Missing the magic of the Islands ...
I've been home now a total of 3 and a half days and am having a hard time transitioning back to life here on the "mainland" , as Hawaiian islanders would say, longing for the smells of the hibiscus and ginger and salty ocean and the abundance of beauty everywhere and in everything, including the people. While I know, even more fully now, that this is the place I will live in the future, there's just no question, it's this interim period of re-adjusting that is most challenging. I'm really exhausted from the time difference/jet lag and have jumped right back to work -- mostly out of necessity, given that we were away for a little over 2 weeks and ain't nobody payin me vacation time (the downside of self-employment). I have, however, thoroughly enjoyed giving out gifts and souvenirs --- esp. to my clients who are so appreciative and genuinely grateful for any little trinket I may bring back from my travels. It's wonderful to share a piece of this amazing moment in time with others and I also look forward to sending some special gifts to my LJ friends afar, to be able to share something that has had my energy to be joined with theirs and more solidly create a connection across the miles.
I had some amazing adventures on this trip, even some things I have never encountered or done before; there are 3 which stand out for me :
- snorkeling on Tunnels beach in Kauai (mostly known to locals and camping folk) and having a face-to-face interaction with a shark ! Yeah, I panicked a bit, almost shit myself, but tried to remain calm, lay flat and then got outta there with as much dignity as I could muster with the help of my partner ! Realized afterwards that it was probably a baby nurse shark (it was about 3 and a half feet), which are harmless, but it was a bit unexpected and threw me off !
- snorkeling at Honaunau Bay on the Big Island and being taken totally by surprise by schools of dolphin who happened to be passing through that day and stayed to play ! Oh. My. God. It was so breath-taking and so beautiful -- I found myself gliding through the water, losing myself in following them, watching them surface and jump and spin above the water and then gracefully descending to the depths again -- it was like nothing you'd ever encounter in one of those god-awful planned excursions with dolphins in captivity (I will NEVER do anything like that, esp. not after having the real deal in their natural setting) When I can get the underwater pics developed and put on disk digitally, I'll try to have some of these on an LJ cut.
- lastly, taking a helicopter for 4, over the volcanos on the Big Island -- in particular, over the grande Madame Pele, as she was errupting and watching the lava flow below us and then seeing it flow in the ocean and watching the steam as it hit the water. Spectacular.
The whole trip was incredible and amazing and we spent the first week in Kauai with our beautiful friends, B & D, who were on their first trip to Hawaii and were awestruck and overcome -- as most people are when they are face to face with this lush place. We spent an amazing first day at the Waimea Canyon (the grand canyon of Hawaii) and on B's 40th, we were rafting along the Na Pali Coast which was so majestic and amazing. We laughed and laughed til we cried and until I peed myself a bit (the joke for B and I !) An incredible part of this first week was to be with D as she snorkeled for the very first time and overcame tremendous fears she had of the water - it was such a beautiful moment and one not to be forgotten for a long time.
I guess I've rambled long enough .... for now. There's so much more to share and I'll do that in later posts along with some great pics.
Back to the reality of work and life here in the big city ...
Aloha !
I had some amazing adventures on this trip, even some things I have never encountered or done before; there are 3 which stand out for me :
- snorkeling on Tunnels beach in Kauai (mostly known to locals and camping folk) and having a face-to-face interaction with a shark ! Yeah, I panicked a bit, almost shit myself, but tried to remain calm, lay flat and then got outta there with as much dignity as I could muster with the help of my partner ! Realized afterwards that it was probably a baby nurse shark (it was about 3 and a half feet), which are harmless, but it was a bit unexpected and threw me off !
- snorkeling at Honaunau Bay on the Big Island and being taken totally by surprise by schools of dolphin who happened to be passing through that day and stayed to play ! Oh. My. God. It was so breath-taking and so beautiful -- I found myself gliding through the water, losing myself in following them, watching them surface and jump and spin above the water and then gracefully descending to the depths again -- it was like nothing you'd ever encounter in one of those god-awful planned excursions with dolphins in captivity (I will NEVER do anything like that, esp. not after having the real deal in their natural setting) When I can get the underwater pics developed and put on disk digitally, I'll try to have some of these on an LJ cut.
- lastly, taking a helicopter for 4, over the volcanos on the Big Island -- in particular, over the grande Madame Pele, as she was errupting and watching the lava flow below us and then seeing it flow in the ocean and watching the steam as it hit the water. Spectacular.
The whole trip was incredible and amazing and we spent the first week in Kauai with our beautiful friends, B & D, who were on their first trip to Hawaii and were awestruck and overcome -- as most people are when they are face to face with this lush place. We spent an amazing first day at the Waimea Canyon (the grand canyon of Hawaii) and on B's 40th, we were rafting along the Na Pali Coast which was so majestic and amazing. We laughed and laughed til we cried and until I peed myself a bit (the joke for B and I !) An incredible part of this first week was to be with D as she snorkeled for the very first time and overcame tremendous fears she had of the water - it was such a beautiful moment and one not to be forgotten for a long time.
I guess I've rambled long enough .... for now. There's so much more to share and I'll do that in later posts along with some great pics.
Back to the reality of work and life here in the big city ...
Aloha !