Travel Bug

I have been bit, and I have been bit bad!  Ever since the tickets have been purchased (thank you Mom and Dad!) for a family springtime trip to Japan, I have been insane about looking up travel tips online.  Of course, I've been reading up about Tokyo and Kyoto (the destinations that we are most likely to hit up on our trip), but I've mostly been reading about what to pack and how to pack it.  I don't really get it either.  I guess it shows you all how OCD I am.

I want to pack super lightly because there is no way in hell I'm going to pay to bring luggage.  Of the many upheavals that have taken place for airline travel, paying for luggage is the one change that irks me the most.

How audacious is it that airlines are making you fork over your money to bring luggage with you?  Of course you are going to bring stuff with you on your flight!

Granted, some of the fees are minimal, but I balk at the price solely based on principle.

I would love to pack everything for my trip to Japan in a single carry-on.  Packing a carry-on is not only hassle free (no fees! no worries that you'll lose a bag!), but I like the challenge of making my packing wardrobe concise.  Considering that we'll only be gone for a week, I think this is very doable.  My only concern about not checking luggage is making sure I have room for all the goodies I'm planning on stocking up on while shopping in Japan!

I also plan on packing comfy, chic and loose clothing, because I am definitely planning on getting fat in Japan.  This is going to be less of a sightseeing trip and more of an all-you-can-eat tour of Japan.

Until I actually take off, I'll be pinning tips, places to see and foods to eat on Pinterest.  You can stay abreast here.

Also, just because of the trip and just because I'm packing lightly and just because I'm slightly obsessed, I may finally cave and get myself a flippin' Kindle.  I know, I know.  I've resisted with every fiber of my being for so long, mainly because I want to remain true to my true love of the written word on paper, but also, I have a deep, dark feeling that if I got my hands on a Kindle, I would fall madly in love with it.  The convenience of traveling with a Kindle is quite the siren's song, and I will probably end up purchasing this one before too long.

In the meantime, I'm still devouring old-fashioned books with a healthy appetite.  My current read is Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild.  It's being loaned out to me by a friend, and I'm plowing through it.  It's fantastic.

My copy of Unbroken is making its rounds at work.  In fact, I'm not sure which coworker is reading it now, and I'm sadly uncertain if the book is going to make its way back to me.  It's bittersweet.  I'm sad that I may not see it again, but I'm pumped that my coworkers are loving the book so much that they cannot suppress the urge to keep passing it along.

What are you all reading these days?

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Newest Home Addition

Not only did we finally acquire a freakin' bookshelf, but we also got our couch!  Secondhand, but still comfy and cushy.  Come on down and hang out with us!

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Health Overhaul

I consider myself a pretty healthy gal already.  I eat well and in moderation (most times), and I get plenty of exercise.  

But lately, I found myself diving into deliciously decadent meals a tad too often, and I realized that I had been going through the motions in many of my workouts.  I decided to clean it up a bit.  I'm trying to prepare my own meals at home using as many whole and "clean" food as possible.  Hence, eating tons of kale--like this raw kale salad I made for lunch today.

I threw in kale, half a chopped tomato, some diced onion, basil, grated Pecorino cheese and some cooked quinoa into a large mixing bowl.  Then I topped it off with homemade vinaigrette (extra virgin olive oil whisked with balsamic vinegar, Bryan's Ohio Stadium Mustard, salt and pepper).  Delicious!  I ate about half of my salad and threw the rest into the fridge for tonight.  I will probably top it off with a poached egg tonight--or maybe throw the salad into an omelette.

I've also been kicking up my workouts a notch.  On Wednesday I went to Airport Beach and swam down to Black Rock (a little over a half mile in the water) and ran back on the sand.  I know people who do the swim to Black Rock and back!  And they do it multiple times a week.  I'd love to be able to work up to doing the full mile swim.

And! I'm also kicking my Diet Coke habit.  Today is Day 4 without sipping soda.  Not sure if I'll ever give it up for good, but I would like to eliminate it from my daily diet.

I got my back tire replaced on my bicycle this morning, so I'm back to riding my bike to and from work.  Looking forward to burning my way back up the hill tonight after tonight's shift.  Since I didn't squeeze in a traditional workout today before work, I plan on using my bike ride home as the cardio part of my post-work workout.  When I get home, I'm going to punch out 50 pushups and do my horrible, painful, oh-so-wonderful Ashley Conrad ab routine.  You can check it out here.  It is fabulous.

Alright, time to ready myself for a big night at work!

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Sunset from Napili Bay

Another gorgeous night off! Watched the sunset with the girls at Napili Bay. Those lights on the horizon? A lit up cruise ship leaving the Lahaina harbor for Oahu.

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The Perfect Sunday

As Bryan so eloquently put it, yesterday was a 10.

We drove from Lahaina to Kihei to meet up with Bryan's parents at their condo.  We loaded up their rental car with a cooler and four beach chairs.  After a brief stop at Safeway to grab some hummus and crackers, we made our way to Kula to check out the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm.  I had a serious hankering for their goat cheese, and I knew it would be the perfect snack for watching Polo in Makawao.

At the farm we had a mini tasting of their more popular cheeses before selecting our favorites: the Maui Secret (a more drained Chevre marinated in virgin olive oil), Ole! (creamy gourmet chevre flavored with jalapenos, artichokes, lime juice and cilantro) and then of course, the Udderly Delicious (salted, plain chevre).

After cheese shopping, we headed back into the car and headed towards Makawao to the Oskie Rice Field on Olinda Road.

{the road to the polo field}

We pulled off onto the rodeo grounds and drove through the pastures until we reached the polo field.  After paying our admission (5 bucks per person), we rolled through the field.  Skirting the red polo "wall," we made our way to the far end of the field.  The woman who was in charge of admission told us that that was the best place to watch the match--the sun wouldn't be in our eyes.

We parked our car, unloaded our chairs and our picnic and got started on snacking while we waited for the game to start.

My friend Shaina joined us along with her friend who owns and rides horses in Launipoko.

{the spectators}

{my favorite spectator}

{the polo field bordered by trees with a great view of the ocean--only on Maui}

{empty polo field}

{lucky ladybug found in the grass during the game}

{Flagger behind one of the goal posts--they raise their flags high in the air when a team scores a goal}

{polo ponies with their tails bundled up}

{polo players in action}

{our very enthusiastic "narrator"}

During the entire game, this ragged cowboy drank down beer after beer and provided colorful commentary of the goings on of the polo match.  You can get an idea of how amusing he was in the following clip:

Isn't he great?  

{look at those clouds}

{looking back across the field towards the mountain}

{riders switched horses between "chukkas" or 7 minute playing periods--the game we watched had 4 chukkas}

{ponies galloping across the field}

The first game we watched was the United States Polo Association Players Cup.  Afterwards, there was a second game played by the Maui Polo Club members.  It wasn't played with the same level of athleticism as the more professional teams, but it was still a blast to watch.  The last time I watched polo was back in Mexico City, and even though the games I watched in Mexico were far more exciting with players galloping full blast across the field at every moment--I don't think I can say that I watched at a more beautiful spot than yesterday's game in Upcountry Maui.

We left the polo field after the second game finished, and headed back into Kihei for an epic meal at Cafe O'Lei.  It was my first visit the restaurant, but I plan on making the trip out to Kihei to eat there again.  Delicious!

As Bryan said: Sunday was a perfect 10.

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There were also goats

We may have also run into some goats on our upcountry adventures yesterday...

Stay tuned for more.

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Polo Preview

A little teaser of our afternoon yesterday watching Polo in Makawao.

Plenty more photos and story to come.

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