Oahu, Honolulu, HI

Oahu, Hawaii

February of 2018 i spent 10 days in Oahu, a place that so many venture to for honeymoons and romantic trips; this magical land, as i pictured in my dreams, that has a soothing affect on it’s travelers whom typically lead very busy lives with frantic thoughts. 

tonight i sought out some mental stimulation, yearning for some culture, and learned about another surreal city (Kyoto) where the belief is: humans do not use all of their senses in any given situation. that we need to learn and train ourselves to hear all sounds, view and experience all happenings, not to tune out any touch or sensations. without using all senses, we cannot find balance… 

Hawaii changed me, a place where nature is valued, viewed as a gift from a higher power. a place where they do not tear down trees or take homes from living things to build. in fact there is an incredible highway / bridge, built over the trees, with unimaginable views. it was created this way specifically so that nothing that naturally grew had to be torn down or altered for this manmade necessity. when we visited Lanakai on day two, there were homes being built around trees, with trunks growing out the center of a living room.

i learned about the Hawaiian way, about living Aloha. this idea that not being busy all the time is a good thing. locals don’t work all day; they are out early from their job to enjoy where they live, to enjoy hobbies, family, beaches, mountains, to get outside. living aloha also means kindness, offering help, patience, learning from others, not hearing but actually listening. 

as we pulled out of the first beach we visited on day one in Honolulu, a driver on the main road stopped so we could make a left turn. i can list on one hand how many times that has happened to me at home. and yet here, no one is in a rush, it is common to stop and allow others to make turns even if there is no stop sign or street light. instead of waving to thank him, our friend threw up a shaka in her rear view. in that instant i felt calmer, i suddenly became aware of where i was, what type of place i had traveled to. and everything i had stressed about prior to landing (at what is easily the most gorgeous airport i have ever stepped foot on), didn’t really matter. 

the beaches we traveled to most of our days there were local areas, where Oahu residents will camp, enjoy the sounds of nature, cook atop a fire, where they walk along the sand seeking shells and driftwood. these beaches were quiet with only a few people. there were no umbrellas covering chairs and towels, or music blasting from some mp3 speaker. people were there to enjoy, they brought minimal items, only what they needed. i quickly realized that Hawaiians - they are present. 

we  decided to travel to another beach, one where we could view specific flowers called Naupaka, famous for their backstory - a folklore involving a princess for whom the flower is named after.  we left our things - again just some water (& local beer - let’s just keep this honest), phones and towels. we walked, hair blowing with the wind, barefoot as the sand turned to dirt and then to greenery under my toes. listening to the sounds of waves crashing which quickly turned into complete silence as we entered the woods. Hawaii is beautiful everywhere you look. not beautiful in a ‘this is perfect’ kind of way. beautiful in this place had been untouched, in it’s imperfections. 

looking back, i have almost no photos from those 10 days. but wasn’t that the point? for the first time in a long time i was living in the moment. i was unconditionally happy. the people surrounding me everyday were not stressed, they did not enter a room with their tension. they had this openness, they are free. we imprison ourselves - with work, with social media, with constantly seeking the approval of others, with constantly trying to prove that we are different / unique. 

most places i visit and within a week i am ready for my next adventure, i either need a new place or i want to be home. it’s not just the place but the people: what they ask about, speak about, their views on their home, how other generations should live… it’s always the same conversations. personally, i need to be surrounded by creatives, innovators. when you find the few true artists (not in the ones you are thinking of necessarily but yes, them too) they’re fascinating human beings with so much knowledge to offer. not knowledge from a textbook, i’m talking people rich with experience, those in tune with their senses as Kyoto would say. maybe this is because there isn’t much corporate America in Oahu, there are very few corporations - most people work in service or artistry. they do not value long days, they value their time, their passions. they value being outside, learning about their home, and taking care of it. there was no littering, no garbage on the streets or beaches. locals respect their land and will even pickup after others who do throw trash anywhere other than a garbage. they don’t rush home to sit in front of a television, they rush to the beach, to meet friends, to go hiking, to create. 

i must say, i am grateful for my parents not pushing me to think everything in this world needs to make sense, for not asking me to believe what they believe, or impose on my own thoughts re: any topic. often times i feel very out of place within a social setting. i have trouble with small talk, I don’t care about many of the topics that as an American ‘i should care about’ and learn about etc. etc. i also don’t appreciate any organized institution - like government, schools, religion. it’s not that i don’t think they are necessary or important, but i don’t understand most of this - i associate disruption with institutions. in Hawaii, even though this is one of the 50 states, they almost operate under their own government. they make decisions based on the good of the land and it’s people. again.. probably because large corporations are minimal.

in what i learned, saw, felt - Hawaiians… they use all their senses. I have never felt more disconnected with my phone, laptop, television - none of which i used much while i was a there. i spent maybe an hour total on my iphone, took photos with my Sony a7riii. and i’m not the only one, no one else sat waiting and incessantly checking emails or social media. they (cue shock) spoke to others, even paid attention to their environment, people watching or appreciating the mountain views beyond the small city scape. I also never felt more connected - to people, to a place, to any given moment i was experiencing, to my surroundings. i didn’t want to leave. there was no home sickness or a feeling of ‘i’ve experienced this and i’m ready for a new experience.’ i wanted to stay. 

i didn’t even pack my bags to leave, my boyfriend did as I called and tried to change our flight. our friends there offered their guest room to us for as long as we’d like. they even offered to help with finding us jobs and a home there if we wanted to stay and make Oahu home. they had both been from the mainland, traveled to Hawaii and never went back ‘home.’

New York is home, it’s my safety blanket. and it is absolutely stunning in its own way, the energy here - it exists no where else. when you step into Manhattan, you’re suddenly a superhero, you are capable of anything and everything you want in life. your decisions, the things you speak of, they matter and make a difference. you as one individual; you matter, your thoughts and actions impact. that is what New York does, that is what it offers. 

maybe that’s why Hawaii was so appealing, it was the exact opposite energy. from go go go, to soothing and appreciation. but are there aspects of New York that hurt my soul? yes, we are so separated from Earth, from nature. as i said, we don’t thin twice before chopping down a forest and yet we need the trees. corporations argue that we need these buildings / highways / power plants etc. but the truth is we just took time off our own lives, took homes away from other living things that are a part of an ecosystem which we need and are actually a PART OF not above looking down. we are detrimental to ourselves and to everything on this planet because our way of thinking has become black and white. there is no room for innovation, no money, no time…. but is that actually true? of course not. the human race has become accustomed to easy, non sufficient, non lasting systems, so change is the joker in a set of cards. 

people feel the need to dissipate every couple months. and yet we run to the beach, to the mountaintops, we run to places untouched by man to ‘reset.’ there must be a reason.. why do we find calm, nurturing in these places?

theres a reason a girl who grew up just outside the largest city in America did not want to leave. and there is a reason many people who travel here don’t go home. who wants to be stressed all the time? who wants to talk politics and religion and feel like they have to walk on eggshells with people’s feelings? you can have a disagreement without a debate. not everything here fits into categories or teeny tiny boxes. there is no this or that. people who reside here think bigger. they are passionate - not about a topic but about their life - about doing what they want while they are here.

what’s my point? please today. just feel, see, listen, taste. smell. in every moment use all of your senses. do not silence the birds, or eat without truly tasting your food, do not drown out your sense with others. compliment someone, listen to what they have to say, do not be afraid to offer an unpopular option or idea, strategy even. open your mouth if you have something to say. try to be kind to others, to yourself, to our home - our environment. we have power, we as a whole, as a race - change isn’t easy, it’s not supposed to be. life however it doesn’t have to be a challenge. you can be impactful and passionate and driven and not want to rip your eyeballs out or forget to sleep or eat or work 40+ hours a week. YOU CAN have these qualities and still appreciate your life, your seconds, your days because they are fleeting. we all have the same destiny. what do you want to accomplish, what will matter when you are older? the answer for everyone is different. base your days on that.