Growing up Loving the Islands

I was 7 years old the first time I stepped out of an airplane in Hawaii.  Our family had been stationed in Japan, but now we were headed to the mainland.  This was so long ago that Hickam AFB used the same runways as the Honolulu airport.

The breeze seemed to enfold me and I could smell wonderful flowers.  The stop over wasn’t long.  Why was it so striking?  Why has the memory of that first step stayed with me all these years?

As an Air Force Brat I moved many times, but in that instant, the islands felt like home—some how, some way.

We would visit Hawaii several times as I was growing up.  There are pictures of my brother and I standing on the beach at Bellows playing with some local kids.

Several years later my dad was accepted into a program at the East West Cultural Center at U.H.  We lived in an extremely small apartment near the Ala Wai canal.

We had very little money, but my mom maintained, “There are always things to do in Hawaii that don’t cost a lot.”

My favorite was walking along the beach in front of the hotels.  We could hear the music just fine!  As we sat on the sand or on a beach wall, we watched young couples walk along the shore, just barely getting their feet wet, stealing a kiss or laughing if a wave unexpectedly caught them.

How could air and waves have romance in them?  Is it Aloha?  I don’t know, but that’s the way it was and is today.

As ‘grown-ups,’ each time we visited Oahu, it seemed a little more big city hustle-bustle with buildings and high dollar stores crowding out the places I used to know.

In 2001 our friends had a place in Princeville and insisted we come over for a visit.

“Oh, we are too busy.  There is no time.”

My dear friend said, “If you are too busy to come to Kauai, then your life is out of control.”

She was right.

We arrived on island and immediately felt the calm and the aloha in the air.  Never having been to the Garden Isle before, we leisurely toured the island from Hanalei to Waimea Canyon.

Suddenly I had a revelation, “Hey!  Kauai is the Oahu of my youth!”

We bought our home here and have been going back and forth for the past 10 years.  Taking my mom’s advice, we find things that we can do without spending a lot of money.  We love walking on the beach in front of the Marriott.  Certain nights there will be music playing as we wander along.

Poipu has great entertainment or a wedding to observe.

Kauai visits can be accomplished on less money than you think, if your hope is to be a part of the aloha.

 

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