Waterfalls

 Today I woke up hung over.  Yep poor choices last night led to a hung over morning.  Thankfully i was able to get more water, a really good breakfast and chai latte from a local coffee shop before getting ready for the day's adventure. 

Today we rappelled from waterfalls.  It was exhilarating  and horrifying and wonderful all at the same time.  We started in the Garden of Eden Surrounded by amazing plant life and so many peacocks. We took a short walk to Rappel Maui's set up to get suited up.  We then walk a bit further to the practice rappel- I fell, twice. The first waterfall, the larger of the 2, J went first and caught footage of me going down. 

I did sign up for this, and completely ignored the fact that there would be swimming involved.  When you get to the bottom of a waterfall there is by definition water. 

 I was not expecting pools so deep you cannot see let alone touch the bottom. The swimming was by far the hardest part for me and I was beyond thankful at many points for the life jacket.  I am not a strong swimmer and that was obvious today.  

On the 2nd waterfall I went down first to get video and photos of J.  He did great.  Have long legs can be both a blessing and a curse, but on the 2nd waterfall it was the former.  

While the Rappel adventure was wonderful it was not without its unfortunate events.  On the first set of falls J lost both his sun glasses and his wedding ring.  I'm not mad about this, but I am sad. Sad that the ring I put on his had on our wedding day is gone. Sad that the ring we said our vows over wont be the one he wears everyday.  Just sad. (He was able to order a replacement from the same company, but it will take about a month to come in 😢😢) 

Dinner was low key.  We went back to Waikiki Brewing again tonight.  J had a smoked meat sandwich and I had a very large chewy wonderful pretzel and a very spicy and delicious maui Marg

Anyway that's the end of a very long day. 

Signing off for now

C

Tropical Vacation

 Yesterday (Thursday) was super chill.  Woke up, swam in the ocean. Took some photos with J- those will have to wait he left his editing laptop at home. Just spent time on the balcony watching the waves come in.  We had a nice lunch at The Fish market - Different from where we had lunch the other day.  I would certainly come back to this place if I ever needed to pick up fresh sea food to cook up myself on the Island. 

After lunch we went and got dessert from Island Cream Co- Yes we went back.  J got Green Apple and Salted Caramel- in constant search of an Izzy's replica since they closed their store front in Minnesota. I got the "make your own Sno-Cone" with Lychee, Guava, Watermelon and Mango and I got a snow cap (Sweet and Condensed Milk) it was so yummy. 

After lunch and dessert we treated ourselves to a nap and relaxation time before dinner. We ate at Waikiki Brewing in Lahaina.  J had the smoked brisket and I had the Pulled pork- Both were wonderful.  To drink J stuck to beers getting the skinny jeans IPA and the Hana Hou Hefe; I on the other hand enjoyed a Ginger Cocktail. 

After dinner is where mistakes were made- J went back to the condo to have a beer and watch sunset, I went next door to The Beach House for $6 tropical cocktails.  At 30+ years old I can attest that multiple very sweet fruity cocktails don't sit well the next day.  When I got back to the condo I drank A LOT of water, added a dose of Hydration IV to my class and prayed for a successful Morning as Friday we go rappelling Waterfalls. 

Okay that's it for today.  

Signing off for now

C

59

 There is a reason why the Road to Hana is also known as divorce highway. Thankfully for J I am just super thankful that I had him to do the driving, even if I was clinging on for dear life half the drive.  

59 refers to the number of one-lane bridges that exist just the the way down. I should say we took a different route on the return through the south part of the island and it was no less dyer.  I would like to ask Maui county a few questions though (However if you grew up here and can answer any of these feel free) 

1. How am I to "yield" to on coming traffic when I cannot SEE the oncoming traffic?
2. How is it legal that you have a road narrow when it's already a single lane? 
3. How many accidents a year happen on these roads?
4. How the hell does a school bus do it/what is that training like?  

We got going around 8am and made it as far as Paia by 9.  We didn't do much stopping on the way down as frankly it's rude to sit in a 1.5 lane road and wait for a parking spot, plus everything clearly stated private property, so I have no idea where anyone was actually going.  We did stop to see a few waterfalls.  

The drive on its own was breath taking. The wild-life and plant life were incredible and the ocean views were a cherry on top. 

We arrived in Hana, and I spent not as long as a could have, but plenty of time on the black sand beach.  I completely understand the draw of this place, and would like to come back in the future and actually spend the night or nights here. 

We got a bite to eat in Hana at the Hana Ranch.  I wouldn't recommend. It wasn't bad, but it was over priced and if you go on a weekend there are plenty of food trucks, they just weren't open for us for lunch today. Though they did have a quite a collection of Ukuleles on the wall. 

For our drive home we did not go back the way we came.  Instead we did the south road. Because yes you CAN drive south of Hana, though it's not for the faint of heart.  The first 10 or so miles were single lane-not that you could see to the other side to know what's coming; and the road is a rock face on one side and a cliff drop off on the other. We averaged 10 miles an hour on this road, and we certainly went slower than that at points.  

When we visited South Africa several years ago, we were warned about the "South African Back Massage" aka the road is just rocks and sand have fun!  Well today we experienced the Hawai'ian back massage on Oheo Gulch.  After you get passed the first 10 miles outside of Hana that are frankly death defying, the next 15 still leave a lot to be desired.  They were paved at one point in time, not sure when that time was.... After that you hit modern pavement and the drive becomes much more enjoyable. Which I'm thankful for. I got to enjoy all the views the whole time, I was the passenger, but J had to focus, the whole time.  So I'm really thankful that the roads got better and he was able to enjoy his surroundings. 

After all that driving J and I really needed a beer. So we stopped at Mahalo Aleworks for a quick drink on the way home.  I had the Mango Sour and J had something with Hops.  The Mango was assertive but the tartness wasn't.  I always appreciate finding a new sour.  The brewery is beautiful.  It's located right next door to the pizza place we went to last night, and is equally as esthetically pleasing. 

After beers we wandered the next hour home.  After 8 hours in the car we decided to walk to dinner at The Beach House Bar & Grill where we both had Ahi BLTs for dinner.  They were huge portions for the price and so yummy- See photo for HALF the sandwich. 

After dinner we walked back to the condo to watch the sun set from our balcony. 

That's it for Tonight.

Signing off for now

-C

Sea to Summit

 Hawaii is amazing for many reason, the one we enjoyed today was that in a matter of hours you can go from sea level to over 10,000 feet. But more on that later.

The morning started as others have and will likely continue to . A stop at the local coffee shop today I had a chai latte and a monster cinnamon roll.  I don't think it would have been as good cold, so I'm glad I was able to heat it up. I came back and ate on the balcony watching the waves roll in. After breakfast J and I took a walk on the beach. The section was have access to is about a half a mile 1 way, so it's a nice peaceful way to start the morning. 

We came back and relaxed for a few hours before heading to lunch at Paia Fish Market I cannot recommend this place enough!  You pick your fish, your preparation and your side.  I got Blacked Ahi with home potatoes and J had fish tacos.  After Lunch I went next door to Breakwall shaved Ice co. for the mandatory shaved ice.  While I could have gotten a "Grown up" version here with rum, I decided at high noon, alcohol was not in my best interest so I stuck to my 3 favorite flavors- Mango, Coconut and Watermelon. 

J picked up a very expensive cold brew from starbucks (I thought they were overpriced on the main land, but this is ridiculous), before we headed to our chocolate tasting. 

Our tasting at the ku'ia factory included a history of the farm, its a very wealthy man's retirement project gone wild, learned that the factory is powered by dozens of solar panels backed up by 5 Tesla batteries, and finally that all of the net proceeds go back into the maui area, that it's very wealthy founder doesn't take a salary but is invested in growing the island economy.  

The chocolate tasting portion itself was a great experience.  We each got 9 5g portions for a total of 45g of chocolate which is probably too much, especially given that it's all 55% cocoa solids and higher, but it was a fun treat.  I especially loved their fruit chocolates.  All 3 fruit combos are grown on the island turned into a powder and incorporated into the chocolate.  Guava and Mango were my 2 favorite. 

After the chocolate tasting, we came back to the condo for some much needed rest before our evening adventure. 

Around 3:30 we got on warmer clothes, packed our coats and headed out for the summit sunset.  The drive from our condo to the summit took about 2 hours and was full of dozens of switchbacks. I am so thankful 1 that we had a jeep and 2 that J took on the driving I know it must have been draining for him.  I on the other hand am seemingly unable to stay away if I'm in the passenger seat.  So I slept much of the drive up and back down. 

When we reached the summit we took a short 0.5 round trip hike to glean some better views before settling in to watch the sunset.  We opted to take the roof of of the Jeep and sit on top to take in the sunsetting.  I'm glad I brought a wrap and my coat and wore long pants because I was still cold, but what an amazing sight it was to watch the sun disappear beyond the horizon. I've included a time lapse video below so you can enjoy the sunset too. 

The drive down was filled with breath-taking views and a worry of what to do for dinner as nearly every place in Maui seems to close at 8, which is about when we would just be getting off the mountain. So I did what any reasonable person would do and ordered Pizza for Pick up. We ended up getting dinner from Marlow a little woodfire pizza place in the upcountry. Very esthetically pleasing interior, but it was just about closing and I was just happy to be getting food. J got pizza and I got 2 very large meatballs with bread and sauce. I could only eat 1 last night but will certainly enjoy the left overs later. 

It took another hour to get back to the condo where we quickly got ready for bed and fell asleep. But what a great way to spend a day. 

Signing off for now

C

The one where we threw away the plans

 The plan for today had been sleep in til about brunch- brunch, chocolate tasting, nap dinner.  

Well I'm sure on this trip all of those things will happen, but the only one that happened today was dinner. 

I normally go to bed around 9pm pst.  Well by the time we got back last night it was 10pm Hawaiian time so about midnight back home.  I was really hoping to sleep in, but my body had other plans.  

My internal alarm clock just knows when its 5:45- no matter where I am. And just like that I was awake WAY before I wanted to be.  The sun wasn't even up yet.  

So I was lazy and forced myself to stay in bed until the sun came up. Then I sat on the patio for a while before wandering down the the beach.  

The tide was coming in and oh my is that water strong.  It was effort to keep myself in a straight line on the sand.  I walked down to the end of our beach and back (about a mile) while having a nice video chat with my mom. The last few swells were larger than expected and I ended up quite wet.  Thankfully our Airbnb has a washer dryer so the outfit was not lost for the trip.  I came back to the unit, got cleaned up and took a nap. 

J and I lounged around for most of the morning before going to get Lunch at a local Kombucha shop.  Alchemy has great Kombucha (thought I'd say no to the Lemongrass Lavender) and a list of food options.  J really liked the fish tacos, but I found them to be too spicy for my liking.  He can have the left overs another day. I will probably go back tomorrow to pick up a few bottles of Kombucha for the trip. 

Next we were going to do Chocolate tasting.  Unfortunately my 3rd party booker didn't get the memo that it had been moved to tomorrow.  All is not lost, we will get chocolate, but it just didn't happen today. 

Finding ourselves in need of something sweet we meandered down the road to Island Cream Co.  to all fo my Minnesota friends, their flavors rival Izzys. They even have a green apple and a salted caramel (if you know, you know). we will absolutely be going back here while on the trip, so J can do the ode to Izzys and so I can try to make your own snow cone adventure...so many taps to choose from. 

After Ice cream and a trip to Safeway to pick up the essentials: Coffee, Alcohol, Fruit and Yogurt, we headed back to our place where we took residence on the balcony to enjoy local libations of beer/seltzer in the sun. 

After imbibing, we headed back in for some quiet time before sunset.  

This is the portion of the trip that I know is teaching me the lessons I need to learn in life.  Not every moment has to be planned. Sometimes it's okay to just be in a hotel room and enjoy the view.  I don't have to be the energizer bunny-going and going and going.  I can just relax on vacation. 

Turns out I can't just relax, or as much as I may want to my internal workings really struggle when things don't go according to plan.

The plan was to wake up late have a lat brunch and be hungry but not starving for a 7:30 dinner reservation. But today didn't go as planned and while I was okay (because snacks) J was hungry much earlier.  Marriage is compromise and today that meant canceling diner reservations that I was looking forward to, so my husband didn't feel like he was starving.  We are literally a stone through from Maui brewing, so we went there.  I won't go back and don't recommend it to anyone going to Maui.  The food is sub-par and the drink list left a lot to be desired if your not in the mood for beer- I wasn't I was in the mood for very frufru cocktails, because that was the plan. 

On a typical day in Washington if I had to cancel a dinner reservation, I would probably be fine. But on top of everything else today, I was not fine. I could feel the melt down setting in as I'm sitting at the bar. I'm in my 30's a meltdown at a bar is not something I care to do at this point in my life.  So as J went to pay I took a walk. A walk down the entire beach and back - A little under 2 miles round trip. And I'm still not okay I feel out of control of my body. This is not how I wanted to spend my vacation. 

Yes I know this is something I need to work on, but I plan for a reason, so that I have control over things, it helps me get through life. 

I've got nothing left for tonight, I just hope tomorrow is better

Signing off for now

C

Outbound Travel day

 I feel like the departure process was a much bigger ordeal than it should have been.  

Here are my gripes- Yes I know these are first world problems, feel free to scroll past them

1. We got to SEA-Tac parking and it said there were a grand total of 8 parking spots left.  It's an 8 floor mega structure. 8 total spots.  WTF.  Also several of the things they said were spots were long gone by the time we got there.  We got a spot on the ROOF.  That's nuts.  I think airlines should be responsible for notify passengers if the lot is nearing capacity. 

2. An extra check in for Hawaii.  Given the restrictions and rules for getting into Hawaii at the moment, we had to do paperwork online and submit our vax information only to stand in a 20 minute line to get a wrist band- yes a wrist band to prove I properly submitted everything and don't need to quarantine for 10 days.  They only had 1 line for all flights to Hawaii.  

Flight- Meh

We tried to use our upgrade passes, they were rejected.  I'm frustrated because they're going to expire because Delta wont let us use them. This resulted in being in comfort+. I realize there are worse places to be, but those seats actually had better technology.  For some reason the row we were in is the 1 row where screens weren't upgraded- the are from the 90s and useless on a 5+ hour flight. The seat of the person in front of me was broken so he was basically in my lap the whole flight. I think it's rude to recline, but I had to for any comfort.  What are your thoughts on reclining on an airplane? 

Snacks were okay- Glad I brought my own from home.  Always good to have a backup.  Should have gotten a soda though. Pressure really does me in on a flight. The Tip Top Cocktail in a can was great.  I had the margarita and it was by far the best canned cocktail I've ever had. They were right it is very well balanced. The Cocktail was free in Comfort+ which is the only saving grace of this seat, but I would happily pay $10 for it at an Arena.  

Not too much turbulence.  It was a little unsettling at times, but what long haul flight isn't?  As a kid and even into my 20s I loved the window seat, however the older I get, unless I'm next to my husband on a flight I think I'd much rather have an aisle. 

It's been over a year since I've been on a plane. It's been 3 years since I traveled with any regularity by plane.  This whole pandemic I've thought I missed flying.  I can confirm I did not miss this.  I miss where we get when we fly, I miss seeing new places, but I most certainly did not miss this.  After my road trip last summer right now I miss being able to stretch my legs walking across a field of sunflowers.  I miss detours and small town surprises. I miss taking my time and not being in a rush.  The end of this flight couldn't come fast enough.  I miss taking my time.  But unfortunately you cannot drive to Hawaii.  

Once we landed it was smooth sailing.  No check in lines as we'd done all that on the main land.  Bag came out quick and it was an easy tram ride over to the car rental spot (much easier than on the Big Island). First they wanted to give us a dodge charger, and while those can be fun, we were in need of something a little more capable on uneven terrain.  Thankfully we ended up with a beautiful Jeep which is far better suited for some of our planned activities. 

For Dinner we had decided on a place from Diners Drive-ins & Dives called Down the Hatch after a few wrong turns we found parking and headed over.  Be prepared to wait in line- but its worth it.  20ish minute wait in line to order at the counter you're given a number and food is brought to you. Thankfully you can get drinks from the bar at any point. Food was running about 40 minutes but its okay because I had a cocktail. 

For food we got the Ahi Samurai which was featured on the show as an appetizer.  Honestly I could have gotten it was a meal- it was delicious. J got fish tacos- Each taco had a serving size piece of fish in it; and I got the Lava Lava Chicken Sandwich.  I don't travel well- see above, and I wanted something familiar.  This was and if you're not a seafood person, it's a great option.  It's not overwhelmingly spicy, the chicken is still moist and the bread is thick and sweet.  

As for drinks, I started with a Summer Sandia (Cucumber Vodka, lime and watermelon juice), my second drink was a classic pina colada in a tiki glass, certainly kept me in the spirits as we were waiting for food.  J had a Maui Island Brewing Big Swell and a Pacifico. 

Checking into our Airbnb was easy, there was a night staff to help us get our parking pass for the week and we quickly got to our unit.  We were exhausted. Way past our bedtime. We brushed our teeth and got into bed. 

We did learn an important lesson about portable air conditioners.  They can be REALLY loud and even if you are super tired they may need to be turned off to sleep. 

Happy to be in Hawaii and looking forward to the adventures to come. 

Claire

#TeamProjectPan 2022 January Progress

The target for this month was skin care.  I have a lot skin care oils, serums, moisturizers and cleansers.  This year the goal is to use up all the extras and find products that are actually worth me spending money on.  What makes my skin look and feel good.  

Empties

1. Milk moisturizers from Colourpop- I got a set of these a few years ago and really needed to finish the last 3 up. As a 30-something they don't do much for me as I like a far thicker cream moisturizer, but they are okay on my legs and feet before bed.  I wouldn't repurchase any of these for myself.  Maybe for my pre-teen niece though.
1. Watermelon- 1 use left
2. Papaya- 1 use left
3. Coconut- 2 uses left 
2. Multi-vitamin sheet mask- Not only would I not buy it again, I decluttered the one I had because it made my skin itch and my eyes burn (no it did not get in my eyes, just being on my face and near my eyes made them burn).
   
3. Lavido Hand Cream Nice cream, subtle scent.  Would probably buy it again. (lots to use up first though)
   
4. Foil Packets- 1-2 use free sample foil packets
1. Tata Harper BHA resurfacing mask There are better products at a fraction of the price- would NOT purchase a full size. 
   

Progress

 I feel okay about progress.  I was hoping to do more- especially since I packed up everything I'm not working on the first weekend of the month, but that led to another problem.  I threw my back out packing. That has made me not really care about anything- especially beautifying myself.  

I've been working on the things. There was a lot of Declutter because of the move and some used up because everything else is packed. Don't have much to say beyond that when it comes to the makeup/ skin care. 

As for hair. I have historically purchased very large bottles of my shampoo and conditioner and transferred to bottles that fit better in the bathroom. I have emptied those large bottles for the final time. So I decluttered the bottles, but still have the product left if that makes sense.  So I will talk about those when I finally finish them up. 

Make up wise- minimal progress but I did hit pan on an eyeshadow so the goal is to make progress on that moving forward. 

Declutter: There are many reasons for decluttering: maybe it's gone off, maybe the formula isn't a fit for me, maybe it's not a shade I like, maybe I just don't reach for it ever.  I will try to explain why I'm tossing something when I do each month. (If I cannot find the exact product I will try to link something close for reference) 

1. Basic Instinct Pheromone Oil I have had this rolling around in my collection since 2010. It no longer smells good and it looks worse, time to chuck it in the bin. And no I would not buy this again. 
   
2. Lippie Stix in leather - a dark purple shade that the company no longer sells. 1) I never wear this color and 2 it's patchy. When I first got into makeup Colourpop was great because they are at an accessible price point, but I found better quality products even at the drug store, so I will not be purchasing again. 
   
3. 5 ABH mini metallic lipsticks- Basically metallic lips aren't anything I'm striving for and on the 1x a year that it may be related to a spirt day I have a lip gloss that can do the job. 
   
4. Sephora collection lipstick from a line they no longer make in a glittery hot pink- Not my thing
5. Mini Tarte quick dry matte Liquid lipstick - It went off. Wouldn't repurchase-  The quick dry formula is too drying.  Try Too Faced Melted Mattes if you are in need of a matte lip. 
6. Multi-Vitamin Sheet Mask- See Notes in Empties 
   
7. Face Mist- By Mario Badescu is supposed to be hydrating but continues to leave my face feeling dry and tight be it over make up or on it's own. So in the bin it goes. I would not buy it again.
8. Perfume- Wish I wasn't throwing this one away, but it rolled off the counter and smashed into thousands of little pieces as I was packing.  Yes I will repurchase this, just not until after we move. 
   

Disappointments:

1. I 💖the Earth Harbor brighting serum with blue tansy. Until this project I would wear a drop of two around the mask covered area of my nose and chin because it helps to keep my face from drying out over the course of a 8 hour day with a mask on.  However this little guy doesn't play well with others.  It causes foundations and sunscreen to pill up and look blotchy and cakey all at the same time.  So it's a no for me right now; but I really like it so I'll find a way to get it back in my life. 

Focus for February

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palettes.  I have 2. Prism and Norvina.  I like them enough, but don't reach from them over some of my favorites.  My goal is to use them as much as possible in the next 11 months and toss them at the end of 2022.  

Everything besides those palettes and what I targeted in January, will spend most of February in boxes as we are moving. So I will continue to push forward on the items I focused on at the start of the project. 

Signing off for now

Claire

Update Edit- 

Keeping track of number of products used and decluttered and the repurchase value

Empties 5                 Decluttered 11

$42                                $115