The anticipated trip to Maui

I'm sure you all have been sitting in suspense just dying for the next blog update. Well, wait no longer...here it is folks!

Maui was quite an adventure. It is a beautiful island and exactly what you think of when you picture "Hawaii". Long white sand beaches, endless tiki bars, winding roads with jungle scenery and being able to see 3 of the other islands in the distance. (because Maui really is, that small)

We had a fabulous vacation. Flying in to Maui was a little nerve-wracking as we were packed tight in a 9 passenger plane and felt some pretty gusty winds. But the view was spectacular and we made it there alive.

Upon arrival we headed over to grab our rental car. We had initially signed up for an extra small/compact car. Perhaps something similar to a geometro? But instead, we got upgraded cheap for a silverMustang Convertible. Talk about living it up on vacation! The car was fabulous and nothing beats the feeling of driving with the top down right along the coast of the ocean.

Friday we spent the day exploring beaches and hanging with our dear friends the Feeny's. Drinks and food are never out of reach with this crowd. We turned in early in anticipation for the big race. The HCRA Canoe State Championship!

The race site was crazy. There were thousands of people there from all over the state. After the canoe blessings and opening ceremonies the show began promptly at 9am. Kai 'Opua started off strong and won the first two races. Then it was our turn.....the Novice B's. We have been working since April for this. We set out to go to states and were determined to win. Nerves were high and legs were jittery as we paddled out to the starting line. We said it was just another race and to just give it all.....and boy did we give it our all.

We put so much energy in to that boat that boat couldn't even handle us. Mid-way through the course, our ama lifted up and we huli'ed (flipped). We gathered our senses and with 2 minutes left to finish the race we tried to flip the boat back over and bail all the water out. Unfortunately, the swells were coming in pushing more water in to our boat than we were dumping out and our boat was swamped. We had the escort boat help us on and take us back to shore....not finishing the race.

We were all pretty upset. We worked really hard for this and couldn't finish the race. However, I like to look at it as just another adventure. Every paddler huli's at some point. It's unfortunate that our time had to be during the state championship...but c'est la vie.

I keep replaying the huli in my head. I'm still not sure what exactly happened or what we could have done differently. But what I do remember is how beautiful the water was. How clear blue the ocean seemed and how I could see the reef crystal clear hundreds of feet below. I remember how nice the chase boat guys were and how helpful the uncles were that helped us flip our boat back. I remember how close I felt in that moment with my paddle girls and how we all shared a laugh on the chase boat. I remember feeling the aloha spirit as we got back to the beach...and being okay with it all. Because that's what paddling is...dedication, love, and aloha.

As soon as we got to the beach it was Tommy's turn to go out and paddle. The mix team was now feeling exceptionally nervous because of our performance but they paddled strong and crossed the finish line in 11th place. They were lei'd on the beach with high spirits.

After the race we celebrated in Lahaiana with friends. We had a few cocktails and had a delicious dinner of pasta and lobster. (Hey, we're on vacation!)

The rest of our vacation was spent exploring the island. We ate incredible food, saw breathtaking beaches and went on the most beautiful ride of my life. We drove along the Northern point of Maui which was windy and at some points terrifying...but gorgeous none the less. We drove along cliffs on one way roads. We saw jungles that reminded us of Hilo, forests that reminded us of Jurrasic Park, Mountains that reminded us of Thailand and rocks that reminded us of Utah. Crazy to think that it was all one island.

We were sad to say goodbye to Maui but confident that we will back again. Hopefully with friends and definitely in a convertible.

Maui Wowi

Crazy. Excited. Anxious. Nervous. All of the above.

In a mere 4 days we will be headed to Maui for the big Outrigger Canoe State Championship. Within the Novice B division there are 90 teams across the entire state, all seven islands...and only 19 will be competing at the race. That's big.

The race is Saturday and will be the most intense 2 minutes (though hopefully 1:50) of my life.

Of the Novice B division there are the Novice B men, women and the mix group. At the state race, you can only compete in one race and the men needed a few more paddlers to fill the mix boat. Who do you think they asked to join?...none other than Tommy Willey. With only 3 or 4 practices under his belt in the past 2 weeks, he too will be racing on Saturday. It'll be a family affair.

I have grown to love my paddle ohana and will miss it when it's over. We are all so excited for Saturday and will celebrate like Queen Bees whether we win or lose. Bring it on Maui!

Maui Swarm

The Killer Bees are going to the state championship! Watch out Maui, Bee's are coming!

Paddling (again)

As you all know I am a paddler. That means a lot here in Hawaii. Paddling is life here. People get pretty obsessed over it. They live and breathe paddle talk or "paddletics" as they call it.

Paddling in an outrigger canoe is very different then paddling in a canoe or a kayak. There is a specific form and technique to all of it. Hawaiians are so passionate about paddling because this is how the Polynesians came over to Hawaii. They take the form, the technique and the sport very seriously.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I paddle at the pier with my group of Novice B women and on Saturday's we race.

Below is a video of one of our previous races. (we came in third) I thought it would be helpful to see what I'm actually doing practically every night.

There are 6 people in a boat. I sit seat 6 and am the steers-person or ho'okele in Hawaiian. It's my job to keep the boat straight which isn't as easy as it sounds. Hopefully this video will help you "see" what's been taking up all my time these past few months. Enjoy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT0dCoGvpXc

One year anniversary

May 30, 2011 marked our one year anniversary in Hawaii. This year has flown by and we can't believe it's been one year already.

It feels like just yesterday we were trying to pack our life in to as few suitcases as possible. (6 bags wasn't so bad) and say our goodbyes to the mainland.

In the past year we've gotten a dog, started and quit a job, lived through a tsunami, gone cliff-jumping, camped on the beach, learned to surf, stand up paddle board and paddle in an outrigger canoe, gone deep sea fishing, flown in a plane, started new jobs, explored secret beaches, seen humpback whales, bought a scooter, volunteered at the Ironman Triathalon, learned to drive stick, moved in to a new house, learned to speak Pidgin (sorta), played in snow on top of a volcano, swam with dolphins, gone to the ocean almost every day, and seen breathtaking sunsets almost every night. Not bad for year one...

Killer Bees

The Novice Bee's strike again!

On Saturday, the 'official' start to the paddling season began with the Kai E Hitu regatta. We were all a little nervous because this was our first real race, this was my first race steering the boat, and this race could make or break our chances for participating in the state championship race in Maui.

We paddled out to the quarter mile starting line. Our arms and legs we were shaking and our adrenaline was pumping as they waved the flag to start. 2 minutes and 13 seconds later we crossed the finish line.

We were unsure if we had won the race because it's hard to see based on the finish line. Every boat comes in at a different angle so it's hard to tell. We were all pretty certain that we came in second or third but definitely not first.

However, 30 minutes later, the official results came in and we had done it! We won by one second!

Needless to say we were all pretty excited.

There are 7 more races before the championship race. Us winning this first race does not guarantee us a trip to Maui for the championship but it certainly helps.

We have a tough season ahead of us and our competition is really good. However, the Bee's have spirit and we're in it to win it! Get ready for an action packed summer.

Pennsylvania -----> Hawaii

We've had a handful of visitors since moving to Hawaii and everybody that comes asks us the same thing, "what can we bring you"? It's true, things on the mainland are cheaper than they are here, but we don't need much here. I've asked for a handful of beauty products, some clothes we left behind and a few homemade goodies. But aside from that, we really don't need anything. The one thing we've missed the most has been certain foods. Judy Willey enchiladas, Tasty Tacos, Susan's chicken pot pie, and Yuengling to name a few.

Last week one of my very best friends came to visit. Jesca Prudencio. Jesca has been my friend since Elementary School. My once tiny theater obsessed Filipino friend is now an uptown New York City director. (i'm so proud of her)

Jesca and her family flew to Oahu for a cousins wedding. After the wedding, they all flew to the Big Island for a few days. Tommy and I did the best we could to show them around and give them the "Big Island experience". We took them cliff-jumping, drove on the scooter, played on the stand up paddle board and ate the best food!

Having Jesca here was wonderful. A real taste of home. Central Pennsylvania in the middle of Hawaii. Right when Jesca was leaving, she pulled out of her suitcase the one thing she brought us from the mainland. Yuengling!

As many of you know, Yuengling is the oldest (and best) beer in America. Tommy and I are huge fans of this beer and even had the opportunity to tour the brewery when we were home over the holidays. Yuengling is only available on the East Coast and only in a few select states, it's very hard to come by...and there have been times when we have craved it!

As Jesca was packing up to leave, she pulled out 4 sparkling bottles of Yunegling all for us. We have been savoring every drop of them. We have 2 left in the fridge that we are saving for that "right moment". But for now, I enjoy opening up the refrigerator and seeing bottles of Central Pennsylvania amongst our Hawaiian foods.

Jesca (and the entire Prudencio family), it was so good to see you and I miss you all terribly. I hope to see you all again very very soon. I hope you enjoyed your Hawaiian vacation as much as we enjoyed seeing you.