Maui, where dreams come true!

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to visit Maui, HI this past week to celebrate a dear friend's wedding.  I have to say, I have been to a lot of beautiful places but the island of Maui is truly paradise! Perfect weather, beautiful scenery, and friendly people are the hallmarks of this magical place and I, for one, cannot wait to go back some day.

The Highlights:

1. Our Mustang Convertible: Steph and I originally thought we were getting a Rio to drive around Maui for the week. When the Hertz dealership offered us a Mustang Convertible at no extra charge, we couldn't turn it down.  After a bit of adjusting to the size and the power of the car (we both drive compact hyundais at home), we fell in love with driving anywhere and everywhere with the top down. Seriously, how could you drive with the top up in MAUI?!

On our way down the Haleakala Volcano, top down obvs.

2. The Wedding: The main event! Having your wedding in Hawaii basically guarantees that it will be beautiful but Cat and Dave's special day was more stunning than I could ever imagine.  The wedding was held at the Sheraton Maui on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The bride looked stunning, the groom super handsome, both of them overshadowing the beauty of the surroundings.  Anyone in attendance would tell you the love coming from these two was overwhelming, as evidenced by the amount of emotion (tears, we're all cry babies) observed throughout the night. Here's to a lifetime of love, laughter, and fantastic food you two!

The beautiful ceremony, the bridesmaids, Us!, The Newlyweds

3. Scuba Diving: During the week leading up to diving, I was having a bit of a panic attack doubting that I would be able to handle it.  I, myself, am slightly claustrophobic with a fear of drowning (smart idea to go scuba diving, eh?) so as the time neared I was dreading the event.  But guess what? I DID IT! and I LOVED IT! With only a small panic attack at the beginning of the dive when I entered the water, I successfully completed two 1 hour dives! During our dives, we saw sea turtles, fish, an eel, and 2 white tipped reef sharks. I would do it again in a second.

4.The Food: During our stay, Steph and I were on the hunt for the best fish tacos on the island. Although I couldn't find any that topped Cali's fish tacos, we found many delicious alternatives.  My favourite meal of the week was an oceanside New Years Eve dinner consisting of coconut calamari, Ahi Tuna Steak, and of course, Mango Mojitos.

 

Mojitos!, My Ahi Steak, The gorgeous view on New Years Eve

5. Maui: If you ever get the chance, just GO! One of the best places to relax, unwind, and just appreciate life.  You may see in the near future that I have packed up and moved there...not even kidding.

Hope you all had a terrific holiday season! Here's to 2013 being chocked full of love, laughter, success, and new experiences!