Aloha!
Yesterday was straight from plane to beach. Changed in the lovely restroom accomodations of Alamo (which when I got to the beach and eyed the porta potties, was a right on decision) and then after getting my free upgrade (Travel tip: if they are offering you an upgrade for a cheap price it's because they don't have the shitty econo car on the lot that you got on Priceline for pennies. Decline the upgrade and you'll get it anyway for free. Stick it to the man!) drove like two blocks to the Kitebeach.

And Halleleujah! I have been reborn and the God of Wind and Surf is my Savior. Apparently I am a natural. Hopefully, it wasn't just my amazing kick-ass instructor blowing wind up my kite; and, of course, that is saying that on a gorgeous tropical island with warm ocean water I am a natural. It might be a totally different story in the Gorge with the cold and dirty Columbia, but I doubt it. Also, I didn't get to the board on the feet stage but I flew the kite in the water and it was shear bliss. What can I say is that I am in love and I don't think there is anything that's going to stand between me and that amazing feeling of flying on water and feeling the wind high above. I'm buying a trainer kite as soon as I get home!

I had promised pictures but what I hadn't thought about was: 1) It was just the instructor and I. I was very into her paying attention to me not blowing out to sea, so I didn't ask her to take pictures; 2) You leave your gear behind while you are flying-abandoned $300 digital cameras are just asking to walk away. So, alas, no pictures. Which is probably fine as they would have been me: 1) Figuring out how to untangle lines 2) Land training with a trainer kite and trying not to brain real kiteboarders as I dial in my "Power Stroke" 3) Doing self-rescues in the ocean by furiously holding onto the kite ends with my hands (no lines, no bar). 4) Me with a grin ear to ear as I nod enthusiastically at everything my instructor says. Not exactly the Extreme Sport shots I had imagined, but I know they are to come . . . .

Instead, you can check out the website for ActionSports, the school that made sure I got my lesson in (I had planned on doing it on Sunday-to find out none of the schools teach on Sunday) on Saturday straight off the plane. You can pretend that the video feed is of me (including the hot chicks caboose-hey, one can dream . . .) http://www.actionsportsmaui.com/kite.html

Staying in a hostel (http://mauihostel.com/) Wow, I am so old! It's totally manageable, but I'm like . . . where is my all suites accomodation that I have become accustomed too? It's actually fine but when I first pulled up there was a clearly messed up individual (not a hostel guest but a local) stumbling out of some back alley. Yikes! What really pissed me off was that I can't plug my laptop in because the juice is so low! If there's one thing that will get my dander up it is poor electrical wiring! More to come on the hostel life . . .

Pictures tomorrow, I promise. Oh, did I mention, I apparently brought Oregon with me, rain and clouds! Yesterday that was fine as with it came WIND! Since I'm to the aquarium today and hiking in the mountains (mist is so romantic) it should be fine, but it better clear on outta here by tomorrow!