Whales, Turtles and Subarus -- Oh my!!

Well, here's what did not happen today: our car was not hot wired and stolen, leaving us stranded in our bathing suits on the side of the road. I know -- what a relief!! More on that later.

We arrived yesterday in Hawaii, and it is so beautiful!! Maui is nothing like the Big Island, where we have spent countless trips with our little faces tilted towards the sun. The Big Island is really all about lava. I was so surprised to see how green and lush Maui is. As different as the islands are, I still burst into tears on the way to baggage claim as I caught my first whiff of the air and my first glimpse of the palm trees. I think these islands will always feel a little bit like home.

We didn't do much yesterday. The day was SO long!! We left San Diego at the crack of dawn (literally I was up at 5:30 -- I know..). Then the flight was several hours, minus the 3 hour time change... We got here at 10:30 in the morning!! It was great to have the whole day ahead of us, but really, we were so tired. We did hang out by the pool a bit and watched the sunset cliff diving ceremony. The sun was gorgeous, and man does it feel great!! If you are still at home in the sogginess of the northwest, we are soaking up some rays for you! Even I appreciated it! As the sun was setting, the torches were lit, and a man dove off the cliff. Then the sun gently slipped below the horizon. What I loved was the applause on the beach. I leaned over to mom - "Gotta love the applause for the rotation of the Earth!".

Today we drove…I don’t know, west, maybe out of Kaanapali. Obviously I wasn’t the driver. But let’s be honest, there was only one road!! We stopped in several parts along the windy road for some awesome views of the ocean, and were even treated to some whales waving to us!

Along the way back we decided, somewhat spontaneously as we had the snorkel gear in the car, to stop at a beach for a snorkel. It was awesome! I came face to face with a little sea turtle. He swam right towards me and looked me square in the eyes before diving back towards the reef.

When we got out of the water and made our way back to the car, there were a few terrifying moments when we were fairly certain that our car had been stolen. As mom said, “That’s impossible!” My response was, “Um, do you watch TV? It’s possible! We’re totally hosed!!!” The how we came in to this pickle cannot fully be revealed because of a “Safety First” clause we signed before leaving Snoqualmie, but dad, I can assure you that no helicopters were involved. As I was getting ready to hike up to the emergency phone, mom decided to hike down the road and low and behold, across the OTHER bridge, and around TWO more corners, there was our car. Here are two very relieved swimmers (with the snorkel lines to prove it!!).

PS It's not like I don't know that the fonts are coming out different sizes, but me and my Green Flash Colada have lost the will to care about it. ;) Aloha!