aloha every day

aloha every day

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Are you my mother?

Well, we've done it.
As if life couldn't get any cuter,
we've been chosen by the neighborhood hummingbird
as the safe-house
to bring these guys to life:
In a primal way,
I am honored.
Mama bird, 
I will do my best to keep you all safe here at our casa.
Welcome to our ohana!


aloha.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Take it to the limit


A few days ago, 
Hubs and I attended the
(Yes, my friends....that's Tom Carroll)

SO, VERY RIGHT-UP-OUR-ALLEY

I'm talkin' 
Great Greek Food
Free "Adult Beverages" 
Surf Art EVERYWHERE
Live Music
Ocean-Minded People
and
Surf Films. . . all night long


It felt like HOME to me.
Similar elements coexisted on a daily basis 
throughout our island life.
Surrounded by such things on-island, I found my joy and my peace.
After moving off-island, 
I've had a "hole in my soul". . .
that was just filled up by the fabulous surf community of SD.

One of the films, "Mike Coots", was centered on adaptive surfing, 
and this Special Education teacher couldn't have been more thrilled! So many memories flooded my head...watching my students catch waves has been one of the TOP highlights of my career.  Hands DOWN. 
(um, hello! The World Adaptive Surfing Championship will be held in SD this coming September! I'm calling one of my previous students to see if he and his family can come out for this! Ahhh!)


In another film, 
surfer Chris Bertish describes his journey through Big Wave Surfing.
My biggest take-away from the night came from a scene showing him training with a championship free-diver.  
She (the diver) was explaining the difference between 
capabilities and limits.

Capabilities are the range of our individual abilities...
the "you can do anything that you set your mind to do."
Limits are what we must understanding about ourselves in order to fully explore our capabilities as individuals.

Still with me?
Let's use Chris as an example.
He was learning the signs that the body gives as it is shutting down due to lack of oxygen underwater.
As a Big Wave Surfer,
the chance that he would be held underwater for a lengthy period of time was 100%.
SO...in order to explore his capabilities, 
he first had to learn his limits.

This got me to thinking:
HOW OFTEN DO I LET MY FEAR OF THE LIMIT
PREVENT ME FROM EXPLORING MY CAPABILITIES?

HEAVY.

Then, my mind went back to the previous film (adaptive surfing).
I thought about my previous students who participated in adaptive surfing.  Many times, the reality of their "dis"ability forced the truth about their limits.  They learned (and many times fully accepted) this truth early in life.  
I'm talking 3rd graders, here people.  
They are truly "living" by 
knowing their limits and exploring their capabilities.
What incredible leaders they are in this life.
'Tis why I do what I do every day for a "profession."
I learn SO MUCH from the beautiful souls who pass through my door.  

It's definitely time to follow Chris' lead.
Fully understand my limit,
and then explore my capabilities.

Is that the key to life?
For the adventurous soul,
it just may be!

aloha.
(This was the sunset last night from our backyard. . .
Hawai'i style orange clouds!)

Saturday, May 9, 2015

The Most Lengthy Post on Kaua'i EVAH

We finally made it back!
Can you hear the desperation in that 
finally?

We hadn't been back to the islands in 2 1/2 years.
My heart was starting to dry out so badly
that I had dreams about
floating in the Hawai'ian ocean...
but not just floating...
being surrounded,
womb-like
in the most comfortable, temperate, clear ocean
EVAH!

So back we went.
As quickly as we could.
Back to our favorite spot:
KAUA'I

**If you click on the photos, you can see them larger**
On our first morning, I hoarded plumerias:

We walked around and took in all of the colors and scents...
so familiar, yet so far away
Gosh dang it...don't we look happy!?! 

I took this pic for my students, 
just to see if they knew what it was:
They Did!  There is hope in this world.

Hanalei Bay...
We got stuck here...
...put our toes in the sand,
enveloped ourselves in the ocean,
and happily couldn't figure out how to leave.

Where's WaldoNick?


..and let's talk about rain.
Not California rain.
Hawai'i rain:
abundant, warm, nourishing
RAIN!
Rain that makes waterfalls flow:


 
We spent 95% of our days here, only returning to our condo to restock the cooler.

Here's a fun beach game for you: 
Draw a circle quadrant in the sand.
Then, throw rocks into the quadrant and score points for the quadrant your rock lands in.
Fun stuff, people.



We ventured out to a very special beach one day.
This incredible paradise was shared with us by a friend who is dear to us.  He was working to keep it sacred, both for the local people and local fauna.  Unfortunately, it is starting to show up in tour books/websites...and no, I will not tell you the name ;)







No way. Sharks live there? Really? ;) 


One of the best ways to travel to Kaua'i on a budget is to stay in a rental with a kitchen.  We cooked 95% of our food instead of going to restaurants.  
Fresh fish and local produce. Every day.
BAM!
 





The sunsets!
Oh! The sunsets!


We also hiked to Hanakapiai Falls...
and swam underneath the falls...
holy bucket list!
Can you see why people illegally live along this hike?

This is my favorite pic of the trip:
Passiflora:

Back to Hanalei Bay
(and the most handsome man alive):
What's he looking at?  Only the most beautiful sunset EVAH:

Now let's discuss orange clouds.
You know, the kind you only find in the Hawai'ian sunset.
My version of heaven has orange Hawai'ian clouds.
Just sayin'
Cue Alexi Murdoch's "Orange Sky"

Oh yeah! We also paddle boarded for the first time.
Yee-haw!




If you are still reading at this point in this ridiculously long love story of a post, 
you must be feeling the pull.
You need to GO.
GO TO HANALEI.
Do not pass go.
Do not collect $100.
GO TO HANALEI.
Stop buying unneeded stuff.
Save your money and 
GO TO HANALEI.
aloha.