A Day at work

 Well, I would have never pictured myself in a million years doing what I am doing for work. For the past three years, I have been a teacher and have absolutely loved it! When I moved to Kauai my plan was to be a substitute teacher and continue my teaching career. I started on the paperwork in January because I knew the DOE takes a long time to process the application. I was doing everything I could so that right when I got to Kauai I could start working at a school. But I think God had a different plan because no matter how hard I tried I kept getting rejected it was the weirdest thing. That's when I was led to the job I have now which I found on craigslist while looking for a place to live. 

I work for a dive shop in Kola which is just 4 minutes away from where Gavin works. Which is an added bonus! I work four days a week for about ten hours each day. Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with my job. I love my job for a lot of reasons. I like it because I get to be outside all day and I spend a lot of time swimming which is a really good workout. I also really love the people I work with. All of them are about my age and have come to Kauai for a variety of different reasons. I also love that every day is different. I have new people on the tour every time and I see different kinds of fish and sea life every day it's awesome! My job honestly isn't that hard either. I give a short briefing on how to snorkel and wear a mask and talk about some of the fish we might see. Once I'm in the water with the guests I point out all the cool fish and turtles and we basically just have a really fun time.

What I don't like about my job is that sometimes it's pouring rain and freezing and I have to jump into the ocean over and over again and act like it's a bath. I also get super fried from being in the sun. Some of the employees I work with have scars on their eyes because of the glare of the water they look at for hours on end. I also get a little tired of being wet all the time. I'm never dry, clean, or look very nice. I soak my hair in coconut oil to protect it from the sun so basically, I look like a grease ball all day. Yay! Sometimes it's hard always being wet. Especially when you keep getting UTIs and yeast infections from being in a wet swimming suit forty hours out of the week. 

So as you see it's a love-hate relationship. Most of the time I get out of the water feeling great and pumped about what I saw. Other times I had a whole group who didn't know how to swim so I was pulling all of them around in the water. For now, I am really grateful for my job and that I have it. It pays really well and it's probably the only time in my life I will have the chance to work on a boat and in the ocean. 

There are a few different kinds of tours we do at my work. The first one is a shore snorkel. The shore snorkel takes place at Lawai beach. When I do the shore snorkel I have 8 people max. Before we go to the beach I show everyone how to wear masks, talk about how we are going to get into the water, and some of the Hawaiian endemic reef fish we are going to see. After I take them to the shore and we snorkel for about an hour or until people get tired or cold. When I do the shore I do it three times a day. Most of the time I have people who have never been in the ocean or know how to swim. So I teach people how to swim as well which is great and can be stressful sometimes. It's for some reason always the men who don't know how to snorkel or who struggle big time. 

The other day I was training a new guy Ben. He isn't much of a swimmer and bless his heart because he seems to really struggle with the job but doesn't have the guts to say it's not for him. He always seems uncomfortable. Anyways, we were both out on a morning shore snorkel with a group of six people. There are boundaries we have to keep the people in while in the ocean because if they get too far out of them they can be swept down the coast because of the current. 

This particular morning there was a little bit of a swell but nothing too crazy. We all jumped in the water safely and were swimming around. We saw two turtles and everyone was stoked about it. Well, the next thing I know one of the people in the group swam a little too far. I told Ben to take the raft to go get him. In the meantime, I was going to have the rest of the group follow me to the shore or to where the current isn't so strong. So I told my crew to follow me and I started kicking toward the shore. Well, about 20 seconds later I turn around everyone started freaking out, and swam to the raft with Ben which was being sucked down the coast. At that point, they were too far from me. I was treading in the water where I was and could see that everyone made it to the raft. All of them had life vests on and were not in any danger. They were just slowly going down the coast not out to sea. So I started swimming back to shore because I was in the rut of the current. I was swimming so hard to get back. As I was swimming back I saw the fire truck come and the lifeguard on a jet ski. Sure enough, they had to go out and rescue each of my people including the other guide. It was not a great morning. I tried to make light of the situation since nobody got hurt or swallowed a bunch of water. I said "hey pretty cool you get to ride on a jet ski! People pay big bucks to do that in Hawaii" and nobody seemed happy. I totally get it but they were totally fine. People become so helpless in the water. 

On another tour, I had a family of 5. There were three kids ages 4,6, and 9. We had to go to a new snorkel spot because of the waves at Lawai beach were too big. I hadn't ever snorkeled at this spot so I wasn't sure where to go or what to look for but I was in for whatever was coming! You kinda have to have this attitude at a job like mine. Well, we got in the water and start snorkeling. The kids were kinda freaking out about sharks and fish so I tell them to hang onto the raft and float. In the meantime, I am snorkeling looking for a really cool fish for the kids to look at or a sea turtle. When and all of a sudden I see a three-foot white tip reef shark. I wasn't super scared just because I saw sharks for the first time last week in Niihau. But I also wasn't responsible for anyone but myself when I saw the shark. What I was worried about was the kids seeing them and freaking out. So I just kept swimming keeping my eye on the shark till it was out of view and we went on our way. 

So as you can see every day is full of some kind of crazy adventure. 

The other day I found this lobster skin in the ocean. I dove down and picked it up and came up out of the water with it on my head. I gave everyone a pretty big fright. I was throwing it around at all the tourists. It was hilarious. You got to make the tour fun somehow right? 

The second tour we do is the boat snorkel. On the boat, we take a group of 14 out on a zodiac to two snorkel spots. One of them is in front of the Sheraton where we have our turtles and underwater lava tubes. If you are a really skilled diver you can dive down through the arches. The other one is at PK's where we follow the coral to a shelf to a beautiful wall filled with fish life and brightly colored reef. I prefer the shore over the boat just because some of the captains are crazy to work with. Also on the boat, you have to dive down to an underwater moring and connect the boat to it. I'm not super into diving and always get stressed out doing that. Also, usually when I am on the boat people are seasick or it's pouring rain which makes the ride freezing. 

The last tour we do is the Napali coast! The Napali coast is one the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Napali stands for many cliffs. Which is exactly what the coast is. We follow the cliffs from the ocean. Often times we see dolphins, monk seals, and even a whale at times. We take off from the west side which is brown and dead and ride for an hour up north till we hit the sea cliffs.  It's honestly always magical and beautiful. There are caves and waterfalls on the coast. Since we do our tour on a zodiac we can go through the caves it's so awesome! 

We had a staff training day on the coast and it was so magical. We just swam all along the coast and even in some of the caves. They said Gavin can always jump on a tour when I work if there is an empty seat. Looking forward to when that can happen. 

Grateful for my job and all the things I have learned because of it. 

Secret Falls

 Gavin and I have been trying to get out once a week to do some hiking. This week's adventure was Secret Falls!

I heard about secret falls a lot from work. When I talk to the tourists that come on my tour I ask them what else they have planned. Almost every time they usually say kayaks to Secret Falls as one of their to-do's on the island. So Gavin and I took it upon ourselves to paddle the river and find the waterfall!

You start in Kapaa and head up the Wailua River for about 2 miles. The river is smooth sailing and very beautiful. We only have one blow-up paddleboard so Gavin paddles the both of us while I sit in the front and relax. A lot of other kayakers comment that I've got the best setup. Which I really do ;) 

On the way, you pass some charming houses that line the river. There is one house that looks like it's made of bamboo and is more of a hut. Gavin said that is his dream house.

 It isn't long though till you are in between lush green trees. The paddle is fun on a paddleboard because you can jump off and swim in the river anytime you want! Gavin took advantage of that and jumped in a couple of times. 

The waterfall is called Secret Falls because you can only get there by paddling up the river, but I don't think it's a secret that it's there. There are TONS of people on the river and hiking up to the falls. There is a kayak company that provides these tours and they sure get a lot of people on it. We weren't ever confused about where to go because there were so many kayakers to follow on the river and a very well-marked trail. So much for a secret waterfall. 

Once you find a spot to throw your paddleboard you just follow the marked path all the way along the river to the falls. It is a very beautiful trail with boardwalks and a great view of the lush green tropical plants. 

The waterfall itself is beautiful as well. It was packed with people which wasn't my favorite thing but I can't complain that people are hiking and taking advantage of the beautiful Island. This waterfall is nice because it's one you can actually swim in! 

We took a quick swim before heading back down the river. We loved this so much that

we went back a couple of weeks later with Jaden and Izzy! I chuckle just a little bit because Gavin and I thought it was the easiest thing in the world but when I talk to the tourist they describe it as a very slippery difficult trail that isn't marked at all. I think the tours take about 6 hours. When I think in total it took us 2-2-2.5 hours. And that was with swimming in the waterfall. It's interesting to see things from the tourist's point of view because I'm sure I sound like them when I travel to other places. 

On the way back when we were paddling, we passed another couple. They were asking us questions but Gavin was going beast mode because he was timing himself trying to get back to the car in under 30 minutes. I felt bad we kinda ignored the sweet couple and paddled on. Well turns out they were our good friend Trent Hansen's siblings! Such a small world and it feels even smaller when you are on an island like this. 

The CCSM reunites!

This week Gavin and I had four visitors come and stay with us at our place. This was our first time hosting visitors at our place. It felt great to have something to offer some people. The first people that came were Trae and Hannah. I met Trae back when we were missionaries in the Colorado Colorado Springs mission in 2017. Trae is from Australia and I haven't seen him since the mission which was a little bit over three years ago. So this was an exciting week! He came with his girlfriend Hannah from Utah. When I saw him it was like three years hadn't passed. We picked right up from where we left off years ago. I love it when friendships can be like this. Years can go by without talking but when you see them again it's like no time had passed. 

 

Gavin and I ended up working opposite schedules this week which in a way worked out. He was able to hike and adventure with them in the morning while I was at work and then I partied with them in the evening. 

It was fun catching up with Trae and seeing him not as a missionary. We were super close friends on the mission and we weren't sure if or when we would ever see each other again. I am so glad he came over to meet Gavin. 

We went to Wailua falls where we had the best weather. This place is usually pouring rain because it's the wettest place in the world. But today we had the shining warm sun! We had fun swimming to the huge waterfall and screaming behind it. It was so loud that we couldn't even hear each other. Trae and Gavin tried to swim to the waterfall but got stuck just feet before. I would see them stretching their arms and swimming as fast as they could put all their strength into swimming just to see them stay in the same place. Darn! But in all honestly, I was impressed at their ability to swim in place for so long! Way to go boys! 

After we met up with my friend Maci from ilp. I hadn't seen her since we left Ukraine almost three years ago as well. I am so glad she texted me because she came to Kauai by herself and it was her birthday. We had her pile in with us in our car and we went up to Waimea canyon to do the Kalepa trail. When we got to the top it was super cloudy, but as we hiked along the ridge we got in front/underneath the clouds and were able to see the Kalalau mountains. Honestly it was stunning. One of my favorite views of all time. As I was talking with Maci she reminded me of something I told her years ago when I met her in Ukraine. I guess we were talking and she told me she was an awkward person. I told her who cares embrace your awkwardness and just go for it. I thought that was sweet that she remembered me saying that. She told me that's why she reached out when she got here because she knew I didn't care if I thought she was awkward or if it was going to be awkward. I was so happy she shared this with me and that I was able to spend some time with her on her birthday. 

Heather and Mya joined us just a few days later. The party did not stop here on Peleleu Street. We went to North shore one day where we swam in Queens Bath and got stuck in a massive rainstorm. 

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Everyone was also here for Easter! Heather said she thought it would be fun if we made Shakshouka. Google can explain what this is better than I can. According to google, Shakshouka is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne (Israelian Food). I didn't get a picture of it but it was so fun to host a little Easter meal at the house. I made baguettes for dipping in the Shakshouka. It was actually really good and I would 100 percent make it again. Gavin and I both had to run off right after lunch because we had to work. But this Easter Sunday I was thinking of how much I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. It's because of him that I have hope and joy. I can't imagine my life without the knowledge of a Savior. I know that he lives and that if I apply his atoning sacrifice in my life I will be okay no matter what. 

 

Nu'alolo Trail and Hanakapi Falls

This week Gavin and I had the same two days off of work so we decided that we were going to go on some long hikes. We have a huge list of hikes we are trying to work through so it's always exciting to get out and explore something new. 

We headed up Waimea canyon to hike Nu'alola Trail. This one is an out-and-back one that takes you to a lookout over the coast. It's about a 7-mile hike. It's straight down the mountain then right back up. We pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves we passed very few people. We both have so much fun hiking together. We get talking and into the zone that it doesn't even feel like we have been going for hours. 

The view here was just breathtaking! Gavin brought his drone and flew it around. I always panic when he flies his drone because I am just so worried that it will get lost or broken somehow and I wouldn't even want to see how sad that would make Gavin. I always give a sigh of relief when he lands it. Pictures from the top of the coast. As you can see we can see down the Napali Coast. Doesn't that water look amazing? 

When we got back to the car there was an older couple maybe in their 60s that were just about to start the trail. From what I could see they didn't have any water or anything with them. The husband was just wearing this huge camera around his neck. He was told that this hike had the best view of the coast. We told them it was very beautiful but a very long hike. They definitely weren't going to make it there and back before the sunset. They said they were just going to go in a little bit of the way. I sure hope they didn't end up going all the way to the end. 

The next day we hiked to Hanakapai Falls which is on the Napali Coast! Usually, you have to book a permit to hike to the falls or even the first two miles but because we are local we don't need to. This hike might be one of my favorite hikes on Kauai so far. The view of the ridges and the deep blue water can't be seen anywhere else. The trail also has the thickest most beautiful green plants I have ever seen. I am in awe at the beauty of this island ALL the time. I really feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. The first 2 miles were packed with people. People come from all over the world to hike this coast. It's estimated that about half a million people hike part or all of the coast each year. 

At the end of the first two miles of the trail, you can stop at Hanakapi beach and swim before either hiking the last 9 miles to Kalalau or back to the car. Gavin and I on the other hand decided to hike 2 more miles up to the waterfall. 

We pretty much had the trail to ourselves. It was a little bit of a rainy day and people weren't willing to hike in the rain. We passed a group of people who said the trail was way too muddy and dangerous to continue. We decided to press forward with caution. But to our surprise, it wasn't super horrible conditions at all. 

We made it all the way to the waterfall and it was HUGE maybe one of the tallest waterfalls I have ever seen. It was tall and big that you could feel the mist from super far away. I could hardly see Gavin swim in the falls because I was getting blasted by mist and drops. I don't think a lot of people hike all the way to the waterfall because of the length of the trail. It's 8 miles round trip and it's defiantly a trek. Hands down though one of the prettiest hikes on the island. As you get closer to the falls there are pools of water you can swim in. All of them were deep and clear. As we hiked back out and to the car we noticed a few people we parked by in the parking lot. They were still making their way to the beach 4 hours later... 

After we were so tired and hungry we went local style and sat on our beach chairs in the parking lot. We pulled out our cooler and ate some snacks while watching the chickens run around.