Special Place

Hawaii's kind of a special place to me. It's a long story and I can't put my finger on one time or place it became such, but I like learning about different places and as I've learned more about the state, the way of life there, the culture, the best things and the very worst things about Hawaii, and the native Hawaiian language and the local Pidgin, it's somehow found a pretty special place in my heart. How could it not? 

I've never been there yet in my life (someday I'll make a point to visit!) but if you study at all about the place, you realize that Hawaii is much more than calendar photographs of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head or colorful Hawaiian shirts or the romantic paradise pictured in resort pamphlets. It's much more. 

I read once that you don't "see" Hawaii, you experience it, and even though I've never been there, I know that's true. Past the tourism, "Hawaii" is more than just a cluster of islands. It isn't just a location on the globe. It's a different way of life, it's a different pace. It's rich culture kept alive, woven into the everyday. It's a spirit of friendliness and acceptance, arms open. It's community and ohana: family. Even among horrendous Honolulu traffic and 9-to-5 jobs, it's being more laid back, worrying less, carrying less stress, taking time out for adventure and making memories and focusing on what matters most. It's simpler. It's about working hard, loving and caring for the land and for each other, enjoying the outdoors all around you, and focusing on who you are as a person, more than it is about material possessions or your social status or the size of your house or the weightiness of your paycheck. It's the "Aloha spirit."

You can't spend any significant length of time there and not be changed. Be it homesick to go back, using "mauka" and "makai" in directions, "mahalo" in your thank-you's, or craving infamous shave ice and malasadas. You leave a piece of your heart there. 

So to share a little Aloha, here's an article I love about some of the awesome lessons Hawaiian locals can teach us from their special way of life. <3  http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5265795