Revitalized

There is no way for me to describe the feeling of being home … I didn’t realize it until I was sitting in a living room after an epic day of surfing and exploring remote beaches of Oahu and stumbling upon wildlife along the way with some of my best friends. 

We were sitting around the table, not saying much, but I was completely content. I have done a lot of introducing, explaining, and proving myself over the past eight months … I was overcome with the feeling of how incredibly nice it was to just be, to know my friends love me without me even having to try. 

I spent three weeks back on Oahu, reconnecting, not only with myself, but with an understanding of how special Hawaii is. Even since I moved here almost six years ago, I have noticed an enhanced appreciation for traditional cultural practices, a push to get back to living in a way that can sustain the people who call these islands home, while protecting the unique and beautiful environment that provides for this possibility. Encountering three monk seals in less than a week, coming across half a dozen native forest plant species in abundance above one of the most developed parts of the island, and discovering a plethora of reef fishes in a nearly decimated reef environment off of Waikiki served to solidify my awe of the resilience of natural systems.

 Combined with my chance to work in a lo’i and to witness the receipt of the Hokulea in Kailua, these were all a part of an experience that has both given me hope for Hawaii and inspired my belief that there is a lot that can be learned from this place.  It is a powerful testament to Nature’s many networks, as well as the integral role we play in them all.