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.

Today we have some strong breezes here in Lihue as the rain is blowing in generally a mauka direction.  As usual, it comes from the sea and passes over us on the way to Mt. Waialeale or Mt. Kawaikini at 5,243 feet in the air.   The sea is to my left.  We have an ocean peek—not view.  There is a valley below me with some new homes in it.   I’m keeping track from my balcony with my morning cup of coffee as I study the panorama of the Ha’upu mountains before me.  Someone has to.  I don’t see anyone else out there.

Ooops—rain’s gone now. A rooster has come out to tell us so, with his resounding exclamation.  Maybe he is calling his family with an, “All Clear!  Come out now.”  The crowing is lasting longer than the rain!

The clouds are bouncing along the tops of the mountains —and I think, wait… one is stuck on the highest peak of the Ha’upu mountain range.  The clouds around and above it are moving at a pretty fast clip.  Can clouds get stuck on mountains?

Why aren’t I out job-hunting?  I could sub teach with my CA clear teaching credential—but am I ready for that?

Oh—wait!! The cloud is moving!  It is unstuck from the mountain!  Whooo Hoo. Yea Cloud!  How pretty.  I’m glad I didn’t miss that.

What if I did something entirely different for a job?  “Hello, welcome to Walmart.”  That sounds like a nice way to…

Ahhhh  Just a minute…more raindrops.  How can the temperature be so perfect and I’m outdoors, not getting wet but just loving this weather!! Now the clouds have broken apart and sun is shinning through places in the rain.

How funny.  A mynah bird just got caught on a gust of wind and swooped up before he (or she?) dove down to the shelter of the tree growing in front of me.

Oh yes.  I’m thinking about a job.  Money is nice, but we are learning to survive on less.  We have TV, but not digital-HD.  We have a local phone, but we can’t call long distance on it, however people can call us from the mainland.   I thought I would have mixed feelings about being over here or be longing for the familiar mainland places.  Nope, not yet.  The kids are in Texas and Wyoming while our financially underwater homes are rented out in California.  Yes, I think I’m fine here for now.

Sure, I’ll get back on the train soon, join the work force, be a responsible citizen—but perhaps I’ll watch the clouds a little longer.   Now there may be one wispy sort of cloud  stuck in that little valley up there…better keep my eye on this.

Kalapaki These kids were having a great time!

Canoes at Kalapaki

How do you de-stress your life? If you don’t know, look for a way. Praying is the best, reading your Bible, and eating raw brownies–without the egg. Sometimes you can add an egg and cook the brownies if there is enough left!