Adventure Travel; "Into the Pacific"

If you could take your fitness to the next level what would you do? This past week, in addition to my regular workout routine, I have been making it my new goal to include 10,000 steps daily. This is something I have had to get creative about, as I am now in town Monday through Thursday until 7:30 at night. Last week, I brought my 5lb hand weights for walking and two of my 15 lb kettlebells for a regular workout. My plan was to start with a strength training routine at Bayfront soccer field after dropping off my son. I usually have an hour or 45 minutes before I take my daughter to dance. This is enough time to do upper or lower body, intermixing abs during the 20 second breaks. At first, I was feeling awkward, feeling a bit exposed at the field where people can see you working out. Once I got over the fact that alot of people work out down there, not to mention nobody cares, I started to really enjoy it. I decided if I had to stay in town, I might as well make the most efficient use o...

You are in need of relaxation and a sweat session. So you decide to put on your husband's 20lb weight vest and venture into nature. The nature that you are so grateful to live in, on the Big Island of Hawaii, on a lone road down near the cliffs. The only sounds are the birds mirroring each other's voices in the trees, the faint feel of raindrops on the face, the sweat dripping and mixing with the rain. You realize you have not felt this relaxed in awhile, and your body melts into a rhythm with the ground. You become in tune with the crunching sound of gravel, yet your body seems to float and sway in time with the beat of your shoes. You start to become immersed in the aura of nature, how this natural essence make you feel. No longer are you thinking of your schedule, because it is insane let me tell you! No, you are in a transfixed state of meditation; the air smells fresh and pure, the only sounds you hear is the distant rumble of the ocean, as it crashes against the rocks. Th...

Last weekend, we took the kids up to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a Sunday night, as we are currently homeschooling Adara and Bear didn't have school Monday. This is by far one of our favorite locations on the Big Island, as one can camp at Namakani Paio campground and do a night hike to view the lava! During the daytime, there are a multitude of hikes ranging from a half mile to five miles round trip. The Thurston Lava Tube is an exceptional short hike, in which visitors can walk through a tunnel, formed by lava in a matter of a half mile. For a longer hike, Kīlauea Iki, a pit crator and an old lava lake, is a fascinating traverse through Ohia trees and down across a lava rock, patterned by the older formations of molten lava.This hike is three miles total and a great one for kids, as they love to hear about the stories of Pele, the goddess of lava who grew angry and formed the lake! This was a tale we had spun for them as we kept them occupied along the three mile stretch. ...

Beautiful mess My mind is a torrent of bliss and pain, My heart has been strung with hardship's red vein, But I am alive be I pleasured or pained, Every breath is a gift, feeling life is not vain, Life is but a moment, a whisper in time, Embrace each feeling, each exchanging rhyme, For to feel pain, ecstasy, anger or sadness, You are alive in life's beautiful mess.

Scars on My Heart It was eight pm Tuesday evening, the day of the Florida shooting, the day that high school kids stopped dreaming of prom or first dates. That day they were immersed in a horrible dream that they couldn't wake from! I had heard the news, Hawaii couldn't shield us from the terrible scars of reality, the world into which we had so naively delivered our children. It was that day, that evening, that all the stories brought home of his threats, taunting and assaults became vividly horrible. I had just finished cleaning the kitchen and was heading into the bedroom to take a shower when my cell phone rang. Never hearing from friends at 8:30 at night, I felt cold dread in shivering drips of sweat begin their journey down my back. Hesitating was only prolonging the wicked clock of time that was ticking against my will. “Hello what's up? Is everything ok?” I barely breathe as my friend sounds nervous and a...

This beautiful spot, was one of the first places we visited upon arriving! This vast array of pools, intermixed amongst volcanic rock walls, expanded up to 200 feet offshore. Not only were there fishing opportunities at the further ends of the pools, but endless snorkling, swimming and exploration opportunities! Keep in mind that when entering this area, parking is located only outside of the boundaries of the neighborhood there, called Kapoho Vacationland. Residents are very generous and allow visitors and locals to access through the main road, however, respect for their homes and privacy is of the utmost importance. Please "kokua" and follow all road signs, making sure to access only in designated areas. Furthermore,to protect the coral please refer to the signs on the kiosk, which explain how "oxybenzone," a common ingredient in most sunscreens will result in damage and killing off of coral reefs. Make sure to check ingredients on the back of your sunscreen b...