Saturday, 12/10/16:
Rain, rain, rain... non-stop rain all day, all over the entire island... We slept in the tent, breathed together first thing in the morning for 10 minutes and then meditated for an hour. Zen went to work and I went to the Powerhouse Gym to try out UJam for the first time (like Zumba, but with Hip Hop music). It was really fun and good inspiration for when I start teaching my Hip Hop class. I ran into one of my old belly-dance students (which has been happening a lot lately - this was the fifth time)! Must be a sign that I need to start teaching again soon... When I came home I contacted a bunch of people to notify them of my new number and let them know I was back on island. Then I went with my neighbor to see the Mary Poppins musical at the Iao Theatre in Wailuku, 2-5 PM. I was a bit disappointed because the movie is so special and the characters - it didn't move me at all. I thought the singing was off-pitch a lot of the time and the costumes looked really cheap. I guess I'm spoiled now, after going to Broadway plays...
Afterward I went to Walmart and Whole Foods and then to Wailuku Coffee House and sat in with Sal Godinez and his trio, 7-9 PM. I sang "Route 66", "Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Fly Me to the Moon". I saw another one of my students and met another really nice singer who also sat in.
Friday, 12/09/16:
We woke up really early and had a long lazy morning in bed. We did laundry, put up more rope lights in the dance space, worked out our triceps and chests and then went to Pita Paradise for our monthly belly-dance gig. It felt really weird putting on my costume and makeup again after not having performed in so long (since before I caught pneumonia). I had to really think, when normally I'm on automatic. Everything came back to me slowly. It was great seeing everyone again and all the waiters are always so nice, loving and calm.
Thursday, 12/08/16:
I gave myself a self-massage with coconut oil when I woke up and Zen and I practiced our eye gazing exercise before he went to work. It was another rainy day and I had a good cry. Once I went through my process I played some Christmas music, cleaned and organized some shelves in the kitchen, did vocal warmups, practiced an N* Sync song ("Bye Bye") for the cover band I'm in, painted my nails and meditated for an hour.
At 5:30-8 PM I went to the weekly "Women Within" circle (a non-profit organization) for the first time in Kahului. I absolutely loved it and felt so inspired afterward! They did exactly what I have been envisioning and wanting to do (except I haven't been super clear on exactly how I want to do it). Basically it's like a women's support group where we just connect and process our stuff. I have been yearning for more deep connections on this island, because I think one of the main underlying reasons people feel dissatisfied and unhappy, is because we feel disconnected from each other and isolated. Social media supports separation and superficial contact. We need more face-to-face and eye-to-eye contact. If you for example go to a party, everyone puts on this facade that they are fine. (Or as my Godmother would say, "FINE=F**ked up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional). I love diving deep immediately. I didn't even know these women, yet I immediately felt welcomed, accepted and understood. They were very grounded, clear and compassionate. Such a good reminder that we are not alone in this world and everyone goes through their stuff and it never ends. We are all in this boat together. Real connection to ourselves and others is what makes life meaningful.
Wednesday, 12/07/16:
I went with my neighbor to volunteer at the Maui Botanical Gardens in Wailuku for a couple hours. There were a lot of locals and we worked with and learned about Hawaiian plants, so it felt nice to experience more of the culture. We cleaned up banana tree roots and re-potted some hibiscus plants. It was my lucky day because they happened to have a volunteer appreciation party with food and gifts. Zen and I had a rough day with a lot of fighting and processing. Our neighbors were fighting too and a couple friends... must have been something astrological or collective stress.
Tuesday, 12/06/16:
We meditated for an hour in the morning and I worked out my biceps. At 12:45 PM I went with my next-door neighbor up to Makawao to volunteer, walking autistic children around on horses. The kids were very sweet and most of them were high-functioning, but it was a little boring actually and a lot of waiting around. I also thought my horse allergy was gone, but it turns out it's still there, just not as bad as it used to be. The funny thing is that the part I enjoyed the most was filling out the paperwork :) Came home around 5:30 PM and went for a walk in Kalama Park and then did vocal warmups.
Monday, 12/05/16:
We meditated for an hour in the morning. Still raining. Then I did yard work, vocal warmups, cleaned a bit, started painting a table outside, prepared Christmas packages and cards and went for a walk in the evening in Kalama Park.
Sunday, 12/04/16:
Did breathing exercises for 15 minutes in the morning and then we went to beach dance (which is like a meditation for me). It was an overcast and mellow day. Zen worked an 11 hour day from 12-11 PM. It was a nice rainy day, so couldn't get much done outside. I did vocal warmups, finally painted my toes which was way overdue, and in the evening Celeste and Jon invited me over to play "Ticket to Ride" and at 9 PM I went to Three's and sat in with Louise Lambert. I sang "Moondance" and "Route 66".
Saturday, 12/03/16:
I slept in until 9 AM and allowed myself to feel lazy and practice non-doing. Zen came home from work around noon and we hung out with the cats. I vacuumed, recycled an old leopard sarong by decorating a shoe box for our computer monitor to stand on, did vocal warmups, went to Ace Hardware and got more yellow roses, went for a walk in Kalama Park, made dinner, gave Zen a massage and we meditated for an hour before bed and slept in the tent.
Friday, 12/02/16:
Got a lot done today and it feels great.
Procrastination and indecisiveness of what to do is not a good feeling
and it causes anxiety in me. I'm finding it really helps to develop a
consistent routine, use my calendar, have to-do lists, decide when to do
it in my calendar and the things I don't get done I move to the next
day. Time management is so important when I am the one in charge of it.
Otherwise I feel scattered and lost.
We meditated in
the morning for an hour to this subliminal YouTube video for
"Consciousness Connector Theta Supercharger with 3rd Eye Booster":
https://youtu.be/QJImZyWqMWs
I
went so deep it was hard to get out of it. I started rocking, almost
feeling like I was sleeping. It's amazing what a difference it made for
me the whole day. I felt so clam and present and focused. I am really
making meditation my number one priority. The way I start my day really
affects the rest of my day. I am going to try this subliminal for an
hour every morning and I should notice drastic results really quickly.
I
did 1.5 hours of yard work from 10:30 AM-12 PM while listening to jazz,
had lunch, then did another two hours of yard work between 2-4 PM and
vocal warmups. Luckily it was an overcast day, so the temperature was
pleasant.
After dinner, Zen and I went to the Grand
Opening of "808 Wellness Center" at the Rainbow Mall in Kihei. We saw a
lot of people we knew and I got some free body work. We went to Hawaiian
Moons, which is completely changed and expanded now, with a juice and
sandwich bar!
On the way home we stopped at "Kamaole 1" beach and went for a moon-lit walk. Before
bedtime we did a 10-minute eye gazing exercise.
Thursday, 12/01/16:
I started the day meditating for 30 minutes and doing two hours of yard work. At noon I drove into Wailuku and got a way-overdue haircut from Karli Rose at Loft 145, had lunch at Whole Foods, went to Home Depot and had a really good therapy appointment. I was grateful to get an appointment the same day because there was a cancellation. (Normally you have to wait several weeks).
When I came home I went for a walk in Kalama Park and saw a gorgeous sunset and enjoyed having the evening to myself home alone, processing my therapy appointment. Walking while listening to music makes me feel so good and empowered. I love it!
Wednesday, 11/30/16:
We drove to Little Beach and meditated first thing in the morning. Very powerful! I went out and ran errands, did vocal warmups and in the evening I made dinner and Zen gave me a massage.
Tuesday, 11/29/16:
We started the day by driving to Makena Beach and meditating, which was amazing. Zen went in to town and I got things done around the house. I did my vocal warmups, finally unpacked completely, started sorting through the pile of paper work I was behind on and prepared claim letters to get reimbursed from my health insurance for my urgent care visits during my trip. I was reminded of how much I enjoy organizing and doing office work.
Monday, 11/28/16:
We started off mediating for 30 minutes and I went up to the Olinda Forest at 1 PM for a couple hours. I felt overwhelmed and scattered because there was so much that needed to be done and really felt the need to ground myself . I gained so much strength and focus from the forest. I also drove to the Kula Hardware & Nursery to get purple, yellow and white roses for my yard and really enjoyed the drive and experiencing Kula again (while doing my vocal warmups). Then I drove down to Kahului to run errands and got a lot done and felt grounded, focused, happy and present.
Sunday, 11/27/16:
I brought Zen to Beach dance for the first time and he loved it, which made me very happy because I have been trying to get him to go for a long time and it is my favorite thing to do. It is one of the things I missed the most about Maui when I was gone. It combines my three favorite things: music, dance and nature and it's like Sunday church for me and a very spiritual experience. There were 30 people there and we danced in the ocean with waterproof iPods. Coincidentally, the theme for today's dance was "What is our purpose?". During the dance I got more clarity and came to the conclusion that all these occupations we choose are just superficial identities and our real purpose is to work on ourselves. I believe this is why we reincarnate over and over again. Also playing, having fun, being grateful and valuing the things that really matter in life.
Saturday, 11/26/16:
Got up at 7:30 AM and meditated with Zen for an hour. Then I did 1.5 hours of yard work, followed by 15 minutes of yoga. Around noon we drove to the beach in Napili Bay for a couple hours and had a fun ride jamming out to music. When I got back I visited one of my belly-dance students at her house in Maui Meadows for an hour and we went together to "A Goddess Night" jewelry gathering. I got a free psychic mini reading and I got to ask one question. I had a lot of questions, but chose the one that is the most prominent right now: "What is my purpose here (career-wise)?" She pulled two cards: "Freedom" and "Support". She said it will take some time to discover my life purpose and I have a lot of anxiety and my purpose right now is to ground myself and work through those issues so that I can shine. The world is my oyster and the angels want me to know that I have the freedom and support I need to choose whatever I want. No matter what I do, I will be financially successful.
Friday, 11/25/16:
I slept in until 9:30 AM! I meditated for 20 minutes, did some work cleaning and organizing the porch area, designed and ordered new business cards with my new number, worked out my biceps and did vocal warmups. Zen got home from work at 2 PM so we hung out and were lazy in the heat. I went to Safeway and got water and groceries (mainly to be in the A/C!) and caught a beautiful sunset at Kalama Park. I cooked a delicious dinner when I got home while listening to Kurt Elling. Once the sun set and it cooled down I felt like I woke up. We watched "The Color Purple" starring Oprah Winfrey and Woopie Goldberg. It was good, but not as moving as the Broadway play.
Thursday, 11/24/16:
Happy Thanksgiving! We started the day meditating for 40 minutes and then Zen went to work and I went up to Haiku to a couple potlucks. The 1st one was at my friend, Kerry's house and the 2nd was my bellydance teacher, Mirayah's "Sacred Earth Temple". There were a lot of people and good food at Kerry's, but the scene was so dead at Mirayah's... no food left and hardly any people, but it was nice to catch up with Mirayah since I hadn't seen her in a long time - she offered for me to perform on New Year's Eve.
Wednesday, 11/23/16:
We meditated in the morning for 30 minutes. I worked so hard outside from 8 AM-12 PM in the morning doing yard work and improving the space. Felt really good to get it done. Then I got tired and it was hot, so I took it easy. In the evening when it cooled down, we worked out and at 8 PM I took Celeste and Jon to the airport because they were going to Mexico for 10 days. Jon said he has a job opening if I am interested, so we'll talk about it more when they get back.
Tuesday, 11/22/16:
We had a productive morning setting up rope lights in the entrance of my dance space (it looks so cool!!) and I pulled weeds.
Then it got really hot, so we felt really lazy and didn't get anything done. We meditated at 3 PM for 30 minutes and then went to the beach for a short while and sang (it was windy and got chilly... we miss Flamenco Beach!) and watched a movie when we got home. We found out Zen has to work on Thanksgiving which really sucks... I'll have to go to parties on my own... :(
Monday, 11/21/16:
After a week on Maui I started finally feeling like I was here. I really appreciated waking up in the tent, feeling the nice temperature, seeing the tropical plants and hearing the birds chirping and meditated for 30 minutes. The meditation really helped me stay calm and focused all day.
Zen was off from work for a few days, so we went to Kahului to run errands and had lunch at Whole Foods. When we got home I was productive and finished sorting through my clothes and unpacked my suitcase, we cleaned and in the evening I gave Zen a massage in the tent. The table is always set up there now so we can exchange massages easily.
We stayed up late watching performances from the AMA's (American Music Awards).
Sunday, 11/20/16:
In the morning I went to Alive & Well in Kahului to get probiotics since it was my last day of antibiotics for my ear infection. From there I carpooled with my friend Devaka in her convertible to an event up in Haiku called "Women Within" (for women only). We were late, so we missed most of the intro where they were promoting a retreat and then we danced and had a meal afterward. It was a good way to network because I want to start monthly women's gatherings at my place in Kihei.
I came home in the afternoon and took it easy with my hubby and then we had dinner with our friends Celeste, Jon and Jen and played a board game called "Ticket to Ride". The game was new for all of us, so it was hard in the beginning, but then it became fun.
Saturday, 11/19/16:
I woke up with that initial stressful feeling of, "Time is running out and what am I doing with my life?!" and had to work on calming myself down and breath. Instead of thinking "I don't know and I'll wait until I know" (which I've been trying lately), I'm going to experiment with telling myself, "I know exactly what to do". Even if I don't. It'll be more of an affirmation that opens me up to knowing, rather than being in a state of confusion. One day at a time... So I drove to Laparuz and went for a walk around 8:30 AM. So beautiful! I am definitely enjoying and appreciating Maui more now, which was my goal before I went on my trip. I don't want to take this for granted. I am getting to know myself better and what I need to be happiest, so maybe I'm the type of person who needs a morning routine before I start my day. Meditation and nature is so important.
I felt more grounded when I got home and more clear of my goals. I need to get caught up from my trip, fix things up around the house so I can start teaching classes again and have events and then look for a parttime job. I continued sorting through my clothes, painted my nails (I hadn't done nail art in a long time) and danced and sang. At 5 PM, Zen and I went to our next-door neighbors potluck. It was fun to socialize and connect more with our other neighbors as well. My biceps were so sore, I couldn't even stretch my arms out all the way!
Friday, 11/18/16:
I started off meditating for 30 minutes. Then I allowed myself to just forget about everything, rest and sleep in until 10 AM, which felt so nice and relaxing. I find it harder to relax when I'm at home (as opposed to on vacation) because I always feel like I should be getting things done. Sometimes we just need to tell that "should" voice to shut up. I spent the day unpacking and sorting through my clothes and got a lot done, but didn't finish. I did my vocal warmups too. My voice teacher recommended I do them twice a day for 20 minutes. Luckily the temperature was pleasant but in the afternoon it got too hot, so I drove up to the Olinda Forest at 4 PM. I saw so many horses and white cows. So nourishing and I love it when it's sunny and you can see the sun glistening through the trees!
On the way home I stopped at Costco which felt fun because I haven't been there in so long. Everyone's so friendly. They've definitely expanded their organic selection since I've been gone, which is great! I made us dinner when I got home and Sammy voluntarily wanted to sit in my lap, which made me so happy because she hasn't done that in a long time.
Thursday, 11/17/16:
Today was a productive day. Started off meditating for 20 minutes. I got a lot of cleaning and yard work done around the house and catching up after being gone for so long while Zen was at work. It always sucks coming back from a trip and having to deal with everything you're behind with. It takes discipline. It's kind of a downer coming back after a fun trip and having to face real life. Luckily the weather was cooler. I started sorting through clothes and getting rid of things. I haven't even unpacked yet. Traveling makes you realize how little possessions you need. I also did vocal warmups, danced and worked out my biceps.
Wednesday, 11/16/16:
I felt really sad and depressed in the morning because I missed my bestie Nicole. Life on Maui feels empty without her. It was so great when she was living 5 minutes away and we could see each other all the time. We left Maui at the same time and coming back now it's just not the same. So I cried and rested... In the afternoon Zen and I went up to my favorite place in the world: the Olinda forest. Exactly what I needed... Whenever I go up there I am guaranteed to feel good. The energy is so grounding, sacred, magical and special up there. Like no other place I've been. Because it was the road I lived on the longest as a child (4 years), it's where I feel the most at home. I'd like to make it a goal to go up there three times a week.
On the way back down to Kihei we had dinner in Paia at one of our favorite places, Cafe Des Amis. We also shopped at Mana Foods. I enjoyed experiencing all of it again and I always loved Paia at nighttime. I also enjoyed the contrast of coming back down to Kihei (which I also love at nighttime) and we slept in the tent again. Nicole called and said she will be visiting Maui in January or February! That made me happy! Hopefully she can come for my birthday :)
Tuesday, 11/15/16:
I started the day doing breathing exercises. Then went to Kahului to run errands and have lunch at Whole Foods. I really hate Kahului... after working there for 3.5 years I am still sick of it. In the afternoon, Zen and I went to Makena beach. We were a bit spoiled now after Culebra. The water felt cold in comparison... I was hoping I'd appreciate it more and felt disappointed. In the evening we watched "Magic Mike 2".
Monday, 11/14/16:
We slept in the tent for the first time that my hubby had set up when I was gone.
He also surprised me by installing a brand new bathroom sink and a new carpet in the bedroom.
I was surprised at how hot Kihei was! I wasn't expecting that for November and was quite disappointed because usually the temperature is very pleasant this time of year. It's hard to get things done when it's hot and it's easy to get lazy.
I didn't feel like I was quite here yet. After being gone for so long it took some time to adjust to old routines, remembering where things go and which light switches control what, etc... I spent my first day on Maui cleaning, doing laundry and yard work while my hubby was at work. It felt good to have things that needed to be done after having a 5-month vacation. I was curious to see how my cats would react after not seeing me for so long... if they would be angry or scared. Tinky acted as if nothing had changed, but Sammy who is more skittish stayed away and I was fortunate enough to get a sniff on the hand.
In the evening I went to my hubby's job at the Kea Lani to check out the live concert by the "Kalama Brothers" under the full moon.
