Time For More Elastics

So, completing bucket list items is at a low, because life has been extremely busy.  A few weeks ago I used up my two half pound bags of elastics on my rubber band ball.  Finally last weekend I was able to by more.  I bought twice as many elastics; sadly these ones aren't colored (bigger elastics where only available in tan).  As you can see bellow my elastic ball is going quite well, I have found working on it to be a great stress reliever, so I think everyone should start one!

Circumference:         26.2cm

Diameter:              8.33cm

Surface Area:          54.6cm^2

I'm excited to continue working on my elastic ball; I am quickly seeing progress as it grows before my eyes with each elastic added.  I'm pretty sure my roommate thought I was crazy, when she saw me working on it!  Now the lovely colourful sphere is going to become dull, and tan.  I wonder how many bags till I'll reach ten pounds...?

P.S.  I apologize for the lack of posts lately, I will work on making my posts much more frequent!

My New Fishy...Named Fishy

Throughout my childhood I've had may fish, and well I guess that means I've also killed many fish.  Before moving away from home for university, I decided I would want to get a fish to keep me company (since it's the only type of pet allowed) while I'm away from my family. I unpacked my fish bowl, and a few weeks later I found a pet store.  When I first bought 'Sergeant McShineysides' he was a very lively blue beta, who would always eat his food.  All was great till I took him back home with me for thanksgiving.  I'm not sure if it was the stress of the car trips, but he stopped eating, and soon after getting back from home he died.

Yesterday I bought fish number two.  His name is 'Fishy', and he is a little cutie.  Fishy is much smaller than Sergeant McShineysides, so he eats less, but he is still very active; fishy never stops swimming around his little fish bowl.  While in the bag before I put him in the bowl, Fishy fell off of a five foot tall T.V. stand.  It scared me, and I'm so glad the bag didn't pop.  I feel bad for setting him on the T.V. stand, but Fishy seems to be doing great, so hopefully the fall won't affect his life span!

F.Y.I. Taking photos of a fish is hard!

4. Learn To Juggle

One day I walked into my physics class, and on my teachers desk sat a bunch of potatoes.  I can't remember the purpose of the potatoes, but one of my friends and I decided to 'juggle' a few of the potatoes back, and forth a few meters apart.  My teacher then came in, and yelled for us to stop, and I replied, "But I was learning to juggle!"  That evening when I went home I googled how to juggle and in a few days bucket list item number four was accomplished.

*Sorry!  Picture would be here, but I don't have one, and don't feel like taking one, but later I will, and insert it here!

Juggling isn't as difficult as it seems.  I found simple instructions, and after that all I needed was to practice.  I used golf balls, I didn't have anything else the right size.  These were probably not the best for learning, because they are rather heavy, and I dropped them on my toes many times.  After I got the hang of juggling I practiced with random things around the house, from juice boxes, to oranges, anything that came in packs of at lest three.  Though it was not hard to learn, it's funny to see peoples expressions when I tell them I can juggle.

So I'm Gonna Start Item 27. Make Rubber Band Ball

It has been so busy the last few weeks with homework, studying, sleeping, and meeting new people at university.  I was at Staples a couple weeks ago, and bought a couple bags of rubber bands to start this project, so it's time to start another bucket list item!  I've decided that my goal is to make a ball that weighs ten pounds, people have made them weighing over three hundred pounds, so I hope this is a realistic goal!

I didn't know how to start my rubber band ball, so I began by looking on youtube.  It wasn't too hard, I just took one band, and bunched it into a little ball then slowly began wrapping the other bands around it.  At first it was difficult to make the ball round, but slowly I changed the shape from an oval to a sphere.  I'm not sure how I'm going to weigh it, maybe I'll go to a deli in a grocery store, and ask them to weigh it... Well I know what I'll be working on in my breaks from studying.

91. Learn To Long Board

I bought my long board in the summer of 2011, but only rode it for a couple weeks.  A year later I still hadn't gone long boarding much; cold weather, and lack of motivation was holding me back.  Well in the spring I became friends with this boy (who is now my boyfriend), and he told me how he would like to learn to long board.  We spent every evening for weeks on end long boarding together this past summer.  I would never been motivated to go on my own; we explored the sidewalks, and streets around my hometown.  My face met the concrete far too many times, but never broke any bones!

Now I have moved to the city, and long boarding is a great way to go to university classes, or (as seen above) to get groceries.  Before it was just a fun ride; now it's a mode of transportation.  Sadly I don't get to ride with my boy friend as much anymore, but I do have a friend who I convinced to start boarding.  I like long boarding because it makes up for snowboarding when there is no snow, and wake boarding when I can't be at the lake.  My only concern with long boarding, is that there isn't really a way to stop when going down a hill...

126. Move Away From Home

It has been an extremely busy last few days.  On September 1st I left my house at 5:45am in the morning, and set out on the highway for Edmonton, Alberta.  I'm going to the University of Alberta, and taking Engineering. A couple days ago I moved into residence, which totally counts as moving away from home!  I have started a new chapter in my life, and I'm ready to embrace the new experiences.

The residence I live in is dorm style living; I have a double room with a roommate.  Since I hadn't shared a room since I was four years old (with my little sister), I worried about how I would get along with my new roommate.  At first we were both quiet, but we get along pretty well as we get to know each other.  Having a roommate is an important part of the university experience!

I tried to write a post on the day I moved in, but there have been so many things to do, I haven't had the time.  I have met countless new people, most of which I have forgotten their names.  The university of Alberta has a very competitive dodge ball tournament between the tower floors in residence; I have had fun playing in very competitive dodge ball games.  The University's campus is big, and fun to explore!   Slowly I'm adjusting to my new life, and I see many bucket list items being completed in the near future.

P.S. Tomorrow I start classes, it will get busier, but I will still find time for my blog!

Should Have Been Bucket List Items

For a little over a week I've been gone on vacation to a little lake near Whitefish, Montana.  While there I did many water sports that would have definitely been on my bucket list, but I started doing them far before my bucket list started.  I had a great week, so I thought I would write about these non bucket list items.

Non-Bucket List List

-Try kneeboarding

-Learn to wakeboard

-Drop a waterski 

-Do a 360 on the kneeboard

After I was born, I spent three out of my first five weeks at the lake. At a young age I first tried kneeboarded.  I was small enough that I could kneel on the board, and it would still float, before the boat started pulling.  I had very little control over what I was doing; I would stay directly behind the boat, too small to have the strength to get over the wake.  It was a start; a decade later I was confident, going back, and forth across the wake.  Learning to do the 360 took practice.  After a while I was able to easily spin the kneeboard all the way around, catching the handle behind my back as I made the circle.

After learning to kneeboard, waterskiing was next.  It was much harder then the kneeboard, but I remember being bribed with perigees (my favorite food at the time) to get in the water, and go for a waterski.  I started on the boom, which is shown in the photo above, it's a pole that goes out the side of the boat, making it easier for beginner to learn, because they are close, and can get instructions from the boat driver. Next I tried being pulled behind the boat.  Then after years of practice I tried dropping a ski, it was slightly scary, but after a few tries I did it.  To drop a ski you make one ski boot really loose, then when you feel comfortable you slip your foot out, and put it behind your foot that is still attached to the ski.  This is how you learn to slalom ski, eventually with more practice I will learn to get up on one ski; I should probably put that one on my bucket list.

I started wakeboarding when I was a little older; I think it's the hardest to begin learning.  It's my favorite of the water sports, because it reminds me of snowboarding; I did a lot of wakeboarding this past week.  I have mastered doing switch stands on both sides, and though it's easy to wipeout, it's totally worth it.  Though I didn't accomplish any bucket list items on my vacation, I had fun relaxing in Montana.

See A Talking Parrot

This would have definitely been a bucket list item if I new that talking parrots were real!  Up till a few days ago I thought they only existed in movies.  I'm glad to say I was wrong!

I was with a group of friends watching movies at a house that one of them is house sitting at.  After arriving I discovered the parrot.  His name is Jake, and at first he was very quiet, shy in front of the new people, who had just entered his home.  Eventually he started making his weird noises, like random gurgles, or chuckles.  After starting the movie we heard words for the first time, though they were difficult to understand. Later I was impressed when Jake made the noise of a phone ringing, followed by the sound of a person answering, and talking on the phone. Sadly Jake could not say Polly want a cracker.

I was amazed that this bird was able to mimic sounds, and human words; I couldn't stop wonder how, and why Jake made the noises he did.  After googling why do parrots talk, I came to the conclusion that it is to get attention.  When the parrot is alone without any other parrots around, it quickly tries to learn how to communicate with the people around them. Though they can not understand what they are saying, the shape of a parrots airway allows it to mimic the noises they hear around them.  It was a moment of shock when I learned that like in the movies parrots can actually talk.  It was very entertaining listening to Jake, but he is loud in the early morning, and rather messy, so I would never want a parrot of my own.

60. Bake A Pie

Today I proved why I'm not a baker...

I arrive home this evening, and I was determined to cross something off my bucket list.  I quickly decided I wanted to bake a pie, so I looked in the freezer to see if I had any pie crusts.  Disappointed for a second when I didn't find any, I hopped in my car, and drove to town.  After arriving home I found the bucket of Saskatoon berries that I had picked from my Mum's bush the day before.  We have been having problems with birds eating our berries, so as you see in the photo bellow we have put out some "scarecrows" to scare away the birds, and they have been working quite well.

One of the easiest ways to wash berries is to put them in a bucket of water.  The berries float making it easy to scoop them out after they are clean.

Saskatoon Pie

3 cups           -Saskatoon berries
3/4 cup          -sugar
1/4 cup          -flour (or uncooked minute tapioca)
1 tsp            -lemon juice
2                -pastry pie crust

After letting the crusts thaw for fifteen minutes, I placed the bottom crust in the pie plate.  In a bowl I mixed the sugar and flour, then add the Saskatoon berries.  I poured the content of the bowl into the pie crust, then sprinkled the lemon juice on top of the pie.

Before putting my pie in the oven I covered it with the top crust on, and cut slits in the top for steam to release.  The recipe said to bake the pie for 10 min at 425 degrees, then 45 min at 350 degrees.  I forgot to turn the temperature down on the oven, which resulted in the crust being very dry.  The inside was still very good, but it was disappointing that the pie did not turn out perfectly.  Saskatoon pie is my favorite pie, after I pick three more cups of berries I'm gonna try to bake another pie.

Survive Eighteen Years

This isn't a bucket list item...well it should have been.  A few days ago I celebrated my eighteenth birthday!  I now enter a world with far more freedom, and responsibility.  I've never been one to make a big deal about birthdays; I stopped having birthday parties at the age when my Mum stopped organizing them.  Of course this birthday was an exception, it was an important day that marked the transition into adulthood.

I went out for lunch at Boston Pizza with my Mum (if your ever there try the Spicy Perogy Pizza, it's my favorite).  This is where I had my first legal drink!  I ordered a blue martini with my meal, which tasted very good!  That evening I went out with friends to celebrate the significant milestone.  Throughout the day I thought about the last eighteen years, the long journey I took to get where I was now, and the exciting future I have planned.  Now I'm done high school, I'm eighteen, and heading off to university.  Everything is going so fast, it's kind of hard to believe.

P.S. I've been thinking to celebrate my eighteenth that I might go sky diving.  There is a local company, and I've been looking at prices, so I'm deeply considering it!

P.S.S. What do you guys think if I do a few posts every so often like this one, which is not about specific bucket list items?

122. Learn To Walk In High Heels

After buying my beautiful dress for graduation I knew the next thing to do was buy some fancy shoes.  Since my date was 6.3'' I quickly decided I was going to be wear heels.  It's not that I've never wore heels before, just that these four inch heels are easily the highest I've ever owned. I was unsure of my new shoes when I first tried them on at the store; I imagined one clumsy step resulting in me falling on my face, but I bought them anyways.  Soon after bring them home I added bucket list item 122 to the list, and began practicing.

I started by googling how to walk in high heels, and learned the technique of going heel then toe.  They recommended going gradually through the different heal heights and styles before going to the four inch pump, but I didn't have the shoes, or the time for that.  I began where the heels whenever I was at home.  I'd wear them while studying, cooking, or even watching T.V.  Once when hanging out with one of my friends we had a high heel wearing contest to see who could where their pumps the longest...I won!

Wearing heels to graduation was extremely fun!  It made the occasion feel even more special, because it was the first time I had wore my new shoes out of the house.  I found walking in heels on grass was difficult, because the heels would slip through the dirt; I ended up aerating the grass.  I'm happy to say I never fell once, though my feet did get sore from all the standing, and walking.  Now I'll have to find more excuses to wear my high heels!

54. Learn To Play The Harmonica

So, I'll be honest...I completed this bucket list item a little while ago...well actually a little more then a little while...ok, around two years ago.  I have a few bucket list items that are from my originally bucket list, that I completed before my blog started.  Well I have to catch up sometime, so I was thinking now.

It was the spring of 2010, and I was running around Walmart waiting for my Mum to be done here grocery shopping, when I saw the harmonica for sale with an instruction booklet.  I'm always up for a challenge (like look at that list to the right), so I thought why not, and grabbed the harmonica, and went to the till.  I found the harmonica easy to learn, soon I was playing all the songs in the little beginners book that came with it.  I started translating old clarinet music I had lying around.  I eventually bought the Harmonicas for Dummies book from chapters, but honestly I didn't find it very useful.  The harmonica was a short lived hobby, I soon got bored, and moved on to a new challenge.  It is a very unique instrument, I would recommend anyone who plays an instrument to find one to try.  I learned a lot from my little harmonica, and had a lot of fun with it.

I pulled out my little harmonica today, and remember how I used to play it.  I was nowhere near as good as after I got it all those years ago. After a few minutes of playing with it, and taking a picture, I slid my harmonica back into my past.

89. Explore A Castle

It's been a while since my castle exploring, but I got distracted, and never finished writing about my bucket list items I completed on my trip to Europe.  When in Italy I stopped at a smaller town called Assisi (this is also where I completed 7. Try Gelato).  I had no clue I would get to see a castle, or even get to go in one, it was a pleasant surprise.  My tour guide lead us on a short hike, which took no more then ten minutes to reach the castle.  There was a small fee to enter the castle, but it was definitely worth it.

After paying the fee my friends, and I went exploring.  I kept thinking how this would be the perfect place to play hide and seek.  There were passageways going every where connecting to smaller rooms, and towers. It was quite the workout going up the continuous spiral stair cases to get to the lookout towers, but the view from the tops was incredible.  One of the best parts was going through the small tunnel that connected the castle to another tower; they were dark, and while walking through them it was easy to forget the world that existed outside the castle walls. One day I would love to get the opportunity to visit another castle, probably in different european county.  It would be fun to explore it, and compare it to the castle in Assisi.

125. Spray Paint Something

This was a last minute add on to the bucket list when I learned that at the end of my grade twelve year I would get to spray paint the street in front of the high school.  It was my first time ever using a can of spray paint, and after painting the street, I came to the conclusion that graffiti artist is not a career option for my future.  It was a creative way to leave our mark on the school we had spent our last twelve years in; though the paint will soon wash away, it will disappearing like the class of 2012.

The students union supplied dozens of cans of spray paint; I grabbed a bright orange, and picked a spot on the street to begin writing my name. Soon after I found the lime green, and traced around the orange, and followed creating a border with blue.  I ended with drawing the 'smiley' face I have doodled on everything this past year.  It is a symbol of memories from my last year of high school, and the person I was when I left, before entering the real world.  I don't know if I will ever spray paint again, but it is nice for my rebel side to be able to say I tried it at least once.

117. Swim With Sea Turtles

Before going to Hawaii I thought that seeing a sea turtle in the wild was rare; soon after arriving I learned I was wrong.  I was ecstatic when I saw a couple turtles on my first morning snorkelling. The one in the first photo is the turtle I technically completed this bucket list item with.  I swam a small distance behind him, as he swam his way across the reef.  For a few minutes I followed taking pictures of the unique creature.  After that I saw many turtles, most were resting on the bottom, or under ledges, and were only saw when they swam up to the surface for air.

The second two turtles I saw when I went snorkelling at turtle town (as I said in the post 78. Go Snorkelling in the Ocean, turtle town is not a specific place it is just an area named that when many turtles are there, and is easily accessible from shore).  These two were huge, and came up very close to me.  There is a Hawaiian law that you may not touch, or interfere with the turtles in anyway; violators are charged up to a $10 000 fine.  As these large animals swam toward me, I did my best to keep my distance.  The one in the back is missing it's front right flipper; likely it was attacked by a shark.  Even missing a flipper the turtle was swimming great, he was a very speedy, gigantic, amputee.  They soon returned back under the ledge they were hiding under, and I swam along, continuing to explore the corl reef.  It was amazing to be swimming with the creature that has been my favorite animal since grade two!

64. Graduate From High School

After twelve years of counting down I finally made it!  Last week I finished diplomas, and a few days ago was the cap and gown, and the prom. It was a long busy day, but overall was a lot of fun.  The day began when we put on those funny black dresses, and those weird square hats with the tassels.  The graduating class was lined up in alphabetical order, and sent into a gym full of proud family members,  and friends.  After many heart felt speeches we were all called up, given our diplomas, and then finally as a group, we through the weird square hats up into the air. All of which occurred before 11:30am.

As soon as cap and gown was finished I took some photos with friends, and family, then left the school to prepare for the prom.  At this point it would be much more simple to be a boy then a girl; all guys have to do is possibly shave, comb there hair, and put on a suit.  For us ladies it is a far longer process; first I did my makeup, then my hour plus long hair appointment, followed by painted my finger nails, and finally I put on my prom dress.  It was so exciting to get to wearing the dress I bought over six months ago.

My escort- a close friend of mine- picked me up at my house, we both admitted the other cleaned up good.  With our matching corsage, and buttoner we set out for the exciting evening.  I don't know how prom works at other schools, but ours started with the grads meeting up for a group picture, then with our escorts we walk to the arena, which was decorated in an Winter Wonderland theme.  Inside we had  an evening of celebrating with friends, and family.  There was a dinner, then more speeches, and finally some music was put on to dance.  By the end of the night my dress had a big rip in the back from the end being stepped on while I was walking, and the bottom was muddy from the floor being wet, luckily I only intended to wear the dress once.  The evening ended when the grads were loaded into a bus, and headed to the safe grad party to celebrate together.  It was the last time my class of 2012 will all be together, but I will be left with many good memories from that night.

PS. I apologize for the length of this post, but I thought since it is such a milestone it would be ok.

55. Go Whale Watching

Well...the title should be Go Whale Watching For A Second Time, but I thought I would just add it in because it was a different type of whale then I watched before.  After this I only have one last bucket list item left that I completed in Hawaii, I promise!  While going out to Molokini Crater to go snorkelling I got the unexpected surprise; humpback whales were still in the Hawaiian waters around Maui.  It was quiet entertaining watching their dorsal fin rise, and fall, or the random flipper come out of the water.  It was most exciting when suddenly the large whale would jump out of the water landing on it's back, though this happened few times, and I was unable to get a picture.

I didn't find the humpback whales as interesting as the killer whales I saw in the Gulf Islands, but it was still a cool surprise.  Maybe if I had never seen a whale before it would have held the same excitement as the first time I went whale watching.  If in Hawaii I don't believe that going on a whale watching tour would be worth it.  The humpbacks are in the Hawaiian area from December to May, and if you travel on a boat to a snorkel tour like I did you will see them, plus after getting back I was able to see them from the shore, which was pretty awesome.

71. Stand At The Summit Of A Volcano

Not only did I get to stand on the top of a 10 023 ft volcano, but I also got to watch an amazing sunrise from it's peak.  I'm not surprised that this bucket list item was accomplished in Maui, Hawaii is a group of islands created by inactive volcanos. We had to leave the condo around 3:30 am, and drive in the dark up the dormant volcano of Haleakala.  It was interesting going from swimsuit weather at the base to putting every piece of warm clothing I owned on as we approached the summit.  Wrapped in a blanket, sitting at the summit I watch the sun creep over the horizon.

The bottom photo is of my mother, and I at the summit minutes after the sunrise.  If in Maui I would highly recommend going up to watch the sunrise on Haleakala.  It was an amazing opportunity, though I had to get up early for the drive, and the weather was extremely cold; the view made it all worth it.

11. Go Zip Lining

On a trip to the city my Dad surprised us, and took my family zip lining. In Calgary, Alberta there are three large ski jumps on the hillside, which were used for the 1988 Winter Olympics.  Today the biggest of the jumps is no longer used for ski jumping, but has been converted to the start of one of the three zip lines located at Canada Olympic Park.  I started with a ride down the training line, it is short, and simply to get the hang of what it it feels like, and to learn how to stop.  The first photo is of my Dad, and I at the top of the first zip line.

The second photo is the view from the base looking up at the big ski jump where the largest of the zip lines starts.  The last picture I took from the ski jump, just before I went over the edge.  I had no clue what to expect when I learned that I was going zip lining.  It started with putting on these awkward harnesses, then going out to the long cord. After my harness was attached to the line a latch was pulled, and meters above the ground I went hurtling down the hill.  For the longest run there was a small parachute I had to throw out behind me, to slow myself down.  The ride was exhilarating, though I think I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't as worried about throwing the parachute, or getting into the position the rider should be in when they reach the end.  Hopefully I'll get to try zip lining again, next time I'm thinking over a rainforest.

8. Get a Henna Tattoo

Getting a henna tattoo has been a long time bucket list item, so when I say a store in Maui that had the sign Henna Tattoos on the window, I knew I would have to go there before my flight home.  I found time a week before my vacation ended.  It was hard to choose what design to get, because there are so many, but in the end I chose a cute little turtle. First the artist drew the design on my back with sharpie marker, and after I confirm it, she started to apply the henna chemical.  It didn't take long to get the tattoo, but it took around an hour for the chemical to dry, so I had to be careful not to bump it.  My turtle lasted around two weeks, before it started to fade.

I could never get a permanent tattoo; that is one item that is not on my bucket list.  I have no problem with people who get them, and the line about how gross they will look when you are old, and your skin has sagged, doesn't really affect me.  I could never find something that means something to me now, and would still be important to me years later.  My parents can rest, knowing they don't have to worry about me coming home with a poorly planned tattoo.

1. Try Surfing

Well I finally accomplished my number one item, the item that started the whole bucket list!  Surfing was amazing, a must have on every Bucket List.  This was another item I accomplished in Hawaii, and was probably the highlight of my trip.   I started with taking a two hour lesson with Big Kahuna Adventures Maui, there were two instructors for a group of ten of us, which worked perfectly fine.  They lesson provided each participant with a board, rash guard shirt, and special shoes.  The instructor start with teaching water safety, then how to paddle, and finally how to standup.  After about half an hour we went to the water. The lesson was quiet simple, we would take turns going over to an instructor, wait for a wave to come, and they would give the board a push, normally you would paddle yourself, but being inexperience it is hard to get the speed needed on my own.  After traveling in front of the wave for a few seconds I would pop up from my stomach onto my feet, and ride the wave till I got close to shore, then turn around, and paddle back out to the instructor.  I was extremely pleased with the company I went with, I would definitely recommend them.  After two hours of paddling my arms were extremely exhausted.

Later that week I went back to Big Kahuna Adventures Maui and rented a surfboard for a couple hours.  The waves weren't as good that day as the day of the lesson.  I'm not sure if it was because the lesson was in the morning, and I rented the surfboard in the afternoon, or if it was just an off day.  Despite the smaller frequency of waves I was able to start myself of paddling, and without any assistance I successfully surfed many waves.

120. Use My Underwater Camera Underwater

After my camera broke this summer I bought a new one.  I'm a little hard on electronics, so I decided to go with one that is shock proof, freeze proof, mud proof, and water proof; I can't possibly break this one.  I bought the Fujifilm FinePix XP20 digital camera from Costco, and I have been extremely happy with it, but after having it for six months I was sad to say I had not yet tried the underwater feature.  Hawaii posed the perfect opportunity to try out my camera underwater while snorkelling.

I took many pictures of coral, fish, and anything unique I found underwater.  If anyone were to travel somewhere tropical I would definitely recommend taking an underwater camera.  It was perfect for documenting my snorkel experience, or to use on the beach, because sand cannot get inside the seal.  It is my perfect camera, because I have no concerned it getting wrecked no matter what I'm doing.

78. Go Snorkelling In The Ocean

I've been snorkelling before, but never in the ocean.  While in Hawaii I went snorkelling at least six times (like every second day).  The water was amazing, it was clear, and the temperature wasn't too bad.  I personally love spending time in the water, and snorkelling is a nice relaxing activity.  Bellow is a photo of my sister, and I enjoying snorkelling together.

While in Hawaii we went on a tour on a boat out to the Molokini Crater, and to Turtle Arches (Aka Turtle Town).  There are many groups that do similar tours, the only differences are the number of people on the boat, what food is available, and if they stop at both destinations for snorkelling.  I went with the Pacific Whale Foundation Molokini Snorkel. The Staff was extremely nice, there was both breakfast and lunch on the boat, and even though there were over one hundred people on board, the boat didn't feel that crowded.  I went with the earliest tour, which started at 8am, I would highly recommend that because the water is calmer, and nicer for snorkelling.  Molokini Crater had beautiful, extremely clear ocean, and is a must see if your ever in Maui.  Turtle Town was alright it was cool to see a few gigantic green sea turtles (I'll talk more about them in 117. Swim With Sea Turtles). Turtle Town is not actually a specific place, it is wherever the turtles are.  It is easily accessible from land, so if I were to return I would possibly go on a tour that only goes to Molokini Crater, and do the Turtle Town by myself.  I was extremely happy with the tour I went on, my only complaint would be since it was through the Pacific Whale Foundation the environmental aspect was pushed a lot, and eventually got a little annoying.

I almost forgot, because of the time of year I went while driving to the crater we got to watch humpback whales, which was really cool.  While at Turtle Town I saw a shark!  It was shocking, and terrifying, though now I'm pretty sure it was a reef shark, which are not know for being aggressive.  I was off on my own looking for turtles when I say the shark swim by not more then three meters from me, lets just say my heart beat probably tripled in speed.

19. Go To Hawaii

So I have official been to Hawaii!  I went to Maui, one the many Hawaiian island, and stayed in an area of the island called South Kihei.  I had an absolutely amazing ten days, it was a great stress reliever from a busy school semester.  The island was beautiful with unique tropical plants, and warm beaches.  The ocean wasn't as warm as I had expected, though it was still very comfortable to swim in (for some reason I thought it would be warmer).  I stayed at a condo in the Castle Kamaole Sands Resort, I 100% recommend it, unless you spent in a much higher price range, I did not see a better resort.  It was easily in walking distance of the beach(which was a good beach for snorkelling and boogie boarding), the grounds were well taken care of, and it had a reasonably nice pool.  I am vague about specific things I did in Hawaii, because some are other bucket list items, in later posts I will go into more details.  Bellow is a photo of the view from my plane window as we circled, preparing to land in Hawaii.

Things I liked about Hawaii:

1.  Obviously the warm weather, it was in the high 20's for the whole trip.

2.  The beautiful ocean full of the unique ocean creatures.

3.  Unlike Caribbean Islands I've visited, Hawaii felt safer, not sure exactly why, possibly because it is an American state.  Anyway I felt perfectly comfortable walking down to the beach alone, with no fear of anything happening to me.

4.  The relaxed atmosphere.