Gypsy Soul: My "Winter" Vacation

My job is awesome. We are on vacation from Dec 16th until January 23rd. Most of the other assistants have either gone back to the states or to other countries. Me, I find that there are still too many things to do on this island...(well that, and, tickets off this island are crazy expensive, hahha)

So here are some things I've done in the past week and a half of my "winter" vacation...(ok well technically it's summer here, but, well you know...)

1.) Hiked up the volcano:

lava!

The trail reminded me of following the yellow brick road...

2.) Swam in a waterfall:

3.) Visited the beach of black sand...it's black because it has lava mixed in it, and it is WAY to hot to stay on for too long. But it's beautiful and it makes the water look mysterious and black too.

4.) Got really, really dorkily obsessed with the Harry Potter books...can't believe I never read them before. and now when I go back and watch the movie after I finish the book, I am surprised at how much I liked the movies before...it's like a totally different story! (I know, I know. super dork.)

5.) Visited the Art Museums in town: This was cool, because they are very old, famous paintings of places here!! It was the first time I looked at a painting in a museum and knew the land.