Haleakala!

I find that Monday mornings are especially difficult here because the weekends are so amazing!  I was lying on the beach yesterday at around 4 p.m., trying not to think about all of the student work I needed to read, when I overheard folks talking about the first day of their vacation.  I was jealous for a moment and then I remembered that they will have that end of vacation sadness sometime around Thursday...just as I start getting ready for another weekend of island life (which I am slowing down enough to really enjoy).  


We met up with Cori, the math teacher on my team at work, and went to Haleakala on Saturday afternoon.  I was so extremely excited to hang out with a new friend, especially a female one.  There are suddenly lots of dudes in my life, from Porter and Dave to the brewers, and I miss my girl friends a ton!  So we met up with Cori and made the trek across the island and up the ginormous volcano in time for a little hike before sunset.  

That’s the Big Island off in the distance. 

The peak of the volcano is 10,023 feet above sea level, but it measures around 30,000 feet from the ocean floor!  Amazing.  The best hike of my life was an 11-mile trip through and around the crater of the volcano when we came to Maui for vacation a while back.  


Lots of people get up super early to catch the sunrise from this peak, but Cori assured me sunset is just as good.  I hope to go back for some camping in the future, maybe during a full moon.  It’s one of the best stargazing sites in the world because the mountain top is 1/3 of the way through the Earth’s atmosphere.  At least, that’s what I read somewhere.  After the sun went down, we looked at the moon through Dave’s handy binoculars and we could actually see the craters (or at least shadows of them)!  It was pretty spectacular. 

Observatory at sunset.  Our neighborhood is way down on the left.

Once the sun went down, it got cold pretty fast.  The winds are ferocious up there and we are getting spoiled by the perfect island weather.  I have to say, it felt pretty good to put on wool socks, jeans, and fleece.  It was like we went on a big trip to another climate (which I suppose we sort of did).  If you do come to visit, make sure you bring warm clothes.  This volcano is definitely worth getting bundled up and spending some time exploring!


After the moon gazing we got pretty cold and headed down the mountain for pizzas and beer.  There’s a small, local chain in New England called “Flatbread” that Dave and I both love and whaddaya know...they have one on this very island!  It’s so strange, but kind of nice to have the taste of home when we’re so far away.  

Keeping warm...still on Maui.  Crazy!

The pizza place is in Pa’ia (pronounced "pie-ee-uh”), which is also known as “hippie town”.  It also has the best bikini shop, an Indian restaurant, and a vegan Thai place.  Yum!  I may have already said this, but I am becoming a bit obsessed with happy hour and kama’aina (island resident) specials.  It’s kind of hard to feel like cooking when there are so many great, but expensive places around.  I’m trying to be good...


Well, it’s way past teacher bed time (and Maui midnight).  Mahalo for reading!  I love hearing from everyone and I miss all of you.


Aloha,
Jen