Michael Y. from San Jose, CA is a JERK.

Our first ever Haleakala sunrise was amazing. Seeing the sunrise above the clouds while walking around what feels like Mars, in mind-numbing cold temperatures during even more mind-numbing early morning hours was a wonderful experience. Definitely a five-star-on Yelp experience.

We decided on short notice to make the trek to the summit of Haleakala, the volcano we live at the base of. The night before our trip I worked until 9:30pm and when I got home we started to think that it would be near insane to wake up at 2:40am. We thought we should be more prepared, but in the end, we bit the bullet. We were asleep around midnight and surprisingly enough were able to wake up in just a few hours. We left the house in total darkness, except for the full moon, and went to pickup our friends. After a pitstop to feed Skunky and another pitstop to meet some new friends vacationing from Chicago, we were all on our way.

As we drove up the winding roads, the temperature gradually started to drop. Once we reached the top, it was just over 30 degrees. Thankfully Cheya brought some extra jackets, because wearing every long sleeved and long pant-legged articles of clothing we owned, we were still numb after just a few minutes of being subjected to that very familiar feeling of cold. I really don’t miss that feeling at all.

Wrapped up in blankets and borrowed jackets and every layer of clothing we could possibly fit onto our bodies, we waited for the main event. The sky gradually changed from a star-filled deep blue to yellow to orange and pink, and as that bright sliver of light came up above the waterfall-like clouds pouring over the opposite side of the crater, we knew that even with the lack of sleep and the uncontrollable shivering, this was worth it. It’s hard to describe, but seeing the sunrise as the moon set behind us, all while standing above the clouds in such a beautiful place had put me in a beautiful place. Yeah, you can stop making fun of me now. It was a great experience, OK?

Yeah, and Michael Y. from San Jose, CA gave his Haleakala experience TWO stars on Yelp. Two! It is Haleakala National Park’s only two star review. JERK.

OH! And we saw a giant double rainbow on the way home. The bottom rainbow was the brightest I had ever seen, it looked like giant neon tubes bent across the sky.

Darlene and I have been scouring Craigslist for a good, but affordable, paddleboard because a full new setup is not cheap. The paddle alone costs a couple hundred dollars new. We have been talking to a lot of people and tried out several used boards but we were striking out. Until today when we got VERY lucky! This board and paddle set had been on Craigslist for a few weeks but for some reason nobody snatched it up.

A very nice couple was selling their boards because they were no longer using them enough to warrant the space they were taking up in their living room. That’s one of the best things about this board, it was always stored indoors and therefore avoided any sun damage. The sellers live pretty much right on the beach so they let me take it into the ocean for a quick test ride. I was praying that I would like the way it felt to ride because we loved the way it looked so much.

Clocking in at a whopping 12’6″ tall, it’s not a tiny board but long boards glide much better when doing the kind of cruising we do. We decided we might continue the tradition of storing the board indoors but we may need to rethink that. Twelve and a half feet doesn’t look that big in the middle of the ocean but inside your house it takes on a whole new perspective. I think we will still keep it inside though… maybe.

Hurray, we finally got to use the centipede spear!

Everyone told us we would love paddleboarding but I wasn’t so sure about it. It looked fun but until I tried it I didn’t understand why it’s so appealing. It really is an amazing sport and a great workout. Plus, it’s very relaxing to be out on the water floating over the reef and looking down at all the coral, fish and turtles. We bought a used paddleboard but after only a week I’m realizing we just need to bite the bullet and get a couple better boards. They aren’t cheap but it’s totally worth it!

Well, I finally went surfing for the first time and it turns out I’m pretty much the best surfer in the world. Just look at this actual photograph of me surfing my very first wave. Man, it was so easy!

Actually, Cheya took me, his girlfriend Ashley and a very nice Canadian couple to a beginner spot. The Canadian guy is a gold prospector and insisted on wearing his old timey hat and tool belt in the water and could always be found eating from a can of beans. More lies. He really was a geologist and gold prospector though. This was their first attempt at surfing too and they both did really well.

Surfing is fun! Surfing is also exhausting and an amazing workout. I’m hoping to go surfing many more times and look forward to taking Darlene, who had to miss the fun thanks to her new job.

Oh, and a couple big manta rays swam by, flapping their big wings out of the water. I guess it’s kind of rare to see them up on the surface, so that was exciting.

So, I may have stolen this picture from the internet, but we aren’t allowed to use our cell phones on the property so cut me some slack, ok?

Today was my first day of  “work.” The first two days aren’t really work, but an intense, almost cult-ish session about how great the company you work for is. I have to admit, I really do think the company is pretty great.

I am officially a Hostess at Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante, one of the three restaurants at the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea. So, I never had a host job. So what? I would sometimes schedule myself as a host to save money two jobs ago. That’s good enough, right? I hope so. Thankfully the training is intense and thorough. I can get used to the perfectly clean and pressed uniform, tailored to fit me, always ready upon my arrival. I can get used to the free food and the FIVE free nights at any Four Seasons anywhere in the world. I can also get used to the fact that they encourage you to move to a different position if you feel that one is better for you.  I can get used to the 100% paid medical coverage, half off spa visits, oh, and did I mention that YOUR BIRTHDAY IS A HOLIDAY? So, you have to take off a day in your birth-month as a special paid treat for you. You have to. It’s mandatory. When’s the last time you heard of a company that tells you you have to take your birthday off?

So, aside from all of that, I am happiest about my change in scenery. My last Chicago office was the smallest office I have ever worked in. It was approximately 5’X6′ with 6′ ceilings, no temperature control, no windows, dim lighting, with knots of wires and constant chaos. I don’t blame the restaurant, all restaurant offices seem to be the same. Those brave souls that work in them know that that’s the environment they are getting into. That’s why when I was offered the same type of job here on Maui at a restaurant for what I was making in Chicago, I turned it down. You know what? I moved for a reason. I don’t want to create the same life here. I don’t want the high stress, cramped and disorganized environment way-of-life anymore. For me, it’s no way to live. I am ready for non-stop ocean views, less stress, and life and work balance. It’s what I always wanted. I think I am on my way.