one limb left

In the last two weeks, I have managed to damage and destroy three of my four limbs, and these are the chronicles of how it all went down.

Patrick's friends were in town, so Emily, Kelsey, and I joined them for a day of fun in the sun. First stop, ship wreck beach in Poipu. The views were amazing and the surf was big... maybe too big.

The waves were so big that they had no problem carrying this rock and dropping it off on my foot while we were playing in the water. Yep, that huge rock crushed my foot. Not only was I bleeding and bruised in 2.5 seconds, but I chucked that rock in the woods, thinking that no one would ever have to go through the same thing. That was until the wave brought another one for Patrick! With our matching foot injuries, we decided a calmer beach might be the better option.

Poipu Beach Park was just the place where we could get away and do some relaxing. After my run in with the big rock, my adrenaline was pumping and my energy levels were high, so Emily and I did some exploring while the rest of the gang napped on the beach.

 

 We left the beach park and headed to Old Koloa town on our way to spouting horn. It was a fun group of adventurers, and we managed to get all of us in a couple pictures. Thank goodness for timers on cameras!

Remember the old joke "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Well here is the answer kids... he wanted to get to spouting horn! If I was a chicken, I would want to see it too!

And here it is. The destination of the chicken. Beautiful views from up on the cliff, and some pretty impressive blow holes too! This was the final stop of our Thursday adventure day, and we all went back for a quality nap to finish things off!

On Sunday, Kelsey rented a car. While Emily got a new hair do, Patrick, Kelsey, Eric, and I wandered over to the other side of the island for some lunch. Eric loves Fleetwood's, and it being his last week on board, that is where we went to lunch. The roof of the restaurant is open air, and Fleetwood Mac really knows how to make you feel like you are in a secluded place even in the middle of town. The food was delicious, and the views weren't bad either.
That night, Emily, Kelsey, and I had our "last supper." For the almost two years I have been out here, I am constantly hearing people rave about Mama's Fish House. It is a restaurant in Paia that boasts one of the best seafood menus in the islands, so the girls and I were determined to see what all the talk was about. After two years of build up, the place still managed to exceed my expectations! The menu is printed multiple times a day to reflect the items they are offering. It will actually say on the menu, if you order a certain dish who caught the fish you will be eating and where it was done that day! The flavors of the fish are so mild, because it is so extremely fresh. Plus, the ambiance is incredible. It is located right on the ocean. Beach front seating. All open air. I would go back every day if I could! If you ever make it to Maui. Don't leave without visiting Mama's. Best. Meal. Ever. (sorry oven grinder)
Trash the dress photo sessions are becoming very popular, and I have been dying to have the opportunity to shoot one myself. Unfortunately, most brides don't trust me to take beautiful images while ruining their dress without first seeing some samples of my work. So, I have been bound and determined to find a wedding dress so that I can do a mock shoot. I searched the islands high and low for a cheap old dress and they were impossible to find. The best deal I could get my hands on was a $300 dress that was ten sizes too big for my model. Then, one day, I discovered a dress at a thrift store! It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it was cheap, and it would work. As I went to check out, the employees and managers gathered around cheering. Apparently, this was the first day that store had ever been open, and I was their first purchase!  They asked me to take photos with my purchase, and congratulated me! I am looking forward to going back and seeing if the pictures of me and my dress are framed on the wall! Be prepared for lots of images from one of my most favorite shoots ever!

With Emily leaving, I recruited her and Patrick to be my fake couple for the dress shoot. We headed over to Paia bay in Maui and captured some beautiful images. Before we get the dress wet, we took advantage of the field across the street.

 Not only did we have a gorgeous backdrop to use, but I am so lucky to have such good looking friends for my models! Emily made that ugly dress look good! At the beginning of the shoot, people would try to congratulate them, and they would explain they were just modeling. By the end of the shoot they were responding with "Awe. Thank you so much!" It was hilarious. If I didn't know any better, I would think they were in love!

Now here is where things started getting wet and wild. The dress began to rip and fall apart, but the shoot went on!

I am so lucky to have the friends I do. They are willing to do anything for me. Even if that means literally being destroyed by waves for the sake of a photo shoot. These pictures prove just that. They got knocked around a few times. I must give photo credit to Alex for the third image. That is the image that caused the loss of my left foot. After that wave came through, Emily's dress was so full of water that she could not get up. Another wave came in and started to carry her out to sea. I ran out in the water to pull her back in, and cut my foot up on a rock in the process. It is okay though. With friends like this, I will forfeit a foot for a life!

Right after almost dying in the ocean, Emily laid right back down in the sand. She is the kind of girl that can bounce back from anything. I love that she is always willing! By the end of the shoot, Emily could not even stand in her wedding dress because it was too heavy, and the back was completely ripped apart. So we got a few final images of them laying down.

 We did our jobs. we trashed the dress, and Alex drug it off the beach to the trash can for us! All in all, it was a great day. The shots turned out just the way I wanted them, even in spite of the high sun!

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos to document our next adventure, because it was not advised to bring electronic devices along. Tuesday marked the loss of my third limb, my right arm. Kelsey, Emily and I went on an open water kayaking excursion. We kayaked over three miles, and at the end were given the opportunity to kayak through the waterfalls we were passing. The guide said he would show us the path to take through the falls, then we could decide if we were brave enough to try it. He went in, and he came out without his kayak, which was not very reassuring. He told us the current was really strong and asked if anyone wanted to try. Of course, Emily and I said yes. We headed into the waterfall, and although we got completely turned around, and came out backward, we made it out without flipping our kayak! I felt fine all day Tuesday, but when I woke up Wednesday, my arm was bulging and in a lot of pain. I have been working on calming the muscle, but it is going to take a while before my arm is back in action.

Before Patrick left on Saturday, we made his final visit to Hank's hot dogs. It was a grand occasion being Patrick's last day in Hawaii, and I got enough punches on my Hank's Hot Dogs loyalty card to earn a free t-shirt! I will be proudly wearing that as soon as I do laundry!

Thank goodness my friends left before I had no limbs left, but I would give this one good left arm any day to have them here. It has been two days, and it is already a little lonely without them, but I think my body needs the break, and my pocketbook wont mind it either. I am certain more adventures will unfold in a matter of time, and I must prepare myself for my vacation. It will be in the winter time, and this is the first time I am experiencing winter in three years! I don't know if I am ready for cold weather. These days, I think 60 degrees is freezing!