Want to Live in Maui?

REASONS TO LIVE IN MAUI (The Rainy Season Version):

*You get to have cool creatures like this Jackson Chameleon as a pet (I only kept him for two days, but it was good times).

*You don't have to sit in a cubicle/office or be endlessly surrounded by ringing phones and beeping computers and other office equipment.

*You can see the ocean and the jungle from the porch of your cabin.

*You wake up to the sound of jungle birds, rain, and barking dogs instead of traffic.

*You get to see a rainbow almost everyday.

*You live according to "Hana time," which means the strict guidelines of being "on time" or "being somewhere" are kind of overlooked.

*You can hear (or see) the rain coming a couple minutes before it gets there, allowing you to run like mad for your cabin or a nearby tree.

*You can go to beaches and pools that look like they belong in a movie or fairy tale--EVERY DAY!

*You can fly to any of the other beautiful Hawaiian islands in about 25 minutes (flight time, not including the drive on the Hana Highway).

*Your view includes lush jungle and amazing plants and flowers instead of a bum begging for change and high rises that block the sunshine.

*The only restaurant in town is a 5-star hotel that serves amazing food and supports local fishermen and farmers.

*The spirit of Aloha begins to effect your perspective and life seems to take on a more laid-back approach.

*You drink more beer (Hana consumes more beer per capita than almost any state in the nation).

*You can see the stars at night.

*You can be in one of the most remote spots in Hawaii and still have Netflix and internet access.

*You can work as much or little as you like depending on how simply you can live.

*You see papayas the size of a watermelon growing in your backyard.

*Prawhnee's Thai Food--'nuff said. Thank God for Sundays and Mondays.

*You get to be a part of a community that is welcoming and friendly and makes you want to give back to the people and the land.

*There are no snakes and no poison oak/ivy.

*You can hitchhike almost anywhere.

*The hardest part of my day is deciding how many batches of banana bread I have to bake.

*You live in a literal paradise of natural beauty.

REASONS TO NOT LIVE IN MAUI:

*Mosquitos, mosquitos, mosquitos.

*Bugs, ant, spiders, rats, centipedes, and huge cockroaches live in your clothes, your cabin, your vehicle (roaches scatter everytime I open the door of the truck, especially at night), and pretty much everywhere.

*You get around 200 inches of rain a year and this means CONSTANT mud during the rainy season (think not being able to walk around anywhere without galoshes--I just bought a pair).

*The more rain, the more MOSQUITOS (this year has been abnormally high rainfall--boo).

*There is only one way in and out of Hana and it is the Hana Highway, which is famous for its 700+ turns, 1,000-ft cliffs and 54 single lane bridges and includes a drive time of almost 2-hours, one-way.

*You get to drink more beer (Hana has one of the poorest health profiles in Hawai'i and is federally designated as a medically under-served community. It also has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of beer in the nation, which is an indicator of the extent of the social problems that exist within the community. In the age group of 13-25, it is estimated that 14.8% use some form of illicit drug and 33.8% participate in binge consumption).

*Hana is one of only a handful of places in the country that does not have overnight mail service. You can't do it, you just have to wait.

*The bank is open from 3-4:30 in the afternoon, M-F.

*The jungle is constantly encroaching. Not only do things easily grow, but they easily grow. This means constant maintenance of lawn, vines, branches, weeds, and anything else you are trying to keep from taking over. You are literally beating back the jungle daily.

*You can never leave your dishes in the sink or any food out. Ever. (at least not in my cabin!). --some would argue this is a good thing--I say it's kind of a pain in the ass. I mean, you're practically fighting with the ants for the last of your sandwich.

*Did I mention the mud? I mean, as much as I hate the mosquitos, they have currently been demoted from immediate crisis to chronic annoyance and MUD has taken the top spot.

*There are two general stores in town, a single gas station, and the Hotel Hana-Maui. Not a whole lot of action going on.

*Gas is $4.14 a gallon, and if you forget to get gas before the station closes (@6:30PM!), you are stuck for the night.

*The intellectual, artistic, and political climate here leaves something to be desired, and some people have never been out of Hana.

*Did I mention mosquitos?

*Everything gets muddy and moldy. It so constantly wet here that I had to buy plastic bins for all my clothes to keep them from molding and dehumidifiers for my cabinets to keep my books, papers, and camera from getting ruined.

*The tap water here has unbelievably high levels of mercury and heavy metals, thus the need for bottled water.

*It. Is. Constantly. Raining. --like right now.

As you can see, Hana is not for everyone. If shopping at the mall at least once a week, catching the lastest movie, or always having cell phone reception are really important to you, this is probably not your kind of place. But if you can see past the rough jungle living and appreciate the amazing (and almost completely commercially untouched) beauty of Hana, you can live with almost anything.

Yesterday was a rare day of sunshine (bright, warm sun all day with few clouds and no rain until about 3:30) for this time of year, and I was practically beating my head against the wall because I had to work. I had Friday and Sat day off work and it just rained the whole time, and then the day I have to work, it's a rare gorgeous day in the rainy season--boo. Yup, that's what I'm complaining about; pretty sick right?

Well, despite missing a couple of blissful hours soaking up the rays, I still managed to have an amazing day and went cliff jumping at this awesome secluded pool called Waioka pond (Venus Pool), one of my favorite spots.

Much baking today (made 14 batches=12 loaves/batch=A LOT of bread), and then played around on the computer and went for a run...it is raining right now (suprising, huh?), and will probably do so for the rest of the night, so it sounds like movie night...

I'm loving Hana (despite the MUD), and missing my friends and family...thanks for reading, and know that I'm thinkin' of you....