Happy New Year!

Today I went for a short hike in Kula with my temporary room mate Rachelle, a Philly native I met at Mantokuji. I've been staying with her the past week or so since she offered me free room and board until her sister returns from adopting in Ethiopia.

Kula is an upcountry region of Maui, a few thousand feet above sea level on the Southwestern slope of Haleakala. It's absolutely gorgeous: lush, green as Ireland, far from the crowds and so high that on a clear day like today you can see the entire valley to which Maui owes its nickname - the Valley Isle.

We just walked and talked a little, said hello to the many others that were hiking the windy road and enjoyed the crisp air, sunshine and sweeping views.
But by far the highlight of our stroll was the time we spent talking to some local equines. Here's the short I put together that really describes how special our encounter was. Enjoy!