In this edition of 'Your Mom Goes To Hawaii,' I'll slowly but surely tie up some loose ends.
Pig update: In my last two weeks at the hostel, I only saw the pigs thrice. I was less apprehensive about seeing them, but because my anxiety level was high (about leaving, about heading home, etc), I was reluctant to walk anywhere on the property alone at night. I still don't like to be startled by wild animals in the dark! Shoot me.
The bidet. I did become accustomed to washing my own ass with a hose while sitting on the toilet. even though it was cold and awkward. Jungle life!
Swimming. I cannot recall the name of the beach that I went to with B, J, L, and A, but I will say this: eff you Portuguese Man-of-War. They were everywhere. Babies, kids, old ladies and your mother were swimming right alongside thousands of these stinging creatures. Me? I opted out. I have never been, nor will I ever be a fan of being stung. The damn ocean is scary enough without these things, even though they are tiny. Get off of me! On another note, seeing sea turtles swim around is pretty damn cool, even if I wasn't in the ocean. Also, standing in the surf, watching the waves roll in and out around my feet gives me crazy vertigo. Nothing like feeling like you're going to fall down in the scariest thing imaginable. Damn, I'm a city girl. I'll sit on the beach in my princess space.
Dirty feet. My feet are still covered in mud and sand from the magical and amazing island, and I kind of don't want to wash it off. I also still want to be barefoot all the time, but that's just plain stupid when you're in a city, let alone downtown (I'm barefoot now, regardless. Old habits are hard to break).
Puna-fication. As in, Puna will take everything you have, including yourself, and dominate it. I chose to leave so many things behind, simply because the humidity ruined them. Mildew is a dirty bitch. As for me, I feel Puna-fied. I no longer care about basic things like showers (I'm not THAT dirty or stinky, I promise) or changing my clothes. Hell, I want to run around naked (again, another thing that doesn't go over well in downtown Denver). Let's roll around in some mud. Fuck it.
Travel. I literally just spent 50+ hours getting from Pahoa to Denver. First a bus, a three hour wait, another bus, a night in a hostel, a five mile walk, three mile hitch, two hour flight, two hour layover, six hour flight, six hour layover, two hour flight and now I'm here. I have maybe slept twelve hours in the past three days. I haven't eaten much. I am so sick of air conditioning. If I have to sit near another talkative five-year-old on a plane, I may be escorted off because of bad behavior. Sigh. Breathe from the belly. It's all over now.
Tan lines. Mine are epic. Ha.
Okey dokey. Think you have your fill for the day?
See ya soon,
Aloha
Thursday, July 12, 2012
I'm Ron Burgundy?
Ahh, San Diego. Airport. For six hours. Chain-smoking is going on.
I feel relieved to be back on the mainland, yet anxious to finally be home. I doubt I'll sleep tonight in this freezing airport. My mind is racing. My heart is already aching for a few of the people I got to know in Hawaii, and it always aches for Denver when I'm away from it. I cannot wait to see my friends in the morning.
I know this blog kinda dropped off lately, but I assure you, I had better things to do. The past two weeks have been some of the best of my life. I look forward to detailing some of the finer points here soon.
Until the jet lag wears off,
Aloha
I feel relieved to be back on the mainland, yet anxious to finally be home. I doubt I'll sleep tonight in this freezing airport. My mind is racing. My heart is already aching for a few of the people I got to know in Hawaii, and it always aches for Denver when I'm away from it. I cannot wait to see my friends in the morning.
I know this blog kinda dropped off lately, but I assure you, I had better things to do. The past two weeks have been some of the best of my life. I look forward to detailing some of the finer points here soon.
Until the jet lag wears off,
Aloha
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Kailua-Kona
Whew.
The past few days have flown by. I've been camping and beach hopping on the other side of the island, among other things. Let's see if I can relay this properly:
Tuesday I woke up a little early with the intention of walking M and K to their bus stop. They had planned on camping for a few days before they both flew home. Long story short, they convinced me to go with them. Why not? I'm on vacation, after all. After packing my shit, we jumped in the back of a truck with another couple headed to Hilo. From Hilo we would take a bus to Kailua. I was excited to be venturing away from not only the hostel, but from this side of the island. I needed a change of scenery and camping sounded great.
Once in Hilo, we were dropped off at the mall, where we had some time to kill and so proceeded to walk around and drink beers out of a paper cup. We wanted to keep things classy, after all. There was a small arcade, which made me long for some skee-ball with my bitches back in Denver. This arcade didn't even have skee-ball. Boo. We ate some noodles and wandered back toward our stop at the mall.
Just before the bus was to arrive, we asked an adorable group of old ladies to take our picture, which led to our finding out that we were in the wrong place to catch the bus. Yay! Luckily one of the ladies, adorable Patsy, told us to get in her car, and she drove us to the next stop, where the bus was boarding. She told us she would park her car right in front of the bus so that it couldn't leave without us. I thought this was funny until she actually did it, then it was awesome and hilarious. She got out to hug and kiss us goodbye, and went on her way. Much love, Patsy.
We had to put our bags under the bus, and when that was done, we found ourselves some seats near each other and were again glad to be on the road.
Twenty minutes later M had to pee. It was urgent. I had to pee too. Urgently. Damn!
And so we had to get off the bus. M and I pressed the button for the next stop. We suggested to K that she stay on the bus so that she could get her rental car but she refused and got off the bus with us. Immediately it was apparent that we were in for a rough trip.
Let me say this before I say anything else: K, I love you girl, and had the circumstances been different, I'm sure things would have had a smoother flow. Aloha always.
So there was a freak-out on the side of the road which I had to turn around and walk away from. We had to get to the highway anyway. Pack time. Walk time. I didn't want to argue because there was nothing that could be done about the situation except to just deal with it. About fifteen minutes later we were in a good place to hitch from on the highway. Then there was another freak-out of epic proportions, but while it was going down, a guy in a jeep pulled over to pick us up, or ask questions, or who-knows-what. I didn't wait to hear anything. I immediately opened the door, and essentially just said the word 'Kona.' Luckily the guy, N, was headed that way to his condo, so we all three piled in, thankful to be off the road, and thankful for no more goddamn freaking out. We could relax, at least until we got to Kailua.
Approximately one and a half minutes into the drive, N passed a "road soda" into the back seat for our enjoyment or choking pleasure. Imagine a Nalgene bottle half-full of vodka, and topped off with Powerade. What better way to cool our throats and top off whatever beer buzz we may have had going? Mistake. K had enough to pass out about an hour into the drive and remain unconscious for about seven hours straight.
Once we arrived in Kailua, M, N and I left princess K asleep in the jeep an got into some shenanigans. We drunkenly walked down to the rocky beach at one point. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized I had left my boots on the beach overnight and so would have to deal with damp, stinky boots for the rest of the trip. It was no worse than dealing with my princess K, but I felt like an idiot. I would have been screwed without those boots. Anyway, I found them, that's what matters.
The next morning K informed M and I that she had drunkenly, angrily changed her flight to the next day, so she wouldn't be renting a car, and we would only be camping for one night instead of several. This also meant that we would now be either hitching or hiking to wherever we planned on camping that evening, and truthfully we did not have a plan.
We packed up our things, said goodbye to N, and started walking from the condo. Since we were so close to the coast, it made sense for us to walk along Ili'i and try to find a place to camp on a beach. We looked at my map, found a nearby beach, and began moving toward it.
As we were hiking, we happened upon a godsend. Da Poke Shack. I have been craving sushi like a mofo, so there was no way I was passing this place up. Nevermind the scorching sun, thirty-pound pack, or miles ahead of us, I wanted to gorge on fish. Making a selection from the case of poke of every variety was difficult, to say the least. The poke special of the day had my name written all over it: Spicy Ahi with scallions. I scarfed a half a pound like it was my friggin' job. And so, with our bellies full of amazing fish, we set out again with Magic Sands Beach and a dip in the water on our minds.
In an attempt to find an undercover place to camp, we hiked onto a public access beach trail. There was a giant tree that we thought might work, but walked down the beach to check things out further. After looking at the most bug-infested area I have ever been in, we asked a guy who was playing guitar on the beach what he thought about camping in the area. The answer we got was "right back there might work, but honestly I wouldn't go past this point right here." Creepy. So we continued on the Magic Sands.
Magic Sands was great from the start. We plopped our packs on some rocks, laid out our sarongs, and got our shit together for swimming. I am still afraid of the GD ocean, whether I want to be or not, so I didn't really swim. I sat in the water, stood on the beach, and watched small children fearlessly play in deeper water than I was willing to enter. Fuck it. I'm not getting in that shit.
In between splashing around and chilling on the beach, it started to rain. It was heavy enough that we needed shelter, if not for us then at least for our packs, which were getting soaked. M and I pulled out our tarps, and we made ourselves a plastic cave on the beach. It was a happy time.
When we learned from a friend of a friend that camping at Magic Sands wasn't a good idea, we were disappointed in the realization that we would not only be leaving this cush environment but that we would also be hauling our packs around for a while more until we could find the next beach. Nevertheless, we were determined to find someplace to sleep, so we marched on, our drying swimsuits dangling from our packs, dripping a trail of saltwater behind us. The sun would be setting soon, and none of us wanted to set up camp in the dark. Our next destination would be St. Peter's Church beach.
When we arrived at the church, not far from Magic Sands, I immediately knew that this would be a fine camp spot. There were lava rock walls all around, so we would have plenty of cover for the two tents. There was no space for my hammock, so I'd be bunking with M. After surveying the area, we decided to camp in a narrow walkway behind the church. The space was maybe 3 1/2 feet by 16 feet. The ocean was thirty feet away, just beyond the rock wall and a rocky beach. We watched an amazing sunset from here that I'll not soon forget.
We had a beer with a guy who was chilling on the beach, and after he determined for me that I didn't have the correct fuel for my stove, we had to reassess our dinner options. I had a package of freeze-dried mashed potatoes that we all drooled over, until we tried them, that is. I had used luke-warm water instead of boiling water, and it was a mistake. What a total disappointment. So K went for some food. We dined in the dark on hummus and bread, with roaches crawling all around us. The tequila helped the situation a bit. I can also proudly say that I didn't freak out about the bugs, except for when we were breaking camp in the morning and I found not only ants in my pack but an inch-long cockroack as well. Yuck.
Anyway, when it was darker and later, we set up the tents. I crawled in with M, on the rocky ground, and we attempted to sleep. I did not sleep. I spooned a rock that was under the tent and listened to K snore peacefully a tent away. At one point I woke up with my face pressed to the bottom of the tent, my feet on top of my boots, and one arm asleep. Eff. So sleeping didn't really work out, and I was definitely wide awake from 4:30 on, and actually got up out of the tent at six. It's been a long time since I was up at that hour. Watching the ocean roll in and out and listening to its slapping on the rocks as the sun came up at my back was definitely not horrible though, I have to admit.
we set out to return to Magic Sands not long after waking up, and I noticed that I had a sore spot on the bottom of my right foot. Thinking it was from my boot and the fact that it was slightly wet from sitting on the beach two nights before, I marched on with a crazy energy that I could not explain.
We made it to Magic Sands, and M and I went inthe water for a bit. After showering, I figured out why my foot was hurting. I had a deep gash on the underside of my foot. Boo. I bandaged the shit out of it and put my boots back on. This injury would prove to be painful all day.
Da Poke Shack was calling to us from down the road, so we hiked over for lunch before being picked up by a friend of K's. He took her to the airport and M and I to the Kmart in town where we would catch the bus back to Hilo.
So we waited for about four hours on the sharpest grass I've ever lounged on. We ate nothing but sweet bread. The bus took forever. It was uncomfortable. Blahblahblah.
When we got to Pahoa, I was ready for a damn beer. M and I went to PVC (the local bar) and proceeded to turn their open-mic night sausage fest into dance-party dyke-night. We danced our asses off and were shooting pool but not one person was focused on the game or who was playing on what team.
Since then, it's been nothing but beaches, dirty dance music, and dance parties at the hostel. We celebrated everyone's slutty birthday with a giant sheet cake, threw down on some bud lights, and I have personally been having the time of my friggin' life.
I've been working on this post for three days. I hope it's entertaining, but honestly no longer give a shit about the grammar within. Judge not, fair friends.
Until the next freaky episode,
Aloha
The past few days have flown by. I've been camping and beach hopping on the other side of the island, among other things. Let's see if I can relay this properly:
Tuesday I woke up a little early with the intention of walking M and K to their bus stop. They had planned on camping for a few days before they both flew home. Long story short, they convinced me to go with them. Why not? I'm on vacation, after all. After packing my shit, we jumped in the back of a truck with another couple headed to Hilo. From Hilo we would take a bus to Kailua. I was excited to be venturing away from not only the hostel, but from this side of the island. I needed a change of scenery and camping sounded great.
Once in Hilo, we were dropped off at the mall, where we had some time to kill and so proceeded to walk around and drink beers out of a paper cup. We wanted to keep things classy, after all. There was a small arcade, which made me long for some skee-ball with my bitches back in Denver. This arcade didn't even have skee-ball. Boo. We ate some noodles and wandered back toward our stop at the mall.
Just before the bus was to arrive, we asked an adorable group of old ladies to take our picture, which led to our finding out that we were in the wrong place to catch the bus. Yay! Luckily one of the ladies, adorable Patsy, told us to get in her car, and she drove us to the next stop, where the bus was boarding. She told us she would park her car right in front of the bus so that it couldn't leave without us. I thought this was funny until she actually did it, then it was awesome and hilarious. She got out to hug and kiss us goodbye, and went on her way. Much love, Patsy.
We had to put our bags under the bus, and when that was done, we found ourselves some seats near each other and were again glad to be on the road.
Twenty minutes later M had to pee. It was urgent. I had to pee too. Urgently. Damn!
And so we had to get off the bus. M and I pressed the button for the next stop. We suggested to K that she stay on the bus so that she could get her rental car but she refused and got off the bus with us. Immediately it was apparent that we were in for a rough trip.
Let me say this before I say anything else: K, I love you girl, and had the circumstances been different, I'm sure things would have had a smoother flow. Aloha always.
So there was a freak-out on the side of the road which I had to turn around and walk away from. We had to get to the highway anyway. Pack time. Walk time. I didn't want to argue because there was nothing that could be done about the situation except to just deal with it. About fifteen minutes later we were in a good place to hitch from on the highway. Then there was another freak-out of epic proportions, but while it was going down, a guy in a jeep pulled over to pick us up, or ask questions, or who-knows-what. I didn't wait to hear anything. I immediately opened the door, and essentially just said the word 'Kona.' Luckily the guy, N, was headed that way to his condo, so we all three piled in, thankful to be off the road, and thankful for no more goddamn freaking out. We could relax, at least until we got to Kailua.
Approximately one and a half minutes into the drive, N passed a "road soda" into the back seat for our enjoyment or choking pleasure. Imagine a Nalgene bottle half-full of vodka, and topped off with Powerade. What better way to cool our throats and top off whatever beer buzz we may have had going? Mistake. K had enough to pass out about an hour into the drive and remain unconscious for about seven hours straight.
Once we arrived in Kailua, M, N and I left princess K asleep in the jeep an got into some shenanigans. We drunkenly walked down to the rocky beach at one point. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized I had left my boots on the beach overnight and so would have to deal with damp, stinky boots for the rest of the trip. It was no worse than dealing with my princess K, but I felt like an idiot. I would have been screwed without those boots. Anyway, I found them, that's what matters.
The next morning K informed M and I that she had drunkenly, angrily changed her flight to the next day, so she wouldn't be renting a car, and we would only be camping for one night instead of several. This also meant that we would now be either hitching or hiking to wherever we planned on camping that evening, and truthfully we did not have a plan.
We packed up our things, said goodbye to N, and started walking from the condo. Since we were so close to the coast, it made sense for us to walk along Ili'i and try to find a place to camp on a beach. We looked at my map, found a nearby beach, and began moving toward it.
As we were hiking, we happened upon a godsend. Da Poke Shack. I have been craving sushi like a mofo, so there was no way I was passing this place up. Nevermind the scorching sun, thirty-pound pack, or miles ahead of us, I wanted to gorge on fish. Making a selection from the case of poke of every variety was difficult, to say the least. The poke special of the day had my name written all over it: Spicy Ahi with scallions. I scarfed a half a pound like it was my friggin' job. And so, with our bellies full of amazing fish, we set out again with Magic Sands Beach and a dip in the water on our minds.
In an attempt to find an undercover place to camp, we hiked onto a public access beach trail. There was a giant tree that we thought might work, but walked down the beach to check things out further. After looking at the most bug-infested area I have ever been in, we asked a guy who was playing guitar on the beach what he thought about camping in the area. The answer we got was "right back there might work, but honestly I wouldn't go past this point right here." Creepy. So we continued on the Magic Sands.
Magic Sands was great from the start. We plopped our packs on some rocks, laid out our sarongs, and got our shit together for swimming. I am still afraid of the GD ocean, whether I want to be or not, so I didn't really swim. I sat in the water, stood on the beach, and watched small children fearlessly play in deeper water than I was willing to enter. Fuck it. I'm not getting in that shit.
In between splashing around and chilling on the beach, it started to rain. It was heavy enough that we needed shelter, if not for us then at least for our packs, which were getting soaked. M and I pulled out our tarps, and we made ourselves a plastic cave on the beach. It was a happy time.
When we learned from a friend of a friend that camping at Magic Sands wasn't a good idea, we were disappointed in the realization that we would not only be leaving this cush environment but that we would also be hauling our packs around for a while more until we could find the next beach. Nevertheless, we were determined to find someplace to sleep, so we marched on, our drying swimsuits dangling from our packs, dripping a trail of saltwater behind us. The sun would be setting soon, and none of us wanted to set up camp in the dark. Our next destination would be St. Peter's Church beach.
When we arrived at the church, not far from Magic Sands, I immediately knew that this would be a fine camp spot. There were lava rock walls all around, so we would have plenty of cover for the two tents. There was no space for my hammock, so I'd be bunking with M. After surveying the area, we decided to camp in a narrow walkway behind the church. The space was maybe 3 1/2 feet by 16 feet. The ocean was thirty feet away, just beyond the rock wall and a rocky beach. We watched an amazing sunset from here that I'll not soon forget.
We had a beer with a guy who was chilling on the beach, and after he determined for me that I didn't have the correct fuel for my stove, we had to reassess our dinner options. I had a package of freeze-dried mashed potatoes that we all drooled over, until we tried them, that is. I had used luke-warm water instead of boiling water, and it was a mistake. What a total disappointment. So K went for some food. We dined in the dark on hummus and bread, with roaches crawling all around us. The tequila helped the situation a bit. I can also proudly say that I didn't freak out about the bugs, except for when we were breaking camp in the morning and I found not only ants in my pack but an inch-long cockroack as well. Yuck.
Anyway, when it was darker and later, we set up the tents. I crawled in with M, on the rocky ground, and we attempted to sleep. I did not sleep. I spooned a rock that was under the tent and listened to K snore peacefully a tent away. At one point I woke up with my face pressed to the bottom of the tent, my feet on top of my boots, and one arm asleep. Eff. So sleeping didn't really work out, and I was definitely wide awake from 4:30 on, and actually got up out of the tent at six. It's been a long time since I was up at that hour. Watching the ocean roll in and out and listening to its slapping on the rocks as the sun came up at my back was definitely not horrible though, I have to admit.
we set out to return to Magic Sands not long after waking up, and I noticed that I had a sore spot on the bottom of my right foot. Thinking it was from my boot and the fact that it was slightly wet from sitting on the beach two nights before, I marched on with a crazy energy that I could not explain.
We made it to Magic Sands, and M and I went inthe water for a bit. After showering, I figured out why my foot was hurting. I had a deep gash on the underside of my foot. Boo. I bandaged the shit out of it and put my boots back on. This injury would prove to be painful all day.
Da Poke Shack was calling to us from down the road, so we hiked over for lunch before being picked up by a friend of K's. He took her to the airport and M and I to the Kmart in town where we would catch the bus back to Hilo.
So we waited for about four hours on the sharpest grass I've ever lounged on. We ate nothing but sweet bread. The bus took forever. It was uncomfortable. Blahblahblah.
When we got to Pahoa, I was ready for a damn beer. M and I went to PVC (the local bar) and proceeded to turn their open-mic night sausage fest into dance-party dyke-night. We danced our asses off and were shooting pool but not one person was focused on the game or who was playing on what team.
Since then, it's been nothing but beaches, dirty dance music, and dance parties at the hostel. We celebrated everyone's slutty birthday with a giant sheet cake, threw down on some bud lights, and I have personally been having the time of my friggin' life.
I've been working on this post for three days. I hope it's entertaining, but honestly no longer give a shit about the grammar within. Judge not, fair friends.
Until the next freaky episode,
Aloha
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Mur
When I realized that I was missing out on the gay pride festivities in Denver on Sunday, I decided to gay it up in Pahoa. The dyke drink of the day was draft Bud, and the twink drink of the day was vodka Red Bull. I enjoyed both. I played a ton of gay-ass dance music while we shot pool. Not sure how the locals feel about Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Cher and Katy Perry, but we had a great little dance party around the pool table. It was... fabulous. It was like being at Vinyl in the jungle. Ha ha.
Monday, Tuesday, Boring. Blah blah blah. I don't have much to write about this week. I haven't been sleeping very well. I wake up nearly every hour of the night, if not more often than that. Sometimes I'm cold, sometimes sweaty, sometimes stuck in an awful position or I have a numb limb. I just can't find that comfort zone to sleep well through the night. Which makes for awesome mornings. :)
I've been homesick, too. I know that's natural, but it still sucks. I feel like I'm in a funk. A sad, lonely, lazy funk. I miss my friends. A lot. I miss my city. Oh, Denver. How I miss your charms. Things like sidewalks, public transportation, bike lanes, cars that don't sound like they're going to explode any second, nightlife (however limited) and most of all the lack of mosquitos. I'm being eaten alive everyday. Booooo.
Ok now that that's all off my chest, I'm going to try to pep up! I'm in frickin' Hawaii, right? Ok, be happy; don't dwell; let go of anxiety. Ready, go.
Monday, Tuesday, Boring. Blah blah blah. I don't have much to write about this week. I haven't been sleeping very well. I wake up nearly every hour of the night, if not more often than that. Sometimes I'm cold, sometimes sweaty, sometimes stuck in an awful position or I have a numb limb. I just can't find that comfort zone to sleep well through the night. Which makes for awesome mornings. :)
I've been homesick, too. I know that's natural, but it still sucks. I feel like I'm in a funk. A sad, lonely, lazy funk. I miss my friends. A lot. I miss my city. Oh, Denver. How I miss your charms. Things like sidewalks, public transportation, bike lanes, cars that don't sound like they're going to explode any second, nightlife (however limited) and most of all the lack of mosquitos. I'm being eaten alive everyday. Booooo.
Ok now that that's all off my chest, I'm going to try to pep up! I'm in frickin' Hawaii, right? Ok, be happy; don't dwell; let go of anxiety. Ready, go.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
I didn't do shit today
Thursday Schmursday.
It's frickin' hot. Everyone's favorite complaint.
I say, let's get sweaty! And dirty. Let's play in the mud and smell like animals. After that, let's sit around and do nothing all day. Later, we'll comment on how unbelievable it is that it's [insert hour here]:00. We'll make some food. We'll sit around some more, and then go to bed. And it will have been a great day!
Now you know how I spend my days when I'm not hitchhiking around.
Oh, I can't believe it's nearly five! Whatever will I make for dinner?
Random Fact:
There is a chicken here whose name is Barbara Bush.
Until I say so,
Aloha
It's frickin' hot. Everyone's favorite complaint.
I say, let's get sweaty! And dirty. Let's play in the mud and smell like animals. After that, let's sit around and do nothing all day. Later, we'll comment on how unbelievable it is that it's [insert hour here]:00. We'll make some food. We'll sit around some more, and then go to bed. And it will have been a great day!
Now you know how I spend my days when I'm not hitchhiking around.
Oh, I can't believe it's nearly five! Whatever will I make for dinner?
Random Fact:
There is a chicken here whose name is Barbara Bush.
Until I say so,
Aloha
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
I'll leave the swimming to the fish
Sunday I went back to Kehena, the hippie black-sand beach. Hitching was nothing less than entertaining, as one ride was from some trouble-making local boys, and another was from some tourists who had no idea where they were going, but were willing to take me past where they should've turned.
I had a great time relaxing on the beach with a few others from the hostel. After standing on the beach for some time with my feet in the water, I decided to venture farther in. I was invited by another swimmer into deep water, but politely declined, on the grounds that I was scared shitless. Nonetheless, I continued to creep closer to the waves.
In an instant, I was under the water, wondering: which way is up? Wasn't I just standing? Shouldn't my feet be touching some of those rough stones by now? Then, light. Air. Sounds. And then instantly under the water again. I wanted out. Now. I kicked and swam toward shore, which seemed by now so far away even though I hadn't drifted but forty feet from where I went in. I was coughing up salt. Bile. Felt crazed.
At last, my feet hit rocks, but I was not out yet. I kept kicking, and let myself wash upon shore, exhausted and defeated.
As I walked heavily toward my bag and clothing on shore, I thought only two words to myself. "Fuck that!" I knew that I made a mistake standing up to the big bad ocean, and felt ten times the anxiety I felt after snorkeling around the tide pools.
When we left the beach, we had to wait for hitches in the glaring sunlight. After our ride, as we walked down the street to the hostel, I began to have tunnel vision. Usually this means I've got a migraine headache coming on pretty soon, so I began to prepare myself for the first one I've had in years. I started chugging water and had some caffeine. I stuffed my face full of food. I filled all of my water bottles and made my way to bed at about 6:30 Sunday evening.
Monday morning, I didn't feel any better. I had slept a fitful sleep the night before, which didn't help. I opted out of working and slept all day. I was back in bed by 7 Monday evening.
Tuesday morning, I still had that damned headache, but it was less pronounced than the night before. I was given a light cleaning shift and told I could take all day to do it. What a blessing. We had a pick-up in Pahoa, and so I rode along to buy groceries. Other than that, Tuesday had been a lazy day. I've been staying the heck out of the sun, because eff migraine headaches.
I've nearly finished Wicked, and am looking for another book. If you have any suggestions, I might be able to find some things at the small bookstore in town.
Pig Update: The pigs and I are living in peace and harmony. Except when they decide to sneak up on me from behind when it's dark out and I'm taking a pee. And then they stand there and won't move. Sad face. Or Nervous face.
Some people have asked, and so I'm going to post this address in case you feel so obliged to mail me something. :)
13-657 Hinalo St.
Pahoa, HI 96778
Until Whenever,
Aloha
I had a great time relaxing on the beach with a few others from the hostel. After standing on the beach for some time with my feet in the water, I decided to venture farther in. I was invited by another swimmer into deep water, but politely declined, on the grounds that I was scared shitless. Nonetheless, I continued to creep closer to the waves.
In an instant, I was under the water, wondering: which way is up? Wasn't I just standing? Shouldn't my feet be touching some of those rough stones by now? Then, light. Air. Sounds. And then instantly under the water again. I wanted out. Now. I kicked and swam toward shore, which seemed by now so far away even though I hadn't drifted but forty feet from where I went in. I was coughing up salt. Bile. Felt crazed.
At last, my feet hit rocks, but I was not out yet. I kept kicking, and let myself wash upon shore, exhausted and defeated.
As I walked heavily toward my bag and clothing on shore, I thought only two words to myself. "Fuck that!" I knew that I made a mistake standing up to the big bad ocean, and felt ten times the anxiety I felt after snorkeling around the tide pools.
When we left the beach, we had to wait for hitches in the glaring sunlight. After our ride, as we walked down the street to the hostel, I began to have tunnel vision. Usually this means I've got a migraine headache coming on pretty soon, so I began to prepare myself for the first one I've had in years. I started chugging water and had some caffeine. I stuffed my face full of food. I filled all of my water bottles and made my way to bed at about 6:30 Sunday evening.
Monday morning, I didn't feel any better. I had slept a fitful sleep the night before, which didn't help. I opted out of working and slept all day. I was back in bed by 7 Monday evening.
Tuesday morning, I still had that damned headache, but it was less pronounced than the night before. I was given a light cleaning shift and told I could take all day to do it. What a blessing. We had a pick-up in Pahoa, and so I rode along to buy groceries. Other than that, Tuesday had been a lazy day. I've been staying the heck out of the sun, because eff migraine headaches.
I've nearly finished Wicked, and am looking for another book. If you have any suggestions, I might be able to find some things at the small bookstore in town.
Pig Update: The pigs and I are living in peace and harmony. Except when they decide to sneak up on me from behind when it's dark out and I'm taking a pee. And then they stand there and won't move. Sad face. Or Nervous face.
Some people have asked, and so I'm going to post this address in case you feel so obliged to mail me something. :)
13-657 Hinalo St.
Pahoa, HI 96778
Until Whenever,
Aloha
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Kapoho sweetness
Welcome to the weekend, everyone!
Today I woke up with the intention of going back to Pohoiki for a swim, but after mentioning my plans, I took the suggestion from someone to go snorkeling instead. I had never been before, so why not?
We hitched to the tide pools (Kapoho), and walked down a hidden path to a better spot to enter the water. I had never used a proper swim mask or snorkel before, and so had to adjust a bit after getting in the water. The temp was chilly, but easy to get used to. The second I put my face underwater and told myself to breathe through my mouth, my eyes adjusted to looking through the water. It was amazing AND magical. I followed my swimming partner out into the tide pool, checking out the underwater world below me. Seeing all of the different fish and coral blew my mind. I've seen these things in pictures, but really seeing them before me was such a cool experience.
Being from the land-locked and very great state of Colorado, I had some apprehension even being in the ocean, especially swimming out toward the breaks as we were doing. Let me say that I knew this was perfectly safe, but I still had anxiety. More and more so the further we swam out. I told myself over and over to get the shit over it. My mask didn't fit properly, and I had to hold the snorkel up and out of the water, which was difficult but worth it. I saw more awesome things today than I ever thought I'd see while on this extended vacation.
After snorkeling, we hitched to a warm pond. Lava-heated water is amazing. It is truly nature's bathtub. We floated around for a while, discussed our cravings for hamburgers, and came back to the hostel. I thought about showering, but gave up on that thought when I decided to hitch into town to grab some things for a beach day tomorrow.
I spoke to four of my most beloved friends on the phone, and spoke to my little bro for almost an hour after that. Now, as I sit surrounded by chill people writing this, I realize how sunburned and worn out I am. Swimming is great excercise! I can't wait to make dinner, read for a bit, and hit the hay! Tomorrow I'll go back to the black sand beach I went to last Sunday (Kehena), and I am excited to actually take some pictures this time.
I hope all is well with everyone wherever you are, and that this Summer has started as spectacularly for you all as it has for me.
Until whenever,
Aloha
Today I woke up with the intention of going back to Pohoiki for a swim, but after mentioning my plans, I took the suggestion from someone to go snorkeling instead. I had never been before, so why not?
We hitched to the tide pools (Kapoho), and walked down a hidden path to a better spot to enter the water. I had never used a proper swim mask or snorkel before, and so had to adjust a bit after getting in the water. The temp was chilly, but easy to get used to. The second I put my face underwater and told myself to breathe through my mouth, my eyes adjusted to looking through the water. It was amazing AND magical. I followed my swimming partner out into the tide pool, checking out the underwater world below me. Seeing all of the different fish and coral blew my mind. I've seen these things in pictures, but really seeing them before me was such a cool experience.
Being from the land-locked and very great state of Colorado, I had some apprehension even being in the ocean, especially swimming out toward the breaks as we were doing. Let me say that I knew this was perfectly safe, but I still had anxiety. More and more so the further we swam out. I told myself over and over to get the shit over it. My mask didn't fit properly, and I had to hold the snorkel up and out of the water, which was difficult but worth it. I saw more awesome things today than I ever thought I'd see while on this extended vacation.
After snorkeling, we hitched to a warm pond. Lava-heated water is amazing. It is truly nature's bathtub. We floated around for a while, discussed our cravings for hamburgers, and came back to the hostel. I thought about showering, but gave up on that thought when I decided to hitch into town to grab some things for a beach day tomorrow.
I spoke to four of my most beloved friends on the phone, and spoke to my little bro for almost an hour after that. Now, as I sit surrounded by chill people writing this, I realize how sunburned and worn out I am. Swimming is great excercise! I can't wait to make dinner, read for a bit, and hit the hay! Tomorrow I'll go back to the black sand beach I went to last Sunday (Kehena), and I am excited to actually take some pictures this time.
I hope all is well with everyone wherever you are, and that this Summer has started as spectacularly for you all as it has for me.
Until whenever,
Aloha
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