Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Aloha ahiahi (good evening)-

This week things have started to settle down a bit into more of a routine for me, which has made it easier to settle in here on this little lava stone.

I have been working between 35-40 hours a week and am about to go through a beach lifeguard certification course next week which equals more adventures and movement up in the company.

My work week started out with a leisurely paddle around the bay ( I saw dolphins in the distance and wanted to get a closer look). I paddled out to the mouth of the bay and was quickly surrounded by hundreds....and I mean hundreds of spinner dolphins. I thought I had seen a few out there but not this many. I was on a stand up paddle board and quickly kneeled down which only brought them closer. I could have reached out on either side and touched them. They swam under me, nearly 50 at a time and turned to look right at me. They had babies with them (about 2 feet long) and the mothers let them swim right up to me. Off in the distance some of them started jumping out of the water and flipping and spinning (hence the name I suppose). They were flying nearly 15 feet out of the water, absolutely incredible!! I stayed out and watched them for a while and then paddled back in only to have an uncontrollable, stupidly large smile on my face for the rest of the day. I was on the clock this entire time, my manager was the one who told me to go. WOO!

I set sail on Wednesday on our second largest catamaran, Sea Smoke, to go snorkeling on a secluded black sand beach. I fell in love with the boats...and the crew. The nicest, goofiest people I have met out here on the islands. There is so much to be said about a crew on a boat that works well together and has fun while doing it.

Ran into another octopus, this one I befriended, and an incredible assortment of fish. My diving is getting better and I found a giant pearl! The kind you hit with a club and yell "FOUR" at...I cracked up. I am hoping to make the transfer out onto the boats as a part of the permanent staff soon. Someone mentioned that I should get my captain's license...can you imagine that?! Who in their right mind would trust me with a boat...or better yet a fleet of boats... Commodore Wenbourne... It does sound nice though right?

Thanksgiving was wonderful. I ended up having the day off and was invited to dinner with new friends who made pineapple glazed yams and tofurkey, both of which were wonderful!

The sunsets have been incredible, the wind has been unbelievably strong and I have taken up outrigger canoe paddling on the company's new canoe...well I went out on it once and now plan to find a team on which to race.

All is well here, I miss the changing of the seasons and the mountains, but I am enjoying this beautiful place as well.
Sending love from this little lava stone,

M.

My new addiction...

Tonight's sunset at A Bay

for the record this is not me ^...this is my new friend Kealoh'i

my new friend who lives for another calamari day.

Hot Cakes and Places

Aloha!

I have taken it upon myself to thoroughly research the best pancakes on this island... I don't know why, but it seems like a very serious endeavor not to be taken lightly (literally...some of these pancakes will sink you straight to the bottom of the ocean).

I recently visited the other side of the island, the wet side, for the first time this past weekend. I was greeted by a torrential downpour and a fabulous Italian meal in downtown Hilo, Hawaii. The coqui frogs were unreal...I mean U-N-R-E-A-L. These little guys are the size of half of my thumb and make the loudest sound I have ever heard. A frog orchestra in the rainforest, all night long. I cannot complain at all.

I visited my first farmers market while I was in Hilo and picked up nothing but cookies (don't judge me, I already was gifted more fruit that five of me could eat, so I felt obligated to try out the local bakery's cuisine instead). The flowers are outrageous, the fruits are so incredibly different than anything I have ever seen before and the avocados are the size of my face, literally, and so inexpensive. Local honeys and jams are everywhere and people will talk to you for hours. It rained through the entire Saturday market, but that did not stop anyone. These people live in a rainforest climate, so they are completely functional, rain or shine, it does not change their day to day...this sounds ridiculous when I put this in writing, but it is incredible to think that this is just how it goes here.

After the market I went up to Volcano National Park. It was a quick trip and I plan to go back for a more thorough visit, but in short, it was incredible. I cannot believe I was sitting on an active caldera watching plumes of steam rise out of the earth. I cannot wait to see flowing lava. Above is one of the pictures I took while walking through a lava tube in the park. The whole thing was probably 500 yards long, dripping, somewhat spooky and absolutely unlike anything I have ever seen before.

Work is finally starting to pick up here, Thanksgiving is coming up fast. Everyone I have met has made an impression so far. The people I work with are so kind, we all laugh all day and cannot help but be happy. We are all in our 20's for the most part, some of the captains are in their 30's-50's, but it is a very young-spirited crowd staff for sure.

The winds were blowing hard today, but that didn't stop us from having a good time. Morning paddles to check the winds out and the edges of the bay and then mid day paddles to escape the tourists and evening swims before driving home from work...things could be worse.

Tomorrow is my Friday. I am still finalizing my plans for Thanksgiving- I'm thinking turkey sandwich and a hike up into the hills, but nothing is set in stone. I have been invited by friends to join in their festivities, but may end up working to give someone else a chance to be with their family instead. Truthfully I would be pleased to be out on the water regardless. It's too pretty here to pass up a date with the sea turtles.

That's all for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, stay safe and enjoy the people around you.

Sending love from the lava stone in the Pacific,

M.

Strangers of all kinds

Oh the people I have met on this adventure.

There's the Czech Professional Hockey Manager and his wife who I took kayaking, who spoke barely a word of English and yet made me smile more than anyone else I have met on the beach so far.

The K2 staff of ski bums and outdoor sport junkies who showed up on the beach decked out in ski boots, trekking poles, snowboards, hatchets and hula hoops. They reminded me so much of some of the ski bums I have known in my life.

Nino the incredible musician at the Fairmont Resort who came and sat down at our table during his break to talk story (phrase for chatting). His voice sounds like IZ's voice (look up Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) (it will make your heart happy).

The local boys who work with me that have decided it is their mission to teach me how to spear fish...let's take a minute and think how ridiculous this situation is going to be...I'll keep you posted (literally) on how that little situation pans out...absolutely outrageous...

Then there is the wonderful couple from Toronto who happened to be sitting next to me on the beach on my day off and took my picture while we watched the sunset. This man had told me he was thrilled that I was embarking on such a journey and it had reminded him of his own travels through Europe as a young man out of school. It is amazing what people will talk about once you say hello. People love to talk and I am grateful...quiet people make me uneasy.

As for me right now, I am recovering from an attack of food poisoning (really made my day special) (I think I went a little crazy with some of the local cuisine and my body just couldn't keep up).

I am on the other side of the big island right now, Hilo, the wet side. I'm sleeping in the rain forest tonight... As I type I am surrounded by the sounds of Coqui (coke-kee) frogs...they sound like mini smoke detectors when they are alone, but when together, they sound like an orchestra of very tiny chimes and whistles...it's magical. I feel like I am down on the bayou somewhere or in the Caribbean amongst the palms and Jack Sparrow.

Geckos are on the wall right now (the daddy long legs of Hawaii) cruising around looking for bugs. Everything is damp outside from an evening shower and the night is alive with the frogs and insects of the night. All I need are fireflies (so out of place) but they would make me feel like I was in a dream.

Tomorrow I have a date with a volcano and the farmers' market.

Beautiful pictures to come of the adventures.

Still no SPAM...

Sending love,

M.

The Scene

To give you a bit of an insight into where I am working so far...

Anaeho'omalu Bay (where I have been spending half of my work days)

Eva and baby at Dolphin Quest (calf has not been named as of today)

Breakfast with an old friend and the most giant pancakes we've ever seen! (complete with macadamia nuts and coconut shavings...um yes please).

I am fortunate enough to have one familiar face with me here on the Big Island. Tori, my friend from UCSC is out here interning for a company called Dolphin Quest (yes she gets in the water with these beautiful creatures and is helping to train them and help others experience their magic as well). We have been able to go on a couple of adventures up to Waimea for those giant pancakes and to the beach today for a much needed R&R session. We both miss Santa Cruz a lot and it has been nice to share old stories and talk about people we miss from home. (We both are incredibly bummed that we are missing the seasons changing) Just knowing that she is here and literally lives less than five minutes from me (small world) has been a huge comfort to me since I have gotten here. It has been so great to have a friend here on the island to talk Santa Cruz with and share our mutual longing for Trader Joes and good burritos from La Cabana.

Speaking of my longing for yummy comfort foods, I have been exposed to some amazing cuisine out here. My co-workers have been cracking up at the fact that I have only been out here for a little over a week so far and have never been to the islands before that (some have never left the islands, some have not even traveled to the other islands, so the fact that I uprooted and moved here amazes some of them, myself included at times).

They are surprisingly accepting of my Cali nature and have included me in some beach brew fests and some of their favorite foodie spots in Waikoloa. The most recent has been something called a Poke (Poke-eh) Bowl. This little bowl is a bowl of white rice and then a marinaded raw fish of your choice. The chunks of fish are huge and the marinades have been great so far. If you're out here anytime soon I would suggest going to a local market and scoring one of these bowls as they are cheap ($3.99) and full of about two sushi rolls worth of amazing, locally caught fish.

I have gotten brief histories of the islands and gained incredible knowledge over Poke bowls sitting on the tailgate of my truck eating with coworkers watching the sunset. I would not trade these discussions for anything.

Almost into double digit days here and I have to say I am thankful for the time spent already and for the times to come. Hoping to get out on a boat this week to see the whales that are starting to trickle into the area (more sightings every day)

Sending love from the lava stones to you,

M.

Makani (Wind) and He'e (octopus)

Aloha oukou! (Hello to all!)

First things first...the people I work with are bad a$$. I am amazed every day at the stamina and strength put forward by the Beach Boys that I work around (this just in, I too am a Beach Boy, the only female Beach Boy on staff...yea...).

Today was my first official full day on the job. I will have a couple of different locations but for now I am working at Anaeho'omalu Bay (an-eye-na-ho-o-malu) or A Bay in Waikoloa, Hawaii. Since I am new my tasks have been to become familiar with everything Ocean Sports. I took a ride on the Glass Bottom Boat, went SUPing around the bay (not nearly as large as Monterey Bay, we're talking the size between the wharf, Cowells and the Lane), and spoke to guests about their interests in Hawaii and trips that we offer.

Today before even arriving at work I walked right past an entire pig in the ground being cooked for a luau to happen this evening...I should have known today was going to be an adventure. Apparently today was a day full of snorkeling along the coral reef with two of the Beach Boys (Matt and Dennen). I think it was a test to see if I could keep up with them (I ended up beating them back to the beach in the end so I think I passed). I taught myself to free dive and met them on the bottom where we found countless fish, sea cucumbers, beautiful huge coral, honu (sea turtle) and a particularly large octopus (we followed its ink trail to its lair...very cool).

Matt (approximately 140lbs and 5'5'') decides he wants to catch the octopus for calamari (harsh but true), while Dennen (who seems to be much more able bodied for this task standing at around 6' and 170lbs) and myself look on waiting to see what happens next. Matt's in for a battle.

Ink flies! The octopus is for lack of a better word, pissed to have Matt poking around with his dive knife and soon gives him a piece (or rather eight) of its mind. I did not realize the fear I harbored for octopuses (yes, octopuses, I checked) until this thing pops out of its hole in the coral and wraps around little Matt's arm and knife. I think I might have screamed a little (which looking back on, I am now a bit ashamed). Matt quick as a flash grabs it by the head and after major pulling and ink everywhere manages to get ahold of its head and calm it down (Octopus Whisperer seemed inappropriate, but that's what it seemed like). He then proceeds to insist that I touch it (I see my short Hawaiian life cut short by calamari so I quickly feel its tentacles and head and am back at a safe distance)...Keep in mind we are in 40 feet of water at this time with hellish offshore winds and chop (if we keep this up we are going to drift out to Maui...okay not really, I just really did not like the octopus for some reason).

Then out of nowhere Matt bites the octopus! UNREAL! I actually did shriek this time. The octopus retaliates by attacking Matt's face and pulling his mask off, but the damage is already done. The octupus is dying (he bit its eye...gruesome and downright disgusting, but it apparently is the quickest way to kill it). It turns a tie dye of colors like a crazy special effect and then loses all pigment and turns a sort of blank empty color of white. Matt retrieves his mask and snorkel from the octopus' grip and puts them back on. He is stoked on his find and I am sure if he had the beer batter and tartar sauce he would have fired it up right there on the beach (nothing will surprise me with this guy after that).

We are still about a 1/2 mile offshore at this point and all I am thinking is crap, we have this dead octopus in this deep water, we are going to get attacked by something that smells its blood... needless to say I am moving quickly. We get back on shore and not half an hour later, right where we were a tiger shark (or so it is thought) is spotted chasing a sea turtle. I rest my case. So what am I doing tomorrow? Going on an open water swim with Matt (another test?) to see how I fare against the chop...gggreeaattt.

Waikoblowa, as it is called by the locals, has seen nothing but intense winds for the past couple of days. Apparently there is quite a big storm coming in tomorrow sometime. Spectacular clouds and howling and I mean howling winds. I have had a restless couple of nights due to this wind up here in my lava field.

My exhaustion has gotten to me. I have evaded SPAM thus far and am instead sampling all of the fruit I can find including dragonfruit, banana apples and papaya.

Until next time,

Aloha nui loa,

M.

Made it!

Aloha!

I made it!

After flying over ocean for 5 hours and change being fed macadamia nuts and cookies, I made it to the surprisingly not so small island in the middle of the Pacific. I was wearing jeans and a light sweater (it was raining in Santa Cruz when I left) and nearly died as soon as I got off the plane. Bullets were sweat, and the open air airport (little tiki huts...seriously, that's it) were all the shelter in the lava field that we landed in.

I was lei'd 3 times...just saying... ;)

I was expecting to see Kelly Slater standing at the airport with two surfboards and a couple of Mai Thais (because he's Kelly Slater and can carry all of that), closely followed by Jack Johnson, however I suppose that will have to wait for another day...haha...

The Kona Airport is about 20 miles south of where I live, so we (Tracey and I) had a nice drive up through the lava fields to my turnoff and then a six mile drive toward Mauna Kea (which has a light dusting of snow on top) to Waikoloa Village, my new home away from home. My room smells like fresh flowers and one wall is covered in a sea shell collection and books.

Day one: arrival, initiation drink at one of the resorts with Tracey (where I saw my very first sea turtle basking in the sun) and a short hike and snorkel in the coral- it felt surreal. Fresh Mahi Mahi tacos (with a fish that was caught the hour before it was on my plate) and the sunset over the ocean.

That said, the homesickness did get to me quite a bit and looking back on it I am pretty sure I was just completely overwhelmed with the fact that every single little thing was new, right down to the birds that sing outside (Devin would be having a field day with these birds...no cheeseburger birds, sadly). I'm taking it a day at a time and just working through all of the new tasks at hand.

I SNORKELED WITH SEA TURTLES! I could not believe it! Not only did I see a sea turtle, but I saw four...I nearly squealed into my snorkel, and I may have for all I know...no shame...they were munching away on algae just hanging out...Crush and Squirt from Nemo totally fit the personalities of these guys...they are soooo mellow and definitely did not care that I was forgetting to breathe while watching them...which could have been awkward long term. While I was out I also saw a Hawaiian seahorse, which apparently is incredibly rare to see anymore. People that have lived here upwards of 30 years have said they have never seen one in the wild before...I feel honored to have seen one on day two, snorkel adventure two.

I have a little truck. Cruisin' around in a little white, stick shift pickup truck...look out world... I'm going exploring...loaned to me by my boss until I figure out what my situation is. (People out here have been so kind to me so far, I am so glad, however I am trying incredibly hard to be as kind and respectful as possible).

As for today, with the time difference still being 2 hours (Hawaiians do not do the daylight savings time thing), I am awake before the sun most times and am ready to start my day. I have my first company meeting tonight and I believe I will be starting work tomorrow. I am excited to get busy.

I just found out that my WFR (Wilderness First Responder) instructor, Mark, is teaching a course on the opposite side of the island. If I am not working tomorrow looks like I am taking a trip to find out where he is in a place called Volcano (how original). Maybe we can WFR people...hopefully not...that would be less than ideal.

The cheapest I have found gas is $4.52 a gallon...crikey!

No encounters with Spam thus far.

Hats are welcome and I have a big straw one that I wear everywhere already.

Although I am on the dry side of the island (upwards of 5-6in of rain a year), there are still random rainstorms. I got to watch a thunderstorm over the ocean a couple of days ago.

I am sure there are many things that I am forgetting, but good thing the web allows me to send more than just one email.

I'm alive and well. Craving some good ol' Santa Cruz breakfast right about now, but I'm doing great.

Until next time,

Aloha nui loa (much love),

Meggers