What a Long Day

Our day started bright & early at 3am. We all had to wake up & get on the road to watch the sunset at the top of Haleakala - which is the highest point on Maui and an inactive volcano. I fell asleep numerous times on the way there (took about an hour), but once we got to the summit the temperature was 42 degrees (we did prepare for that) and it was amazing! We were above the clouds. It was something I can say I've never done & will probably never do again - the early awakening killed me! But all in all, it was beautiful. We then ate breakfast at the Kona Lodge. It's amazing how tropical the island looks on the coast but when you're up on the volcano mountain it's pine trees & forests. We then came home before 8am and slept again until 10am. We then went out to rent a paddleboard & ventured out to the beach. I was the first to give it a try and it was fun - but not as easy as I had hoped. The wind was blowing hard and the water was choppy - Amber said it wasn't a good paddleboard day. None of us could really stay up, except Amber, who is the pro at it. Jason fell numerous times and Dan tried it for a record time of 2 mintues before quitting. My last adventure with the paddleboard resulted in falling into the ocean into some coral and scraping up my knuckles. We then went to eat some of our favorite shaved ice & back to the house. We're now cooking dinner. It's sad to think we have one day left, not even one full day. Dan flies out around 5:30pm and I fly out closer to 9pm. I don't return to Sweet Home Alabammy until close to 3pm. Just as Princess said, I will be sad to come back, but part of me is ready to be home. Ten days in Maui is a LONG time, but it's been so fun. I have managed to not get burnt & saw my first mongoose. It's been a trip of many firsts. Ok, see you all real soon! As always ... xoxoxo!!