Maui: Hidden Waterfalls, more Pineapple, and a Banyan Tree.

There’s nothing quite like waking up in the jungle. Before you can even open your eyes, the sounds of the squawking birds and chirping bugs fill your ears. You’ll hear the occasional burst of rain dance among the leaves, feel a gust of humid wind brush across your forehead from the window above your bed, and listen to the sound of a ripe coconut plunking onto the grass below. Then you’ll throw on a white embroidered halter dress, pad into the kitchen, and whip up some pineapple smoothies while the coffee is brewing. See? There’s nothing quite like it.

Then, when you’ve lounged around listening to the rest of the jungle wake up, you’ll figure out your plan for the day. We chose to find a hidden waterfall on our second day in Maui. The hosts at our jungle house had left us a map to one of their favourite nearby mountain pools. We bumped along a red dirt road, following the sound of the ocean. When we had passed through a few farmers’ fields, we reached a clearing and parked. A few steps down, through a forest of palms, was a wooden look-out perched above the black cliffs.

Lodged into the side of the cliff were cinderblocks, nailed in with thick metal stakes. We used those as steps to climb down the twisting path, watching the neon green geckoes jump out of our way. The waves on the north shore are huge in the winter, and I could feel them thundering in my chest as we approached the beach. Chris walked out onto the rocks to get a closer look, while I stayed safely on shore.

What we were really there for, however, was to find a hidden lagoon. We followed the river rocks upstream, ditching our backpacks once the vines became too thick. Over and under snaking branches we ducked, until we stumbled upon the most beautiful secluded waterfall and mountain-fed pool.

Obviously we went swimming in it, but not before we made an offering to the local Hawaiian gods. Legend has it that you’re supposed to throw a flower as an offering into mountain pools. If the flower sinks, it’s unsafe to swim in. We tossed in a hibiscus and it happily floated around on the top of the water. The water was chilly, but warm enough to enjoy. We had fun climbing up the rocks and standing under the waterfall, then jumping down back into the water below. The best part was that it was a little gem that we discovered on our own, since we found out later that this was not the waterfall that our hosts had recommended! There are just so many of these little places on Maui, that if you follow a stream for a while, you’re bound to come across one.

That evening we had a luau booked across the island in Lahaina. After a nearly 2 hour drive, we arrived to find out that it had been rained-out and cancelled. Disappointed, we decided to make the best out of it by bar-hopping a little. Our first stop was Betty’s, an ultra-touristy spot right near the water. We enjoyed mai tais and pina coladas as we watched the humpback whales breaching in the ocean. Within the hour we were there, we must’ve seen about 20 whales. In February, the humpbacks swim down to Maui to have their babies and mate. Throughout our trip we probably saw roughly 50 whales? It was surreal.

We finished off the evening with a stroll around Lahaina. Chris loved the enormous banyan tree; the second-largest in the world. Even though Lahaina is considered to be a really nice part of Maui, I did not like it at all. It was FULL of American tourists from the mainland, with lots of tourist-trap restaurants and t-shirt shops. It reminded me a lot of Niagara on the Lake actually. One store was pretty cool though – The Whaler’s Locker. It was stocked with nautical finds, including tons of shark jaws, carvings, and jewellery. Chris was smitten. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more excited about a store before. To commemorate our vacation, I purchased him a beautiful wood in-lay money clip, with a scrimshawed humpback whale carved into bone. It was so him, and since he’s the only person I know who uses a money clip still, it seemed tailor-made for Chris.

Maui: Pineapples, Hairpin Turns, and a Jungle House.

Chris and I went to Maui over my reading week this year. While we were only there for 6 days, we saw so much of the island and collapsed each evening from pure exhaustion at having done so much. On our first full day there (the first day was spent travelling 16 hours to get there, and checking into a small hotel near the airport for the night), we picked up our rental Jeep and headed west. Since all of our belongings were in the Jeep, and our jungle house rental wasn’t ready until 3:00pm, we decided to spend the day taking a scenic drive along the Kahekili Highway. The Kahekili Highway is considered to be one of the deadliest roads in the world. It snakes along the volcanic cliffs of Maui, and is often a dirt one-lane road. This makes it particularly difficult when the turns are 180 degree switchbacks, which are usually blind, and often free of any barrier or curb. At one point I looked to my right as we crawled around a turn, and saw the sheer drop-off less than a foot next to me. Needless to say, I got goosebumps and thanked my lucky stars when it was over.

The amazing thing about being on a dangerous road is that it is relatively empty, and tourist-free! We got to enjoy some picturesque look-out points, a large blow-hole, and a cute fruit stand named “Curley’s”, all on our own. At Curley’s, the woman used a large machete to chop up a ripe pineapple for us, throwing it into a bag. It acted as our snack for the next few days, and was so so sweet and delicious.

I was surprised at how rural Maui is compared to Oahu. While driving the western “highway”, we constantly passed by pastures atop cliffs, with cows grazing peacefully above the ocean. I kept thinking how nice a life those cows have…for now at least!

For the week we were in Maui, the “plein-air” painting competition was taking place. We frequently saw artists set up around the island with their easels, painting the landscape in front of them. On our last night there, the championships were set up on the beach in Lahaina, where we saw artists from all around the United States painting the landscape free-hand. We stumbled upon the painter below in Honolua. A Jeep with a father and two sons was parked nearby, surfboards crammed onto the roof-rack, checking out the surf quality below. We could see a ton of surfers bobbing expectantly on their boards in the choppy ocean, and the two young boys were giving a detailed surf report.

At the end of the day we drove towards Maui’s north shore, following the instructions we received from our jungle house rental. It was down a one-lane very bumpy dirt road. As we turned onto our driveway, vines slapped the top of our Jeep and Chris kicked it into 4W-drive. The jungle house was gorgeous – completely secluded and perched above the tree tops, with only (massive) spiders and tiny geckos to keep us company. We drove out in the dark, in the pouring rain, to the town of Haiku to find groceries. It was quite the experience navigating the incredibly twisty roads in the dark, but Chris managed like a pro. We stocked up on provisions for the week: more pineapple, ice-cream bananas (why don’t we have these fruits in Canada!?), kona coffee, and a bevy of meat and vegetables. When we returned home, we cooked up some chicken quesadillas while listening to the Hawaiian music our hosts had provided for us, and cheers’ed to the start of a wonderful Maui adventure.

Hawaii-Eve

This time tomorrow, we’ll be settling into our room in MAUI!!! Our 6-day trip to Maui may, quite possibly, be my most-needed vacation ever. This semester hit me like a ton of bricks. Within a few days of classes starting, I was hurtled back into a world of endless appointments, tons of reading, and assignments galore. Plus the Moot. That was A LOT of work. January, in addition to being a source of stress for me (with a heavy heavy course-load), was also a stressful time for Chris. He wrote both the Comprehensive test (“Comp”) and the Audit, and passed with flying colours! I am so proud of him. For weeks at a time, we struggled through long nights of studying, abbreviated phone calls, and not enough sleep. He has worked so hard to get where he is in his career, and I could not be prouder of the enormous effort he put into passing these massive tests this month. Now he’s back on shift, which will make things a bit smoother and less stressful for him, for a little while at least!

Despite everything that’s been going on in our lives, it seems like life has been that much harder because of the FRIGID winter weather we’ve been having. Waking up for 8:30am class every morning necessarily entails trudging outside in the freezing cold. I can’t remember a winter that was this cold before… it’s the type of cold that takes you hours to recover from after getting back to the apartment from a 20 min walk! But enough complaining! Tomorrow we’ll be kicking off our salty, slushy boots and slipping into sandals and swimsuits!

What I’m looking forward to about our trip:

- Not having to put on ear muffs every time I’m outside.

- Getting to spend 6 days of uninterrupted adventure with Chris all to myself!

- Not looking at a computer screen for an entire week!

- FEELING the sun’s rays

- Getting a tan (I normally don’t, but this winter has zapped me of life and I need some sun bad!)

- Exercising outside (hikes, biking, swimming)

- Living in the moment, instead of constantly running through my “to-do” list in my mind

- Not hearing the hum of traffic outside at all hours of the day…and instead hearing the sounds of the jungle from our 1-bedroom jungle hideaway rental!

- Walking down the street and not worrying about slipping on black ice patches!

- Eating pineapple. All. The. Time.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day, and we’ll be in the air for most of it. In fact, due to the time difference, this will likely be the *longest* Valentines Day we’ll spend together! Since our travel time is 13 hours (including 2 layovers), I made Chris 13 envelopes, numbered 1 to 13. Each hour he can open a new one, and find a surprise inside! I put things like little crossword puzzles, quizzes, articles about Hawaii, comics, pictures, and notes inside. I’m sure it’ll keep both of us entertained throughout the long journey across the Pacific!

ALOHA friends! Can’t wait to share our adventure soon!!

NYE 2014

Courtney and Mike invited Chris and I up to their home in Huntsville for New Year’s Eve. I had never visited before, and was eager to see Court, their new place, and how Muskoka celebrates New Year’s. We drove up in the morning on the 31st, and toured their chalet/condo. It is absolutely beautiful! Three floors, overlooking the lake, with a big fire place and lots of balconies. A ski hill is right behind them, and it was so crazy to look out the windows and see people skiing by. We headed out to Deerhurst for lunch and ciders. I had a wild trout salad with Strongbow. Delish! Then we rented snow-shoes and spent the rest of the afternoon snow-shoeing on the lake (aaah scary!) and through the golf course. I loved snow-shoeing, and desperately want a pair! What a great way to enjoy winter outdoors.

It was pretty nerve-wracking stepping onto the icy lake for the first time. Despite Mike and Chris’ constant assurances that we were definitely safe, Courtney and I were super nervous the whole time! Little did we know that it was literally 2 ft thick. They had so much snow up there, which made everything look like a winter wonderland! I can’t believe they live there year-round!!

When we returned to their chalet, Court set about whipping up a spread fit for kings and queens. Seriously, she went allllll out. We had veggie trays, cheese platters, charcuterie boards, and a nacho dip. We ate for like, 3 hours straight. No joke. We played Jungle Speed and Cards Against Humanity, which kept us occupied for hours! So hilarious. We had a great time playing those.

Near midnight, Chris tried to “saber” the champagne bottle with a little axe Mike had. Needless to say, it did not end well. The bottle ended up exploding in pieces, covering Chris in champagne.

Down to one bottle, we popped it just in time for Ryan Seacrest to say “Happy New Year!!!”, and Chris and I kissed leaning over both sides of the island, laughing hysterically at the over-flowing champagne bottle. Below is my attempt at “couple” shots to commemorate 2013. I think our personalities shine through here, don’t you? hahah, my boyfriend is insane.

Then we quickly slipped on our snow gear and ran down to the frozen lake, where we laid down and made giant snow-angels to ring in the new year!

The next morning, we enjoyed a nice breakfast at a nearby hotel, and then Chris decided to partake in the “polar-bear dip”. It was –25C outside. We broke through a crowd of people who were watching, to find a 6 x 6 hole cut through the thick ice in the lake. Chris immediately stripped down to his bathing suit and vibrams, and canon-balled in! Yikes! His skin immediately turned purple-red, and he had a hard time getting up the ladder because his fingers were frozen. He met me over on the dock, where I draped him in towels, removed his vibrams, and helped him get on his Columbia snow-pants and thermal shirt. Then we warmed up in the hotel lobby with hot chocolates and an interesting conversation with a crazy old man. It was hilarious!

The perfect way to spend New Year’s Eve! I can already tell 2014 is going to be the best yet.

2013 in Review

2013 was one of the best years yet. This was the first time that I truly began to feel like Toronto was “home”, and not just some intermediate-living-place that I was just a student in. I settled down here, didn’t take off to Niagara for weekends as much, and began to build a life in the city. I took two business trips to NYC, and spent time working there this summer. I had lots of visitors while there, which made the time go by super fast. With my career plan finally figured out, I began to settle even more into Toronto life. I had regular girls’ nights and couples’ nights with friends, tried out some great new restaurants, and cooked a ton. We travelled to Newfoundland and Prince Edward County, and I flew to Ottawa to visit April. In my 3L year, I wrote the MPRE. I worked part-time during school, and still managed to find the time to see Chris 3-4 nights a week. All in all, I think it was a good balance. In 2014, I’m determined to soak up the last semester of student life, enjoy the free time, savour the flexible schedule, and try new things that scare me. Here are some of the highlights, in no particular order! Happy New Year xo!

December Round-Up

December was a busy month all around. I was immersed in final exams, Chris got a really bad cold/flu, and then had to write a big exam. We kind of traded off in the stress department.  There were definitely some high-lights though, like my work Christmas parties at Scarpetta and L’Unita, sushi nights with John and Irene, Broughie Christmas, and receiving my “thanks for staying in Toronto/I love you” gift from Chris: a Kate Spade purse!

This was my go-to hairstyle for Christmas parties this month.

I scored this brocade dress at H&M for $30 and wore it to all my work parties.

Mom and Dad visited for an afternoon and we popped in and out of all the decor/Christmas shops in Rosedale!

Kate, in all her glory. My mom and Jacquie now have matching purses! Thanks Kate Spade

Christmas with Chris

This was me and Chris’ second Christmas together as a couple. I was determined to think up some sort of Christmas tradition that we could share with each other every year, and I finally thought up something good. It was inspired by a sock monkey stocking I found at Sears when shopping with Amanda. I always call Chris my sock monkey, since he has this sweater he loves that looks like one. I bought the stocking, and then thought it would be cute to surprise each other with stockings full of little goodies each year. Chris liked the idea, and set out to find me a quintessentially “Heather” stocking. He put a lot of effort into it, and I am IN LOVE with what he came up with. It just so happens that the day he gave it to me, I was matched it perfectly!

We snuck away to a quiet room in my parent’s house and unwrapped them under the glittering tree. I had filled Chris’ stocking with a travel Bodum mug, a coffee card, some of his favourite candy, and treats for Sphinxy. Mine had some Starbucks chocolate covered almonds (my fave), Williams & Sonoma chocolate pomegranate seeds, a book holder, and a Daniel Wellington watch!!!!!

I have been coveting a Daniel Wellington watch for close to two years, and Chris picked out exactly the one I had hoped for (the Classic Lady Sheffield with a black band and rose gold details). Ah, he did good. His big present from me was a scrapbook of our last year together, and some crazy t-shirts (since I always shrink his). I loved this stocking tradition and have carefully stored them away for next year.

We also have a tradition of giving Chris’ canned goods to family and friends. Chris cans a lot – pickles, jams, jellies, relishes, etc. I love this, because I reap the bounty on a regular basis! But at Christmastime, it is a time to pry my hands away from the rare green tomato relish jar and be a lil generous. My contribution is fancy-ing them up. Last year we used slate cheese boards to display the goods, and this year I found cute baskets at Indigo. I bought a ton of labels from Martha Stewart’s new line at Staples, which immediately refreshed the look of everything.

They were a hit with everyone, I think because they are hand-made and people recognize the amount of work that Chris puts into making them. He’ll toil away over the stove for hours just to get 4 jars of something amazing, like roasted tri-colour peppers. I love and fully support this hobby of his!

I’m so happy we got to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day together this year!