This week was full of time hanging out with Aarons. Lately I've been feeling like I'm not doing anything really adventurous but now reflecting on it, it's been a great week just spending time with friends. And to think of it… I saw a dolphin and whale and a shooting star all in one week? Thats something that I don't get to do back home. I met some great people telling me of all their travels and the places I need to see, a couple clients this week really made me want to go to Germany even more and one said I absolutely have to go to Portugal. Ahh… One day.

WEEK 26- Sunday I woke up and headed to Starbucks so I could finally pay my state taxes for cali and try to get a few things done. Of course right when I get my drink I spill my coffee on my new white dress and I really didn't want to walk all the way back to the ship to change and try to get it out. I got to FaceTime with my mom a little. Alex met up with me at starbucks and we tried to decide on where we should go for the day, he's very indecisive so he has a coin flip app that helps him decide. We flipped and Paia it was. While waiting for the bus Alex had a genius idea to get a stain remover pen from the pharmacy next to the bus stop, I laughed when I saw it because it had a coffee cup right on the packaging. It worked perfectly. Shortly after getting off the bus in Paia we met a homeless man named Frank, he asked us if we had any cash so he could get a taco up the street. I told him I didn't have any cash but I'd be happy to go with him to get a meal, so he led Alex and I to the taco place. On the way Alex talked with him asking him where he's from and how he got to where he was and so on. We reached the taco place, it was pretty much set up like a Chipotle, and I told him to just order what he wanted. We sat at a table with him and talked some more. Before we left, Alex loves taking photos of homeless people and street photography, so he asked Frank if he could get a picture of him and myself. Alex wanted to make sure he would eat his food but he didn't eat anything while we were there, we ended the conversation and explored the rest of Paia. Up the street we found the Lha Bab Peace Stupa, Its a small prayer/meditation room. Walking back down the street I found these steps that went up a hill so we walked up there and it was just a huge open field, Alex took a couple photos of me for fun. It was a bummer because both of us like photography but neither of us brought our cameras! We just used our iPhones the entire day. We had burgers at Cafe Mambo for lunch, they had a pretty good happy hour deal. After lunch we walked up another road and came across a cemetery that overlooked the ocean then ventured from there down a little path to the beach. We came to a little area where we climbed over rocks to get to this little cove it was a beautiful location but every where in hawaii is beautiful. The photo on this blog is actually one Alex took of me at that location. Aaron, from excursions, texted me saying he was on his way to Paia to eat at flatbread so we walked to the other side of the beach to sit and watch the ocean for a bit and wait for them to arrive. While we were there I saw a dolphin swimming by pretty close to the shore. We met up with Aaron, Gina, Silva, Brendan, and Aaron Kleinerman for dinner at Flatbread. It's both Aaron's Aloha week so we celebrated. After dinner we all piled in the van that Brendan rented and went to a different beach that of course Aaron Kleinerman knew of. The seven of us just laid out and watched the stars and chatted. It was a little cloudy, Aaron Kleinerman took out his app of the constellations I jokingly said this is how we look at the stars now? through our smartphones… how terrible. I saw a shooting star, apparently there was a meteor shower that night. I also got eaten up by bugs because I was wearing a dress, the bugs here are ridiculous because they're small and you don't feel them and I never know I have bug bites unit the next day.

Monday the power went out for a few minutes while I was washing my client's hair and the water turned off so that was fun. I worked till ten then met up with Alex in the photography studio so he could teach me some photo editing, which helped out greatly.

Tuesday we had drill and I have a new muster station so I met a couple crew members that I didn't know before, after drill we had the captains meeting which they were still talking about some dry dock stuff. A lunch I got to talking with Melissa about the book I'm reading, Captivating, which she had ironically recommended the guys version, Wild at Heart, to Alex. I sat with her again for dinner and asked her about the church she goes to on sunday mornings in Maui, I told her I'd like to come with her sometime when I have a Sunday off. Aaron Kleinerman came in for a haircut, his hair is incredibly curly and it was 6 months before his last haircut, I cut off a ton of hair… we should have done a before and after photo.

Wednesday I got up early so I could go to the coffee shop across the street for breakfast. I finally got to watch the video my brother made of my niece's first birthday party. I wanted to cry, I wish I could have been there! It turned out so good! Then I finally posted my blog. After work I sat and editied a few photos of my neice for my sister, I hope she likes them:]

Thursday I closed up the spa then met up with Gina, Michelle and Aaron (from excursions) for a little beach hangout for Aaron's Aloha. On the walk over we ran into Aaron Kleinerman and he joined us. I told them Gina and I are going to be lost without both Aarons, they always helped us out with our adventures on out days off. Aaron would always get us tickets for excursions and Kleinerman just knows where everything is on the islands so he would be our navigator. Excursion Aaron will be back in June and I will still be here but Aaron Kleinerman possibly won't come back for another contract. We went to the Tavern after where everyone from the ship was I was surprised to see Jessica out with my boss, Audrey, because Jess never goes anywhere. We went back to the ship, once I walked in my cabin I was surprised to see that Amber was back before me. I told her how one of the art department girls was having a birthday party that Alex invited me to at the Marriott Lagoons but I didn't have anyone to come with me and she just got up and said lets go. Of course leave it to Amber and I to have a last minute adventure. I told her how my friends back home would just call me to do last minute adventures because they knew I would always be up for it as long as I had good company. Once we got to the condo it wasn't too long unitl Amber knocked out on the couch and I had to leave her and hope she would make it to work on time in the morning because she wouldn't wake up.

Friday I saw a whale flip up it's tail out my salon window while I was washing my client's hair. After work I met up with Aaron, Gina and Michelle we went to Napa bar on the ship then to Pink's Champagne for one more Aloha night with Aaron. While we were at Pink's Alex came by with prints of a picture of Gina and I from the Luau we went to back in January. We had crew saying our picture was on one of the posters for the Luau but neither of us had seen the picture. After Pinks Gina and I went to the bridge to give Aaron Kleinerman some money for the car he had rented the last time we went out and he gave us a little tour of the Bridge. It was awesome to see how the ship is navigated and the view they have is incredible. My favorite part is walking out to the wing of the bridge where you can see the entire side of the ship and beneath you is glass and you're just looking down straight at the ocean. I'm sure its a much more prettier sight in the daylight but the moon was beautiful to see reflecting on the water. There's tons of gages and buttons that lit up we could only see so much in the dark but it was still cool to me. Now I just have to get someone to show me the engine room.

It's Saturday and my neighbors from back home should be boarding the ship soon! Anjulia and her mom are sailing this week as well. I still feel like these weeks are passing by slow but I only have 90days!! Michelle is sad that I'll be leaving soon, we just have to make the most of our time! Hope everything is going great in Cali. Love you & Miss you!

"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."

-Daniel 12:3