Wanderlust or Island Fever?

As I had the day off today, I have been working on getting the house back to a nice state. When I do housework, I tend to just think to myself. I don't put music on in the background, I don't put something on Netflix in the background, I just get to work and think.

I was thinking about Candace and my's honeymoon. It was the happiest time in my life, 100%. I was in a foreign country with a flexible schedule just doing whatever seemed intriguing at the time. Candace and I enjoyed wandering around the cities, stumbling upon shrines, coffee shops and book stores galore. Street vendors, food carts, and colorful backdrops punctuated our days. Knowing we only had a few days in a place at a time was freeing. There was no pressure, no stress to see everything. If we didn't see it, it didn't matter.

That same sense of adventure brought us to Maui. The newness of a place intrigues us: things to see, places to go, new foods to eat. But this time we came on the coattails of work. Moving somewhere because of work greatly changes the dynamic of how I view that place. When I moved from Plano to Austin for example, I tried unsuccessfully to transfer with Barnes & Noble. Therefore, I had to play it by ear and lucked out by getting a job at a Potbelly's that was opening on The Drag adjacent to the University of Texas. It did not pay well but I could walk to work and I got free food every day so it was a good stopgap until I got in with B&N again. The same lack of pressure applied here as did on my honeymoon. This was just a temporary job so I could focus on enjoying myself even though I was exceptionally poor at the time. I eventually got back in with B&N for about six months and then quit to go to Whole Foods.

At Whole Foods many people had made a career out of starting out where I did on the Front End and moving up more easily since all the global offices are right above that store. I can think of at least a dozen people who I worked with who know have a Whole Foods Global job, and that gave me hope. But it just never happened for me. I tried unsuccessfully to move up in my team and eventually had to move to a new store just to get a slight promotion, not even the one I really wanted. I know I could have done more to foster my professional development and I just didn't. The tools were there and although I used some of them, I could have done so much more. Now I realize that was a huge mistake because I am stuck now at the lowest rung of the Whole Foods ladder. I willingly blew up my meager Whole Foods career just so I could come to Maui, but after these few months here I realize there will be no rebuilding here. There is only one Whole Foods on the island and it has been made clear that there is no light at the end of the tunnel for me. It has not been explicitly stated, but the general feel of my team at this store is that everything is terrible and nothing is going to change quickly. That does not apply to the other employees in the store, but the legacy of this team is not good and it isn't changing for the better anytime soon.

At this point I have a few options. For a long time I have complained about how I do not like my job. This may surprise some people because I seem so happy at work most of the time, but it is all an act. I really do not like my job and I really do not like Whole Foods corporate culture. Candace has suggested many many times to look for a new job. I have halfheartedly gone on Craigslist just to glaze over at the job listings and I never really put any thought into it, but now I feel motivated to put some more effort in. When I was a boy, my mother worked in the hospitality business. She was the head honcho of a little hotel across from the giant outlet mall in San Marcos and she rocked it. I mean, she put that place on the map. Seriously though, I have huge respect for her because she did her job and she did it WELL. Living with her that year in San Marcos was another happy time for me. We didn't have much but we enjoyed what we had. She seemed to be happier to my young eyes even though she had so much to do. And I learned about her job just from being around all the time. I have always loved the hospitality business and I can appreciate someone who does their job right in that field. Maybe it is time for me to look for a job at a hotel or resort since there are so many on the island? It is definitely worth looking into.

I am a huge fan of coffee and I love to taste the different flavors coffees can have; maybe I should parlay that into a career in coffee? My options here would probably be Starbucks or a place with a massive commute from where we live. And I don't think we are prepared to move across island just for a barista job. But it is still an option.

But the question remains: Am I being beaten down because of my job or am I being beaten down by the place where I live? There are not many cool places to go on Maui for a young couple. And the biggest dearth of places to go is restaurants. The only restaurant I have found worth a damn is Cow Pig Bun and they only have about eight things on their menu. Eating out has always been my favorite pastime. Austin was perfect for this because new things popped up all the time. Some were bad, some were delicious, but they were always an adventure. And that brings me back to adventure. There are still some things I have not seen on Maui. Maybe some of those things can slake my thirst for adventure. But right now I would love nothing better than to go work at some fancy coffee shop on the West Coast just for a change of pace and scenery. I won't say that is how I feel all the time, but at this particular moment in time I yearn for that.

Maui: Four Months In

Full disclosure: I am hungry and waiting on lunch to cook so I may be a little cranky.

Maui is a pretty cool place. You have beaches everywhere, natural beauty all around you, and the weather is pretty fantastic. On the other side there are ignorant tourists here all the time, the people who live here have no patience, and there are not many interesting businesses to support.

Working in the urban center of Maui(nearly 25,000 people), everything is go go go. There is no time to reflect, relax, or think. Everyone who comes to Kahului just wants to get things done and get back to the pretty parts of the island. I know I harp on this, but it really is the worst place to be on the island and I have to spend the vast majority of my time there. To tell the truth I have had daydreams of working at the crappy supermarket halfway up the mountain just so I don't have to venture down into the big city. I know it wouldn't be any better, but just the fact that I dream about being somewhere else while I am on Maui is a testament to how bad it really is.

Something I did not know I missed so much was taking road trips. Maui is not that big; there is no I-35 you can drive on for hours at a time to go see someone or something. I drive 25 miles a day to work, but that is just a commute; not much fun to be had there. One of the greatest days I have had on Maui so far was a spontaneous trip Candace and I decided to make after having coffee upcountry. We wanted to explore the back way to Hana, which is all the way across the island from us. Needless to say, it is usually a day long trip. We just decided to go in that direction as long as we wanted to and it was amazing. We saw windswept cliffs with the ocean below, huge wind farms on the side of the mountain, and a massive amount of cows on the road. It was fresh, fun, and exhausting. But now that we have been that way, there is nothing new that way. It will be the same until the end of time.

There are plenty of things to explore in Maui and I can get a little excited about seeing a new waterfall or beach or whatever, but to be completely honest natural attractions have never been my favorite. It hurts to say that because I thought of myself as a big nature buff but it just isn't true. I would much rather talk to my friends in a dark little pub drinking craft beer. I have not found the people or places to do that yet, but I am going to try. And if there aren't any here, we'll just have to move to Oahu where they have everything under the sun.

I have hope for Maui, but at this particular moment in time I am completely defeated so I have decided to put my energy into becoming a domestic god. I am making slow cooker chicken, cleaning the house, and writing blogs for y'all. I hope you are enjoying this and please feel free to comment here or on Facebook or even send me a private message letting me know what you think. Knowing that people are still out there caring about what I am doing keeps me going.

Have a good weekend!

Regional Idiosyncrasies

A new blog post? Huzzah!

I have a short post for you all today about interesting regional oddities I have found here in Hawaii and how they compare to other places I have been.

Do you ever notice that there are certain names that small businesses always have where you live? Let me give you an example: In Texas, there are a huge amount of small business named "Lone Star (Thing)". Lone Star Title Loan, Lone Star Used Car Dealers, Lone Star Cafe, Lone Star Gun Range, Lone Star Dishwasher Repairs, whatever. I do not know if they are just unoriginal or if they are trying to invoke some kind of regional pride, but I do know there are a ton of them around.

In Hawaii, the offender in this case is "Ohana". There is Ohana Everything. Gas stations, grocery stores, lawyers, plumbers, you name it, it is named Ohana somewhere. Ohana means "family" in Hawaiian. However, they aren't just talking about blood relations. It is deeper than that. Ohana means anyone you call your family. It can be blood relations, sure, but it can just as easily be your adoptive family. Or your neighbors. It is the reason I saw a little girl on the beach back in this blog talk about her "uncle". They aren't related by blood but these people see each other as ohana, which is bigger than the traditional definition of family. It is an interesting idiosyncrasy and just a little endearing to a haole like myself.

Are there any weird regional terms that have come to be on every business you know? Let me know what they are because I have found thinking about this intensely interesting. Happy Friday and have a good day!

Ruminations on Maui Culture

I am sitting here waiting for my shift to start at work and I began to think about what I have seen of Maui in my limited time here. I cannot say I am impressed at all with the people and the culture here.

The island reminds me of my days as a child in rural Illinois. Some things are cute, like seeing children playing in sprinklers or fountains. Others are disturbing, like the prevalence of dipping tobacco and random stray animals wandering the streets. The town where I work, Kahului, is where I see all the worst parts of the island.

The problem with Kahului is hard to pin down, but I will try to communicate it as best I can. Kahului has zero culture. It is the economic heart of the island and nothing else. People come from all over the island to go to Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart, or any of the other major stores Maui does not have in its rural parts. Every tourist who visits Maui comes in through the airport or harbor here, so every weekend there is a huge influx of people who have no idea what they are doing or where they are going. As a resident, this can be hugely frustrating and turn a simple trip into a long, drawn out affair.

Once you get out of Kahului, Maui is beautiful and you see why people want to stay here forever. But the ugly truth remains that no matter what I do, I will be spending the majority of my time working in the worst place on Maui. Kahului is the place where everyone on the island comes to get business done and get back to their own world as soon as possible. Because of this, it is stressful to be in town for any amount of time, much less the majority of your waking hours. It is definitely a hurdle I will have to overcome to keep myself sane here, and it has been a huge struggle already. I get depressed about work and this horrible town, and it definitely requires meditation and rumination to get myself back to a happy mindset.

Maybe posting more on the blog will help. I'll try to write more often about Maui and the beauty I see every day, and maybe that will keep the more unsavory parts out of my mind. I hope you continue this journey with me to see how everything goes and please, feel free to comment here or keep in touch with me on Facebook.

From Upcountry to Up The Mountain.

Candace and I have settled into our new home in Kula.

Haiku was nice, but we have moved higher up the mountain and we could not be happier. Our commutes are full of driving through clouds, not below them. We are about 2,500 feet above sea level here, on the side of Haleakalā and overlooking the city of Kihei. The sunset is beautiful here, showing off all the reds and oranges right before dusk.

Since we are pretty far off of the beaten path, at night our surroundings turn into a zoo. Spiders, cockroaches, toads and all manner of creatures are all around us. The cacophony is hugely entertaining if you can quiet your thoughts enough to hear it. When there is a cat fight, you know. When someone comes home, you hear their car for about thirty seconds before you see them roll up the driveway. If an animal trespasses on a dog's territory, the barking and growling goes on for minutes at a time. The birds are countless and come by all day. They will forage in front of our little house in the morning and sing in the trees all afternoon. The spiders spin intricate webs in one night, snaring whoever is unlucky to wake up first and run into them on the way to the bathroom or the outdoor shower.

Speaking of the bathroom, it isn't your normal toilet. It is a composting toilet that we have to pour peet moss in every day. Surprisingly, there is no smell to talk about as long as you don't forget the daily maintenance. You also have to go outside to another door to get to it. Usually that's fine but with all the animals about it can be a tiny bit harrowing at 3 a.m. when you need to use it.

The family who owns the land we live on is interesting, to say the least. The story goes that their father made a nice living but passed away last year, leaving a mess of paperwork for his wife and daughters to tend to. Both daughters moved back to Maui after going to college on the mainland to help their mother through this difficult transition. Now they have a fledgling painting business and half of their land here is being used for farming under the name Cosmos Acres. The fact that my e-mail moniker is KingofCosmos amused the matriarch of the place greatly, which I think earned us major serendipity points with her. There are two other people living here in another cottage up the property, staying here and helping with the farm. 

The main point we learned when we were talking to everyone before moving in was that everyone likes their space. The previous tenant would come up to the ladies' main house unannounced and invite himself in for dinner, which infuriated them. Maybe he was dumb, or lonely. But we assured them we won't be coming up unannounced unless something catastrophic breaks down here.

The kitchen here is fully decked out and the ladies have told us if we need any random kitchen tools they probably have some in their house somewhere. They seem to collect high quality pots and pans during their frequent thrift store trips and refurbish them to their former glory. I think we'll be using our two-burner propane stove a lot to make all the interesting foods we find on the island.

This entry has gone on a bit too long, so I'll cut it off here. This post was a little more informational on where we are and what we're doing, so I hope you don't mind. I will be back to the more existential thoughts like my other entry tonight soon.

Change...Change Is Good.

Maui has changed me.

Today it was no more apparent than when I got off my shift at Whole Foods. I had two and a half hours to kill before Candace clocked out. Usually I would have rushed home to do some laundry and dishes, making sure everything was nice and tidy. But since home was a half hour away I decided to just stay in town. I grabbed my flip flops out of the back seat and rode down to Baldwin Beach Park.

I took off my shirt, sprayed on my sun screen and got down to the sand and just sat. I listened to the ocean. I listened to the random music floating through the air, drums and ukuleles and hand claps forming an odd rhythm with the tide. I watched the dogs roaming free up and down the beach, sniffing people and fetching sticks when their owners threw them. I watched the sun as it slowly set behind the clouds and the mountains, cooling the temperature by about fifteen degrees.

Certain people on Maui adopt a culture of "Ohana". That means "family" in Hawaiian, and when people get together at the same place day after day they become ohana. A young girl walking by called out to someone sitting near me. "Hey uncle!" she shouted. The man could have very well been this little girl's uncle, but I don't think so. Another woman passing by with her daughter stopped to give a greeting to another man near me. They greeted each other in a European fashion, kissing each cheek. After talking for a few minutes, the woman and her daughter made their way off of the beach. Watching all these people, I felt like an outsider of the highest degree. I don't know these people...yet. But as I stay here and co-exist with these people on this island I feel like I will get closer to becoming part of their family, their ohana.

The Agony and the Ecstasy: Car Edition

Today we finally retrieved our new(to us) car!

We started off the day running against the clock seeing as we were supposed to drop off our rental at 10 AM and had not contacted the Honda guys until 9 AM to see if the car was repaired. There was a transmission issue and they offered to fix it for free if we bought the car. Luckily, the car was ready and we arrived just in time to pick it up. We drove over in two cars to the airport to drop off the rental and it went off without a hitch, surprisingly. With our new chariot Candace and I decided we deserved a nice breakfast, so we headed over to Paia.

Once we were in Paia, we parked in the giant parking lot right inside the entrance to town. Apparently the streets were getting choked with tourists' cars so they built this lot right at the entrance to town for all the visitors to park in. After donating some change to the local homeless(who told me this parking lot was "their living room, man") we headed across the busy street to the Paia Bay Coffee Roasters. I decided to get a fully-loaded bagel with bacon, tomato, lettuce, and cream cheese and Candace opted for the fluffy scrambled egg plate with bread and fresh salsa. The food was delicious, proving my point that you have to be stellar to survive on Maui as a restaurant.

After our breakfast was gone, it was time to drop me off at work. Work went by pretty smoothly, although most of the workers there did not realize I was completely new to the region and assumed I knew what I was doing already. I mean I did know what I was doing, but not the way THEY do it.

Candace had her adventure down at the Baldwin Park Beach getting slammed by the waves, but that wasn't the end of her story. On her way home, one of the tires on the car blew out on her! Luckily she was near to a pull-off spot and got out of the way of traffic. After trying to get the spare out, she called AAA to come help her. Since she was pretty far out of town, she had to wait about two hours for them to show up. Lucky for her, there was an amazing sunset going on and she had a front row seat. Eventually, a tow truck got to her and had to saw off the spare tire's nut with a hacksaw! Apparently it hadn't been used all that often and was stripped. Funny thing about the driver, though: He had lived in Austin for over a decade before coming out to Hawaii. What are the odds, eh?

With a warning to get the tire replaced ASAP, Candace set off to retrieve me from work and we drove back home for the evening. At least she got to see some amazing sights and I have something to do tomorrow on my day off. Costco Tire Center here I come!

(P.S. Candace wanted me to add that the tow truck guy was really nice and made it up to her within twenty minutes of her calling. The real reason she had to wait was for the OTHER tow truck guy who had the hacksaw. My bad.)