february at a glance

Hello blogging world! Sorry I've been MIA for the past few weeks. Things have been crazy and life has been going by fast, so here's an extra-long blog post to (hopefully) make up for my slacker-ness.

On February 5-9, my dear friend Erin came out to visit me from California. We spent the weekend sunning, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and exploring. It was so great to see a good friend, and even more fun to show her around town! We went to Maui for a quick overnight trip, and here's a highlight:

On the ferry ride over to Maui, we met someone who recommended Mackena's beaches, on Maui's south shore. So, after some morning jungle exploration, Erin and I headed to "Big Beach" in Mackena, hoping to soak up some rays. We parked in a dirt lot and followed the crowd to the beach, where there was a lifeguard tower set up and people were snorkeling offshore. We set up camp about 300 yards away from a rocky outcropping that abruptly brought the sandy stretch of beach to an end. As we lay on our blankets, we kept noticing people walking from the dirt lot past us to the rocky outcropping and climbing up the rocks. The path looked treacherous and people were struggling to make it to the top of the rocks, where they would disappear out of sight.

In the meantime, a giant cloud had come over the mountain and blotted out our sun. We were getting cold, and were intrigued by the steady stream of beachgoers braving the rocks. So we decided to follow them. It was a rough path, with signs everywhere warning against falling rocks. We stumbled our way over the boulders and up the steep path, determined to see what was so fantastic about the other side of the rocks. Finally, after much maneuvering, sweating, and (silent) swearing, we make it to the top of the rocks. As we walked toward the clearing in the trees, we saw a little beach with dozens of people spread out across it. We're talking wall -to-wall towels, chairs, and ez-ups. And here's the best part: not a single one of them had a swimsuit on. Yes, we had stumbled upon one of Maui's most infamous nude beachese! Well, we didn't have the balls(ha. literally or figuratively. forgive me grandma!!) to actually go to the beach, so we walked out to the point and took a picture from a safe distance. Don't look too close or you'll get a full frontal view!


We've had two Furlough Fridays in the last three weeks, and they've both been an incredible adventure! Our first Furlough Day was beach themed, and we hauled 17 kids down to Hulopoe beach for a morning of fun and games. We swam in the water, had a sand castle contest, and went on a tide pool scavenger hunt. i had a blast, and came home thoroughly exhausted!


Our second Furlough Day was intergenerational-themed. There's an 83-year-old Japanese man that has been a part of LBC for at least the past 50 years. He only stands about 4'10", but he is a force to be reckoned with! Once a surveyor for Dole during the pineapple plantation days, he is a self-taught expert on gardening. He came to the church on Furlough Friday, taught the kids about soil, fertilizers, plants, and sunlight, and then led them in planting a garden on the property. It was an amazing morning, and so much fun to see! In the afternoon, a few older ladies came to the church and helped the children make leis out of ribbon. The kids had a blast and so did I!

One last story before I leave you. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to be a judge in Lanai High & Elementary School's Annual Homecoming Parade. That's right. You can call me "your honor." Each high school class comes up with a theme for homecoming week, and competes in events leading up to the homecoming parade. They then create floats and banners for their class. This year's overall theme was "Celebrating Disney Classics." Here's a synopsis of each class:

Freshmen: "Surf's Up with Class of 2013". It was a Lilo & Stitch theme, complete with a hula dancing Lilo float.
Sophomores: "Everything the Light Touches is Your Kingdom. Bow Down to 2012". Lion King, of course. The float included Simba on Pride Rock.
Juniors: "Come to Life with Class of 2011". Toy Story.
Seniors: "ComeSail Away with Class of 2010." It was a Pirate's of the Caribbean theme, with a giant ship as a float. Complete with cannons & theme music.

Now, I expected some cute floats, but Baylor homecoming has NOTHING on these kids! I was completely blown away--they were THAT good! All the kids dressed up for their theme, and the parade included everything from a toy soldier march to a mock sword fight to a human wave. The parade went twice around Dole Park in the middle of the city. It was fantastic, and on the second lap it was pouring rain! This, of course, added to the drama, and the kids cranked it up a notch. After the parade was over (the route was twice around the park), the kids all held hands and sang the alma mater. Brooke, Kelsey, and I were almost crying on the sidelines. The spirit of the day was magical.

Judging was difficult, and the Freshmen wound up with the upset--beating out the spectacular seniors by a few points. It was so excited to be included in the experience! See facebook for lots of homecoming pics. Blogger is being stubborn and won't upload them.

Now that you've gotten about four blogs in one post, I feel less guilty about not writing for so long. I promise not to neglect this blog again. It makes for too much work when I finally decide to catch up!

Grace & Peace,

Brianna

to Hana and back again

this past weekend, Brooke Kelsey and I took the ferry across the channel to Maui for our first off-island adventure. i cannot believe how different Maui is from Lanai. Both islands are incredibly beautiful in their own unique way. Maui is so diverse--in both land and people. Our boat docked at Lahaina on Friday evening, and we drove 45 minutes across the narrow part of the island to Kahului, where our hotel was.

I haven't been off-island since I arrived in Lanai on January 2nd, so pulling into a port teeming with people was a bit overwhelming. So was the traffic. And the stoplights. And the shops. And even the amount of white people everywhere. It may sound strange, but I was so used to seeing people that looked different than me on Lanai, it was strange to see Caucasians in large numbers.

After the initial shock of "civilization", I was excited at the prospect of exploring a new place. We got up early on Saturday, and after a long-anticipated trip to Starbucks, headed on the highway to Hana. If you've never heard of the road to Hana before, it is famous for its hairpin turns, one-lane bridges, and lush waterfalls lurking around every corner. I was so excited to experience the road I had heard about in books for the last 10 years.

Brooke was our driver, which was very much appreciated. Those of you that have ever been in a car with me during traffic time or any other stressful situation know that I can be a bit hyper. So i was happy to sit in the back seat and enjoy the view. Our drive started in the pouring rain, but it lightened up as the day wore on. We hiked to waterfalls, explored remote little old-fashioned towns, chased some wild roosters down the road, climbed through lava-formed caves, and hiked to remote black and red sand beaches. Our experience was too rich to put into words, but I will relate my favorite story here, along with a few pictures (See facebook for more).


It took us 5 hours to get to Hana, such were our number of (fantastic!) stops along the way. We consulted a borrowed guidebook for a trail leading to a remote red-sand beach. The beach was c-shaped, and protected from the waves by an outcropping of rocks, making it more of a pool than anything else. I saw a picture in the guidebook and was excited to find this gem. The book said to park next to the Hana community center, cross a field, and take an unmarked trail to the beach. Not the most specific directions in the world, but we eventually stumbled across a trail that looked promising.

As we hiked further, we came across obstacles in the form of steep hills, fallen trees, and impassible rocks. We almost turned back three times, but decided to keep on 'till the end. And this is what we found.......

Not only was this the most beautiful beach I had ever seen, but there were a pair of monk seals--mom and baby--sunbathing right next to the locals on the shore. Not something you see every day. Even though we hadn't brought our towels from the car, Kelsey and I decided to go in the water. An experience I am so glad we had. I floated on my back and looked up at the red cliffs surrounding me, and felt so peaceful.

To say Maui is beautiful is a gross understatement. The island is breathtaking. It is beyond description. On Sunday we explored Pa'ia and Lanaiha, and I fell in love with their tropical-artsy charm. I felt like mt heart fit there. I could live there. I really could.

And that's a little scary for me, because I've never been in a place that I felt like I wanted to live in besides southern California. I had thought I might want to stay in Texas, but after moving there I decided it wasn't for me. Hawaii is different. It has stirred something in me, and I'm going to see where it takes me.

I've always admired those people who have crazy life experiences. Not bad crazy, but the ones that just take off and do something because they want to. Like the people that surf in the summer and move to the mountains to snowboard for the winter. I feel that spirit of adventure, but I'm too darn practical for my own good sometimes. I don't know if I have what it takes to be that sort of person, but maybe this is my chance.

I'll move back to CA after graduation in May--because I have a place to live and a summer job lined up. I'll give it a while--maybe a year, maybe 2, maybe 5--but then I'd like to come back here. I'm not sure what that looks like right now, but I think that's the beauty of it. We'll see where this road takes me. I'm excited to find out.