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.

Operation Maui Mustache begins… NOW!

Awesome baby doves right outside my office window

Awesome lizard in our yard

Awesome vintage solid koa coffee table – craigslist score!

Awesome license to drive – my eyes are “BRO” colored!

I’ve seen a lot of green sea turtles since we’ve lived here, but always from the shore. Today I got lucky and swam up close with a big male sea turtle in the reef at Palauea Beach! It was close to 4 feet long from nose to tail, which is kind of intimidating at first, but he didn’t mind sharing the water with me.

The footage is a bit disappointing because I had literally just stuck my head underwater when all of a sudden a big turtle appeared right in front of me, less than 10 feet away. Unfortunately, while fumbling to get my camera I took a big snorkel-full of water into my mouth. The combination of excitement, choppy water, lack of preparation, trying to avoid the coral and trying not to drown, resulted in sub-par footage… BUT I am still thrilled I finally got to swim with one of these incredible, gentle animals.

I know I will have many opportunities to swim with the beautiful sea turtles of Hawaii, but this will always be memorable.