ALOHA = The Breath Of God!
I have waited for several years to write about Hawaii in my blog for just one reason.
There is just no real way to fully describe the wonder of paradise.
This is a diverse culture with so many different types of customs, people, and social parameters from all over the world. The True Hawaiian natives are a passionate people who are very protective of their home. They share their paradise with tourist from every corner of the world and have the best attitude except when they encounter ungracious people. Soooo often I have seen people come to Hawaii expecting a certain thing and when they get here it is so much more than they ever thought or dreamed. Let me just tell you, if your image of Hawaii came from old Elvis Presley movies then, you are going to be disappointed. If your idea of an island is taken from reruns of Gilligan’s island, then you are in for a rude awakening. If you come to Hawaii thinking it’s all grass skirts and coconuts, then you have not done your research. The people here watch television, go to college, and live in homes just like everyone else on the mainland. Hawaii is America and even comes with the same compliment of Walmart stores.
The Napoli Coastline
Yes Hawaii is American but it has not been so for very long. There are still customs, which require strict attention. The word for hello, goodbye, and Love are the same word in Hawaiian - ALOHA. That should tell you something very important about the people of these great and beautiful islands. They are a loving and passionate people with a fierce desire to appreciate nature and family. They see others from around the world spending small fortunes to come to their home to relax and play. They see people of every level of wealth, on a daily basis, doing everything they can to get here to spend precious vacation time doing the same things they, as natives, have done their entire lives. They do not jump for anyone when called. They take their time to do most things and enjoy every aspect of life. If you are in a hurry to do anything in Hawaii then you did not schedule enough time to be there. If you spend so much money to fly to Hawaii then you should absolutely stay for at least two weeks and not rush the experience. Come to Hawaii but leave the stress on the plane. Wear your flip flops, sandals, water shoes, or no shoes at all, but leave the stress and aggravation on the plane. You are coming to Paradise and everything that it symbolizes.
Airports are notorious for causing a rise in blood pressure and a rise in stress levels, so plan carefully. Before your plane lands, take at least an hour to think about throwing off the things that weigh you down. Fold up the bills like a pair of pants and toss them aside. Think about what it will be like to wear only your swimsuit, but do also remember that there are some places in Hawaii where even the swimsuit is optional. Take off the pressure of work like a dirty shirt and toss it aside or hang it neatly for later, but definitely lose it. Do not allow yourself to be bothered by anything or to be in a hurry to get a taxi, get to the hotel, or get anywhere. You’ll get there. Walk slowly on purpose. Be patient with families traveling with small children. Take in the whole experience as if you were observing life for material in a new book you are writing. Notice details and appreciate the diversity of others without having an opinion. Certainly the girl with blue hair doesn’t care what you think, so why think anything except, ‘Oh, there’s a girl with blue hair.’ Wait in line without allowing an impatient attitude to cause you to fidget. By all means, you know that the lines at the airport are going to be long, so go early and at some point, have a glass of wine to calm your nerves. Some things will never change even if you have great wealth and can fly first class. There will always be a line.
I have learned these things after too many occasions wasting precious time having to rest from just the travel experience of home to airport, and then airport to hotel. I would end up having no energy because I had allowed those things to dictate my mood and thus destroying my vacation or new city experience. By the time I got through moving luggage, stumbling over small children, little old ladies who do nothing in a hurry, screaming babies, and smelly feet on airplanes, all I wanted to do was to get to my hotel room and sleep. Just thinking about this stuff, right at this moment, raises my anxiety levels.
In June of this year I decided to change me and see whether or not it would make a difference. I invested in a pair of headphones that cancel noise from my surroundings and put my favorite music to listen to, sleep to, and an audio book, onto my ipod. I started being physically active again about a month before my travel date so that I was smaller and had more energy. This allowed me to sit on the plane more comfortably and I wasn’t so bone weary in the end. I had a glass of wine on the plane, listened to my book, slept, ate, listened to my book again, dozed yet again, and before I knew it the flight was over and the crying baby did not bother me at all. The smelly feet I will never get over, but I had cologne in my bag and when that person was asleep I killed the deadly smelly.
Once I reached my destination, I took my time getting through customs and then getting to the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, I thought I would rest a bit but found I wasn’t really tired. I took a shower, wrote in my facebook about public restroom etiquette for men, and went for a 4 mile walk through the city. That would never have happened before.
COME TO HAWAII but leave the mess and stress on the plane. Bring your best ideas of what Paradise can be and you will find what you are looking for. Romance is alive here. Relationships can be rekindled as you make perfect memories under rainbow ensconced waterfalls. The white or black sand beaches will record your journey as they have done for lovers and friends for thousands of years. Witness the splendor of a living volcano, ski in the morning, surf in the afternoon, have the most beautiful orchids in the world shipped back to your home, to remind you of your experience. Know each other in paradise making memories that can only be spoken of by looking into each other’s eyes.
