Workin' in Hawaii!

On Monday, I was told that I would be working on a client out of another office.  I was hoping for San Francisco, but instead, I was assigned to a job out of the Honolulu office, but was headed to Maui because that’s where the client is located.  How amazing is that?  Sorry Golden Gate Bridge, but I think Hawaiian sunshine and hula skirts win.  My aunt and uncle happened to be vacationing there, so I flew in Friday night to spend the weekend with them.  It could not have been more perfect timing.

Saturday, we got up to go on a snorkeling adventure off of Ka’anapali Beach.  We ventured north to several bays where we were able to swim with turtles, admire the brightly colored tropical fish and stare in awe at the coral reef.  The water was so clear it was incredible!

 

After cleaning off all the ocean salt water, we headed to a luau for the evening on the Lahaina Beach where we were greeted with Mai Tais and shell necklaces.  I have never had so much food in my life (the open bar was also amazing)!  I really liked the structure of the show.  Each style of dance, costumes and course of food represented a different area of the world, so it was interesting to see how each varied from the different Polynesian cultures.  And of course all of this was enjoyed while watching the beautiful sunset.

It was pretty amazing how Hawaiian everything was (which I guess makes sense).  Yes, there were people dressed in hula skirts greeting guests at the airports with leis.  Yes, everyone says aloha and mahalo and yes, hula shirts are considered business casual.  I think I should bring that back to Seattle.  Although I am pretty sure that the locals don’t go to luaus.  The pace of life here is much slower, which has been a pleasant challenge.  I am looking forward to seeing what work will be like since I seem to only be surrounded by tourists now.

Whitewater Rafting the Skykomish

My friend Dharani and I headed northeast for a white water rafting adventure on the Skykomish River.  Of course I took along my waterproof camera so I could catch pictures of the adventure. We met the tour company at their cabin in Index before bussing upstream.  I am convinced not a single sole can bring sexy back in a wetsuit, but we sure did try.

 

We started on the upper Skykomish, a fairly new part of the river that was formed after there was a huge rainstorm that caused large amounts of glacial melt to flow down the area within a short period of time.  There used to be a road there, but it got washed out by all the water.  Apparently people take engagement/wedding photos at the washed out road?  That seemed weird to us, BUT it is amazing what nature can do!

We hit the water with two other couples and had a super friendly guide.  We were a little disappointed, though, because we felt like he was doing a lot of the hard work and we didn’t get to paddle all that much.  BUT it did allow for plenty of time to take lots of pictures.  The views were absolutely amazing, though!  I would argue that rafting is the best mode of transportation to take in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

 

I think Dharani and I might be addicted.  We scheduled another trip for the more intense class IV/V main part of the Skykomish in early June. :)

The Recipe for an Epic Seattle Weekend

Red bridges in beautiful gardens

My friend Christopher and I walked through the lovely Kubota Gardens in south Seattle as we talked about life, love and the pursuit of happiness (among other topics)

Beehive shaped frosted shortbread cookies

Christopher and I stopped at a bakery in Columbia City after our adventure in Kubota Gardens.  I never can resist a frosted shortbread cookie.

Finishing a book with wine + sunny day + great view

With work as busy as it has been, I have had little time to read, so I absolutely adored being able to finish a book while hanging out on an outdoor swinging chair and staring off into the valley below from time to time.  “Little Bets” shares stories of how many successful people (from businessmen to performers) have perfected their craft through taking small bets and testing them in the marketplace to see how consumers respond.  I loved how applicable it is to life in general!

Ending the day at the top of a mountain

I headed across the mountains for my day off to Leavenworth where I set off for an afternoon hike with great views of the neighboring mountains and I myself ended my day at the top of a mountain on the trail.  I also saw what I think was probably the coolest bird I've ever seen in my life.

Afternoon coffee dates at a gingerbread house

Before heading back to Seattle, I thought it was only appropriate to hit up a gingerbread themed coffee shop before heading out on the long way home.

New light switch plate

When I was in Oregon for Easter, I found a switch plate that I just HAD to get.  Maybe it sounds weird, but I think it really helps pull my room together since the rest of the colors are rich tans…and I just love that it has a map of the world on it.  Simple pleasures.