I have been reluctant to post about my travels and the things I am up to, mainly because there seem to be a few people who really need all the support they can get right now and me being all happy holidays seems a little inappropriate. However I did think a post might offer a bit of cheer along the way.
Initially I felt like a fish out of water, slightly scared of being in places that had been so familiar to Mick and I as a couple. Especially at our friend's house in California. That seemed to be a reasonable fear as it hit me very hard the first 3 nights or so. Then gradually I started to feel more at ease with myself, mostly due to the fantastic reassurance of my special friends on this forum with regular e mails, messages and by just letting me know that everyone is OK.
I had a difficult day a few days ago when tension had built between me and the friends I am with, just stupid things which previously I would have simply dismissed, the more I thought about things the more problematic it became until I just took myself off to a quiet corner and let rip. I had a troubled night worrying about it all. I think my parents should have called me Anxiety istead of Amanda LOL.
The next day it was as if nothing had happened indeed it really had just been me over reacting and beating myself up unnecessarily. Thanks to my forum friends for helping me to realise that.
Since then I have been catching amazing sunsets whilst sat on the balcony with a nice glass of wine, watching turtles as they swim past literally below us and seeing the whales blowing away on the horizon. I sit and listen to the ocean rolling in and it soothes away every bit of tension I feel.
Yesterday we went out whale watching with the Pacific whale foundation charity, what an amazing day.We got up close and quite personal with a huge pod of humpback whales, lots of females with little calves and a lot of big males that are called "escorts" basically they missed out on the mating and are hanging about protecting the females and their babies in the hope that they might become the next Daddy. The "this season" Daddys have all left town heading up for the best food supply thousands of miles North in Alaska. Sounds like a good life, eating, mating, traveling, playing and sleeping when necessary although not necessarily in that order.
I had 2 cameras with me and managed to take any number of pictures of water, the boat, my feet and about 3 featuring sundry whale parts .. I do not possess any photographic skills whatsoever!!
I have been running along the beach front every day trying to get ready for the run with Ness and the girls when I get home. I was doing OK but today I have had to change things round a bit due to chronic pain in my right hip. My PT did tell me road running might make my Rheumatoid arthritis flare up so I guess that is my bad (as they say here) back to walking pretty fast and swimming. I got the shock of my life in the sea this morning when I was joined by the biggest turtle I ever set eyes on, he just nonchalantly paddled past me (much better swimmer than me) ...awesome I doubt that will ever happen again in my lifetime so quite an uplifting and emotional moment.
This evening we are going to eat at the restaurant owned and run by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame, looking forward to that.
Tomorrow I have a whole new workout, I am going to canoe in a Hawaiin outrigger canoe for about 90 mins around this part of the island coastline, who knows what I will get to see along the way. I just hope my arms are not so sore that I cannot lift my wine glass tomorrow night!!
Thursday is volcano day and then Friday I move on leavng Hawaii behind me and back to the familiarity of family in Georgia.
Sending you all hugs and Aloha greetings
By the way Elvis is alive and here on Maui I must have had half a dozen sightings of him already this week and he still looks like he did when he was 30!!
xx
Mo