Under the Sea

When I was planning our first trip to Maui, I knew we could easily spend all our days in the pool and in the sea, but I wanted the girls to have some educational experiences. It was a no brainer as to what Maui could teach the girls; there was the volcano, the sea turtles, the vegetation. But since we would spend so much time in the sea, I thought that getting up close and personal with what lives under the sea would be the most beneficial and entertaining.

I wasn't sure that the girls would do well with snorkeling (which is one of my most favorite things to do and something I was planning on attempting) so when I found a submarine tour I thought that could be an enlightening outing that would not only broaden their sense of life under the sea but it would engage them (it never ceases to amaze me how little kids get bored so easily; even with the most fascinating things). When I later mentioned my plans to Havana's teacher she informed me that Havana was learning about invertebrates. I was thrilled; our adventure would bring to life the things she was studying (Havana then  blew my mind when she gave me a lesson the way home in the car that day!)

The girls loved this idea so much they even contributed their holiday money towards the cost (it wasn't cheap at $230 for a family of four). As we got closer to our trip however, I had some reservations; Would it really be worth it? Would the girls really see things? Was it just some tourist trap? I was quite relieved that the answers turned out to be Yes, Yes, and No. The hour long sub trip provided us with everything we had hoped plus not one but two shark sightings. How cool was that? Havana got to see in person all that she was learning in school and then some and Amara too got to witness things that she was familiar with and new things as well. The best part was that for little kids, it was safe and comfortable. We all had a fantastic time and talked about our journey under the sea for days afterward. Making memories, learning about life, having fun; all with those I love the most; it doesn't get better than that.

(if you are planning on going to Maui or O'ahu check out http://www.atlantisadventures.com/maui/submarine-tour/)

We had to take a smaller boat to the sub site.

Amara really wanted to see a shark was told she may not get to see one. She was delighted when one came swimming by, not once but twice!

Wow! We even saw Sponge Bob!

The sub company sank a boat about ten years ago which allowed for us to see some great things including this shark.

We actually got down to 130 ft.

Honu (Hawaiian Sea Turtles)

The sea turtles, or Honu, of Hawaii, are sacred creatures who have lived in sea and on land for millions of years. These splendid ancient reptiles have a noble quality about them. Whomever is graced by their presence often finds themselves in awe of their grand stature.

The first time I was blessed to lay my eyes on them, I fell in love. Some of the indigenous peoples of North America say that the turtle represents Mother Earth. The Honu's beauty, ageless sacredness and command of respect, lead me to accept this interpretation.  The natural world is an extension of the Creator's vast imagination and love. We must love, respect and protect the Honu and Mother Earth; all sacred gifts from our Creator.

Our family has been blessed to see the Honu on Hawaii several times in the past. Because Amara and Havana are young, their memory has faded. So on this journey to islands of the Pacific, I made sure that we said our prayers and asked the Honu to show themselves to us, so that we could be graced by their magnificence. Our prayers were answered not once but twice. We saw a large family resting on the north shore (and swimming), just east of Paia and then again when we were snorkeling off the south coast. On the latter trip, Amara, on her first snorkeling trip, and I were given the rare gift to see a sea turtle swimming at the bottom of the ocean. These experiences, with the natural world, with the sacredness of our non-human kin, are things that are most important to me as a parent. I want my daughters to grow up with a respect of all life and all gifts from the Creator. On this sojourn to Hawaii, we all were given the opportunity to embrace these things and are hearts were full of gratitude for that. 

Ms. Mermaid

                    

 All I can say about these photos is that Ms. Havana Ruby Modesta loves (and that's with a capital L) the sand and sea. Little Ms. Mermaid, that's our Havana.

The Road to the Olivine Pools

Haleakala

For the past week, our family has been welcomed by the lush, remote, sacred island of Maui. This was our first time touching the earth here and we were filled enthusiastic openness at the adventures and relaxation that lay ahead.

Some friends told us the best way to start our journey was to not to miss the sunrise at Haleakala, the sacred, dormant volcano near the center of the island. There was a catch though. The peace of the volcano was an hour and a half drive from our condo in Kihei and the sun rose at 6:59 a.m. For the first time, I was most thankful for jetlag! So at 4 a.m. (which is 6 a.m. PST, not too much of a stretch to wake for us early risers), we piled in the car (packed with warm clothing for the summit) and off we went filled with eager anticipation for the girls to see their first volcano and watch the day break.

We found it quite peaceful to drive the quiet Maui roads at that early time of the day. The still blackness was inviting. The girls, well Amara, had a ton of questions about things we passed, whether she would get to touch a cloud (something she has talked about since she was about five), and about the volcano itself. Havana was mostly concerned with there being actual lava flowing, which was scary for her. Don reassured her that we were safe but that we would get to see where lava had turned to rock, all which peaked her curiosity.

When we reach the peak of the volcano nothing could prepare us for how cold it was. We are forewarned by first hand accounts from friends how cold it would be but man, we didn't expect to feel like popsicles. Despite layers of clothing, along with hats, gloves and jackets, it felt like a brutal New York winter day. It was so frigid (the wind chill made the already freezing 30 degrees seem like it was in the teens) that Havana refused to get out of the car until I grabbed her minutes before sunrise and ran up the twenty or so steps to the overlook (big mistake to run with a fifty pound six year old at ten thousand feet) so she could see the magnificence of the rising sun.

Witnessing the sun make her way above the clouds was something I will never forget. I have seen countless sunrises and sunsets but there was something about that day and that time, in that spot, that really hit home the truth that the natural world, all made by a loving, beyond creative, Creator, hit me in my core in a way that I had not experienced previously. The truth of this touched the core of me, where this truth had laid dormant, awakening and never to sleep again.

Being on top of the volcano, seeing the sun rise, having the girls experience new and wonderous things; these are things I am most thankful for. I recently experienced a big earthquake in my personal life and what I am reminded of is to focus on what really matters; love, presence, quiet. This external journey to the summit of sacred Haleakala were reflections of those things.

The rare silversword.

 Amara really, really wanted to touch a cloud. Her wish came true! We were high enough to get out in and play in the clouds. What Don and I found exciting was seeing turbulence (above) as we descended the summit. Seeing the moving air come together was fascinating.

Surrounded by clouds.

There was a faint rainbow behind these two happy girls.