Aloha

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Hello! I hope this entry finds you well. I got back to the mainland early Wednesday morning after 5 days in Oahu, HI visiting AJ & Josh. They were easily 5 of the best days I've ever had, and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you.

As a point of reference, the film "50 First Dates" and the TV show "Lost" were filmed almost entirely on Oahu; and what you see in those productions is what you get. (Speaking of "50 First Dates," the Hukilau Cafe that you see in the film doesn't exist. A cafe by that name does exist, but the exact one in the film was built for filming in and torn down afterward. It was on my wishlist of things to see until I found this out!)

Flying out to HI at night was an interesting experience. The sky was almost entirely clear and the moon illuminated the ocean fairly widely, allowing me to take in exactly how far out in the world I was. I couldn't help but think of the ancient mariners of the sea, traveling without knowing what they would find, if anything.

Once I arrived, we spent virtually every waking moment outdoors, rain or shine. We walked a nature trail that led to Waimea Falls and the natural pool it feeds into and took a dip. We spent a lot of time on numerous beaches. Hale'iwa was my favorite; it's small and tucked away, never got crowded (even on Memorial Day) and offered a fantastic view of the sunset. Although jumping from a 30' rock into the ocean at Waimea was also pretty sweet!

I tried stand-up paddling and was quickly hooked on it. I am going to keep an eye open for a used SUP of my own. The experience was made all the better by the fact that the river we paddled up is home to at least a dozen giant turtles who just swim around without a care in the world. More than once as one passed directly below me I thought it would bump the bottom of my board. And I helped one out of a dangerous situation when I saw that it had gotten caught up in the rope attached to someone's crab trap. From a few feet away, on my board, I was able to tug on the rope and get the turtle freed up. That felt pretty sweet. As did paddling up the rest of the river, having a couple beers in a spot that felt like the last undiscovered patch of wild on earth, and then laying down on the board the whole way back down and staring at the sky, guided by the river. (If you ever find yourself wanting to rent a SUP in Oahu, I recommend Surf N Sea on Hale'iwa Beach. They were pretty awesome.)

I also tried snorkeling for the first time. (This trip comprised my first times ever being in the ocean. Crazy, huh?) I found it hard to get used to, and felt claustrophobic. It was cool to swim out amongst some rocks and plant life and see some fishies; but at the same time I couldn't get used to the breathing, and swallowed more sea water than I would've liked. :)

We visited a large flea market, where I got to take in some of the locally produced wares of Oahu. Like most flea markets, about 70% of the vendors were selling the same or very similar things while the other 30% offered some pretty cool and unique items. I also picked up some local artwork at the shop at the Deep Ecology Dive Center.

It was a relaxing and refreshing trip, and thankfully, it also reminded me that there is too much to see and experience in the world to get wrapped up in the singular view of the day to day. My job is a pretty time-intensive one, and it's easy to get settled into the routine and forget about the bigger picture. So I've come back inspired to continue to work hard, but with a stronger focus on the end goal - giving myself a chance to see more, learn more and live more. Not unlike my new favorite tree, the banyon, which I saw for the first time in Hawai'i - I want to have roots all over the place. :)

Some pics from the trip: