The last time I posted, I was still on Oʻahu. I didn’t have a home, I hadn’t seen my school, my motorcycle was still in transit... The last time I posted was a lifetime ago. So much to share!
I flew from Oʻahu to Maui on July 9, 2012, to pick up my Harley and look for a place to live. Getting the Harley was pretty painless (and what a delight to ride on Maui!), finding a place was...well, let’s just say it wasn’t quite painless. It isn’t that it was necessarily difficult to find a place; rather, it was difficult to imagine paying what was asked for a place. Nothing too surprising, except that it’s surprising even when you think you’re prepared.
I did find a place, just 10 miles north of the school in Napili; a 380 square foot fully-furnished second-story studio with a view of Molokaʻi for roughly 90% of what my mortgage in Lancaster was. It’s up the hill, half a mile walk to Napili Bay and beach, and it’s lovely. Every morning as I sit eating breakfast, the sun rises behind the building and lights up Molokaʻi (past the trees and under the clouds):
After applying to rent the condo, on July 10, 2012, I parked the Harley in the Lahaina Intermediate School wood shop, took the bus from Lahaina back to Kahului, and flew back to Oʻahu enjoy the remainder of my vacation, graciously hosted by Joyce and Holly. Good food, good views, good times...
On July 17, 2012, I again flew from Oʻahu to Maui, this time to stay. Church friends met me at the airport and took me to the school to get the Harley, then took my luggage to the condo. With 7 days until the first teacher in-service day and just 13 days before students arrived on-campus, I keenly felt the pressure of passing time and tried to make the most of the freedom I knew would be fleeting.
I went snorkeling:
I looked at rainbows:
I watched the sun set over Molokaʻi:
I visited the school:
And all too soon (and not soon enough) school started; July 30, 2012.
(to be continued)
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