Welcome to Maui!

I landed my dream location for my next contract... Maui, Hawaii!  When I asked my recruiter to look for jobs for me in Hawaii I told him any island would be fine but Maui was my number 1 choice and the Big Island was second.  I knew I would have to be patient and the first job that came around in Honolulu was not the right fit but the second was on my dream island and while it was in a setting I had never worked in before, with my recent experience in home health, I thought I could make a successful bridge into the new setting.

The day after I got the official contract, I woke up to an ad on a travel site I am on that was advertising for a roommate on Maui and thought it was meant to be.  I contacted the lady, had a nice conversation on the phone, and had a place to stay booked!  I have been traveling for over 2 years now and I can say 100% that finding a place to stay is always the most stressful part and I have never had things fall into place so easily.  It was right on the water with an unobstructed view of palm trees and ocean and I couldn't believe my luck!

When I arrived it was even more that I imagined it would be.  I sit on my balcony and watch whales jump and slap their fins and tails and it is AMAZING!  I knew the sound of the ocean would be lulling me to sleep at night but to get to see whales playing every day has been so much more than I ever dreamed it would be!  I find I have my eyes glued to the ocean looking for whale spouts and other whale activities at every moment that I am home.  I also get to see the occasional sea turtle head pop out of the ocean to take a peak at its surroundings and the rocks below have crabs scurrying around and eating algae off the rocks.

Tail slaps from my balcony

Four whales doing pectoral fin slaps taken from balcony

Whale breaching and photo taken from balcony

The beach is about a 1/2 mile from where I am staying and has turned out to be an amazing place to find sea glass.  I have already proven that I can spend hours looking for shells on the beaches of Sanibel Island in Florida but I think I might be substituting the shells for sea glass in Hawaii!  I find it so relaxing and am rewarded with my beach finds at the same time.  So far brown has been the most common color but I have also found some various shades of green and even a few pieces of clear glass that have become frosted by the rolling of the ocean.

I have been on a few snorkeling and whale watching tours since I have been here as well.  The fish are colorful and I find it relaxing to follow along behind them as they weave in and out of the coral.  I have been told that you can hear the whales talking to each other when you are under water but I have not been able to hear them yet.  So far I am loving Maui and all it has to offer but mostly just enjoying the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of island life.

Following taken from boats while on whale watching tours: