kauai, hawaii

for about a year now, i've arguably, harassed Rob about moving to Hawaii with me; and only partially joked, now twice, about not getting on the plane back to NY...

most vacation we take, they aren’t a true reality of what life would be like everyday. usually we spend a little more money, participate in the tourist attractions, wake up to breakfast in bed and a view that only a handful of people can afford full time. but here, it’s different...

Rob and I stay with two of our best friends when we visit the islands of Hawaii. of course we do some touristy things but most of the time we live like they do; spending time at the beaches, going to the store for groceries and household needs. we wake up & make coffee at home, drive them to work. & at the end of their day we always take a walk and watch sunset somewhere breathtaking (which i should add is not hard to find here). of course we aren't working like we would if we were living here, but that's about the only true difference. it's incredible the calm you start to feel after just a few days, you actually feel lighter.

aloha is real here. it is a way of life; it is letting things go, and appreciating the little moments. locals, they watch out for one another, it’s a kindness, a characteristic of humans here that i have never seen or found anywhere else in my travels. 

this past weekend we went camping east of Hanapepe, where we set up tents on the beach. it was breathtakingly beautiful, and so much fun. the beaches here are stunning, in part because they are taken care of; no one litters, they respect their land, their home & will pick up any trash that was left behind by others. Thursday afternoon, we obtained our camping permits and headed out in our friend’s Tacoma with everything we needed for the next three days. we ended up next to a van where two locals, we thought, were also camping but came to find out they had lost their home, and this was now home. the couple told us stories of how this beach got its name, the history of the area, and offered what they had to us if we needed anything. we also learned they were waiting on about 100 people to come for a memorial Saturday. they had lost their cousin a few days prior and were holding the ceremony at the end of the campsites.

history + hawaiian culture

our experience

it is difficult to obtain the respect of locals in Hawaii as a white person. they have their culture and it is very different from anywhere on the mainland and they wish to protect that culture. spending time with this couple, showing our interest for their way of life and offering our kindness shows them that there are white men and women who don't want to 'ruin' Hawaii. visitors and those who decide to stay should happily make the small cultural changes, especially since this is part of Hawaii and what we love about it. for instance, to show respect for your elders you call your elders auntie and uncle not ms. or ma'am or sir. we did not have to do this at any point, however, many locals will greet each other by touching their forehead and nose and taking a breath together instead of simply saying hello or offering a kiss on the cheek or hug. you will almost never hear a horn honked when driving and will notice drivers stopping to allow other to make left hand turns, allowing people in when their blinker is on, you will also notice no one throws cigarette buds on the floor, they are put out and thrown away as is all other trash. this is all a part of why we love this island and when there (really anywhere but for the sake of this blog...) visitors should abide by these things. 

when park patrol came by later in the day the cops gave the couple 24 hours to move since they had no permit and no means of obtaining one. with no gas, no home and a ceremony to happen i’m sure they felt down about it so we offered to get them gas for their mobile home on us. i swear i thought this man might cry. but that’s aloha. looking out for the other people on the island. that’s why the patrol gave them time instead of ticketing them, and why our friends drove into town to help them out with gas. 

some people will read this and think that’s just a hippie lifestyle. maybe even think it’s not realistic. but here, that’s life. and in my opinion, that’s how it should be between everyone. we should respect and care for each other, even those we don’t know. I’ve had no anxiety for the past week i’ve been in Kauai which is unheard of for me in NY. it’s peaceful here: you won’t hear people yelling or complaining, there aren’t businessmen on their phones ordering coffee, just surfers in the morning and locals picking up breakfast before work. and people from all walks of life coming together on this island addicted to the same feeling i’ve become addicted to... the one you can only find here. 

rob and i come here and we learn about the history, the locals, we try to learn pronunciation and find hidden local gems, staying away from Pouipu and other tourist spots for the majority of our trip so we can appreciate true Hawaii, not the one filled with Pineapple martinis and Maui Tai’s but local poke and hikes down the waterfalls, deserted beaches; camping somewhere off a dirt road to see the stars light up at night. 

if you take a trip to this magical island, get out of the resort and out of your comfort zone. make friends with the people who live there, rent a car and drive to another town... the island is small and is only about a 2 hour drive to the other end. there are beautiful animals to be seen everywhere from roosters to pigs, monk seals, and sea turtles. during our time there, the Napali Coast was closed however that is always my first suggestion to anyone traveling to Kauai. Look up Napali Coast, the hikes, what you need for them (ropes, hiking shoes, food, water..), rent some camping gear and enjoy the beauty of this area of the island. for all the things we did, places we saw.. that will be in the next post so stay tuned! 

also, Rob if you are reading.... we should move to Hawaii <3