here to run from

2008-07-08T17:45:00.002-10:00

So, my apologies, but no pictures today. I had a fun day at work. Learned a lot, and I even got to say "You're late so you missed your flight." The lady's reaction shocked the hell out of me though. Now, most of you are thinking "did she hit you?" or "did she scream at you and make you feel absolutely terrible because there was some sort of tragedy and she absolutely NEEDED to be on that flight?" No, those responses wouldn't have shocked me, I'm used to that and a bunch more...this lady, she apologized for being late and offered to pay the $25 rebooking fee. I think I passed out because I don't remember what happened after that.

Needless to say, I think I'm gonna get used to this rather fast.

The past two days I've had an 8:30am-4:30pm schedule that was for training. I'm not technically on the schedule yet, but I go in tomorrow for a 5:30am-1:30pm shift. They only have two different shifts- the 5:30AM-1:30PM or the 1:00PM-9:00PM. I much prefer the 5:30AM shift because I can have the whole day to go hang out on the beach or do whatever I please out here in beautiful Maui.

So, tomorrow I plan on heading back into town after work and getting some lunch with a friend then I'll head on out to the beach for a few hours. I've gotta say, I'm loving it out here. I know it's only been a few days, but it's hard to get homesick when you're in paradise.

i am taffy stuck and tongue tied

2008-07-07T20:20:00.003-10:00

It's official. I work in Hawaii.

Today was day one at Pacific Wings. I arrived and still couldn't believe I was going through with this crazy idea. Today was basic first day stuff...fingerprints, ID/security badge paperwork, security training, and all that extremely boring stuff. I was having a hard time accepting the fact that my view from the ticket counter, which is outside, is Haleakala (picture #1 is my view). Haleakala is a volcano that forms almost 75% of Maui. You can learn more by checking out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakala.

I was able to see the aircrafts (picture #2) we fly at Pacific Wings, and I think it's safe to say that I will never be flying on this airline. They seriously make my tummy turn upside down just looking at them.

All in all, it was a boring work day, yet still quite amazing because it's a boring work day in hawaii. I just wish my bike would get here already. Taking a cab isn't helping with money, and these buses don't run early enough to get me there on time.

Looks like it'll be another early night in bed for me.

i wish it were sunday cause that's my funday

2008-07-06T20:57:00.003-10:00

Every Sunday is a big beach day. See, the bungalow (the hostel) has daily tours that they bring the guests on. Each day is a different tour and a more amazing experience than the previous day. Sundays, here in Maui, are spent at Makena's Big Beach and Little Beach (if you look at the pictures the first one is taken as the sun is going down, the second is overlooking the two beaches-it's obvious where the title Big and Little come in to play, the third is a sea turtle hanging out in the ocean not too far off the beach). We hang out on big beach for a while, play some volley ball, ride some waves, then around 5pm everyone heads over to Little Beach for the partying. Little Beach is "clothing optional" which makes some people a little hesitant about climbing over the rocky wall that separates big beach from little beach...they just really don't know what to expect. It's a little overwhelming at first glance, but after a minute or so you get used to it. You might even take your top off...no, I haven't done that.

Little Beach is exciting and extremely relaxing. Mostly everyone is naked, drinking, smoking and just all about having a good time. Lots of dudes playing on their drums, people juggling, nude surfing as well as nude frisbee throwing. Being there makes me feel like I time traveled to the late 60s and I'm hanging out with Jim Morrison from The Doors. I'm not even kidding.

The water out here is so clear and it feels amazing. Once you get in, you just can't pull yourself out. I found myself just floating on my back for about 25 minutes without realizing how far I floated, which reminds me, there are no lifeguards out here on Maui. I think I heard someone saying before that there is one or maybe even two beaches out here with lifeguards, but for the most part Maui is lifeguard free. You don't think about it that much, but I thought about it today when I saw how far I floated away from the beach. All I could think of was being down Wildwood and the guido lifeguards blowing their whistles because you went out so far that the water was up to your hips. Out here, you have no boundaries. You challenge yourself to do things you wouldn't normally do.

Tomorrow I start my first day of work at the new airline. I'm not as nervous as I thought I'd be. For those of you US AIRWAY friends reading, I'll be sure to let you all know just exactly how great it is working for a much smaller operations on Maui! I'm sorry...I know that's terrible of me. I don't miss it at all...yet.

here i go again on my own

2008-07-05T15:35:00.000-10:00

Well, I made it. I didn't flake out on my own plans, and I honestly haven't cried yet. Almost, but someone laughed at me so I had to suck it up.

The weather is great out here, and that helps because it was rainy and miserable when leaving philly. I flew down here first class which made me forget about life for a while. My only complaint is that my living situation will be cramped till I find my own spot. Hopefully, that happens sooner than later. That's not bad for an only complaint though. Gotta start somewhere. Besides, the friends I have here at the Bungalow are phenomenal people and I'm really happy I'm getting to kick it here with them.

No pictures till I get a charger and usb connector for my camera.

Thanks to everyone who hung out the past couple weeks. See you soon.

but Friday, never hesitate...

2008-06-20T13:12:00.001-10:00

So, aloha, and welcome to my blog. I hope to be able to post daily once I get out there so everyone has an idea on what's going on in my life and what it is like to live in Hawaii.

Everyone at work is telling me they wish they had the guts to do what I'm planning on doing. They all mean well, but it's making me more nervous. I'd much rather not speak about it until I get there. Like, just get there and be all "oh, hey guys, I moved...out to Hawaii!"

Here are a few photos from the vacation Michelle and I took out there a little under two weeks ago

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