Recap and Kauaii

Happy New Year's! 2007 marches along. I just flew back from Kauaii which is a stunning island west of Oahu. It is called the "garden island". I did some of the best hiking (and muddiest) of my life. There had been ample rain so my hike of the Napali Coast was saturated with red mud that reminded me of good ol' Jawja red clay. I even fell twice, once trying to take a steep short cut, which turned into a good ole mud slide.

The only time I have been muddier on a hike was when my sister and I were hiking together in the bayou in New Orleans and the park ranger warned us that there may be a little mud on this one trail, but he highly recommended it. Needless to say, his definition of a "little mud" and ours were quite different. I don't quite remember why we didn't turn around, but the trail and the swamp were not so east to distinguish in parts. My sister and I had to take off our Tevas in order to avoid losing them to the dense mud with incredible suction. I kept trying to put mine back on because I was terrified of stepping on a snake. When I finally succumbed, sure enough there was a snake slithering through the water, which made us run. We kicked up so much water and mud that when we left the trail and entered the parking area people thought we were swamp creatures.

So I had a great time in Kauai which I will tell you more about, but I am anxious to write down my recollections of previous trips before I forget.

LA- It was so GOOD to see Bea, Dave and Ellie. They miss Bet Haverim and their friends in Atlanta so much, but they are doing so well. Parenthood really agrees with them. I felt so proud of seeing them in parent mode, even when David became overly freaked out when we crossed the street with Ellie not at a crosswalk. Bea's students seem to really like her. She had a shabbat dinner with her 2 advisees and one of their husbands. It was refreshing to listen to rabbinical students concerns and life. It is so funny to be reminded of the arrogance and know-it-all attitude that so many of us rabbi types had in our first couple of years in school. If the school and life does its work there is a humbling aspect that takes that edge off. I also had the opportunity to meet one of her advanced students, a gay man who has really taken quite a liking to Bea. We had dinner the next night and went off briefly afterwards, but since the Lawrence family was beginning to get a cold, we made it an early evening.

Dave's business seems to be going really well, which is group travel. He seems to have some awesome trips to Costa Rica, great adventures where he is trying to purchase a lodge. It is so exciting! They have a cute house in the part of LA call the Chood (ch--as in chutzpah and challah not as in cheese) because it is where all the Israelis live. I am so happy for them--aside from missing CBH, friends and the incredible expense of LA, they are loving it out there. Lastly, Bea is on her way to finishing her dissertation, but being a new mom, working a new job, moving into a new is already hard work, so to have to finish a dissertation is definitely over the top. But if anyone can manage it all (while doubting herself the whole time) it is Bea.

Being there with them, I realized how much I miss them. It was so good to see them.