We Love Hawaii.
This is a definite understatement. Anyone who’s recently perused our Facebook or Instagram feeds knows that we fell, head over slippahs in love with these islands since we landed here back in December. We spent two months or so running lots of races and island hopping. Then we settled down a bit and got a mere taste of what it’s like to really live in Hawaii and it’s a life we’re hesitant to let go of just yet.
What makes these islands so downright magical? While it’s a challenge to put into words, here’s our best shot.
Food
Typical plate lunch: pork katsu, kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, mac salad & rice
You can satisfy any palate here. For the vegan/locavore/raw-foodie, island grown avocados, papayas, apple bananas (the superior banana, IMHO) are as ubiquitous as the sunshine. On the opposite side of the spectrum, plate lunches brimming with mac salad, proteins galore, and not one but two scoops of rice are a gluttons dream come true. Oh, and don’t get us started on the malasadas. There are many bites to be had on this island that tug at our waistlines and leave us coming back for more.
Weather
Perfect running weather on the Ke Ala Hele Makalae in Kauai
It’s (insert any expletive) beautiful.. all the damn time. We’ve spent over four months on these islands, and can probably count on one hand the days there has been bad weather that can’t be escaped. If it’s raining where we are, sunshine can be found the next neighborhood over. Locals consider it freezing when it’s 68 degrees outside and if we ever do miss the snow (impossible!), it can be found here too.
Hawaii Problems
“Non-disappointing” rainbow sighting at Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island
There’s such a thing as a “disappointing rainbow.” Our friends from the North Shore first taught us this term as one of the few #HawaiiProblems. (Another one is – having a pineapple but no knife). We laughed at first, but there’s some truth to it. With the abundance of short rain showers and sunshine, rainbows are as common as rush hour traffic on the H1. While on a run or driving through town, we’ve definitely seen a rainbow and professed that it was too blurry or, better yet, couldn’t beat double rainbow from last week. Does this come across as spoiled? Absolutely. But it’s something that we’re well aware of and lucky to appreciate.
Aloha
Our new friend, Laurie, who we met when we stopped for lunch in Hawi on the way to the Pololu Valley. He is a former horse rancher from Colorado who relocated to the Big Island many years ago.
The aloha spirit is a real thing. It’s not just another word for “hello” or “goodbye,” it captures the essence of all the people we’ve met here. This article summarizes it best as it referenced the Hawaiian historian, Haleaka Iolani Pule who described aloha as the symbiotic relationship and an acknowledgement of that relationship you have with everything in the universe around you, and recognizing exactly what your space within that is.
The people we’ve met in Hawaii are genuinely warm and friendly. We’re constantly inspired by the generosity and spirit of all the new friends who’ve help to guide us on our journey. We’ve often made these connections while “talking story” at places as unpredictable as the Apple Store. It’s also illustrated with the fact that drivers hardly ever honk at each other. In New York, we don’t even make eye contact with other commuters on the subway. It just doesn’t happen. Talk about contrasts.
‘Aina
Hiking in Iao Valley State Park in Maui
The Hawaiian word ‘Aina translates to “land.” We’ve been fortunate to see many incredible landscapes all over the world, and Hawaii encompasses a wide variety of the jaw dropping ones. Screen saver worthy backdrops are everywhere from the snow-capped mountains of Mauna Kea, to the arid depths of the Haleakala crater, the lava spewing from the active Kilauea volcano, the knee-shaking cliffs of the Napali coast and the dazzling beaches that can be found almost everywhere.
Where It All Started
Waimea Bay on Oahu – one of our favorite beaches we visited together in August 2005
We met here over 10 years go. If its that’s not enough of a reason to believe this place is magical, we don’t know what is.
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Our initial plan was to leave at the end of February and we’ve since extended our trip three times. As the days pass by, it becomes harder and harder to say good-bye this place. When we leave in June, it will be with hearts full of gratitude, bellies full of malasadas, and souls full of Aloha.