I moved to Hawaii 17 years ago, fresh out of graduate school and ready to take on the world. I was 22 and had spent my entire life in the Boston area, not once dreaming of Hawaii. Everything changed when I met the love of my life, Jason. He was a kind, fun loving, laid back guy that was as obsessed with surfing as I was. We had an instant connection and it didn’t take much to convince me to take the leap of fatih and move 1000s of miles from home to live the island life!
It was the biggest decision of my life at that time and completely heart led. On paper it didn’t make a lot of sense to move so far from home. I barely knew this surfer guy, although I had secured a job I was leaving one of the best areas in the country for anyone in a medical profession, I was nowhere near a single family member and I had barely enough money to last until my first paycheck 6 weeks away, let alone the fact I was literally moving to a place a barely knew anything about. At the same time, in my gut it felt absolutely like the exact thing I should do and that was all it took to land me on a little island in the middle of the Pacific.
Sitting here now, I am so grateful I made that leap of faith. Hawaii will forever be part of who I am and has shaped me into the person I am today.
That surfer boy never left my side. We explored the islands high and low together, traveled, relaxed, worked hard, moved more times than I’d like to count, weathered many highs and lows together, started our family and surfed… A LOT!
When you have lived in the islands for a long time it seeps into your being and brings with it a reverence for nature, community and respect for the gifts the islands provide.
Here are the 6 things I will miss the most about island life…
The deep sense of safety. It’s like your in a little bubble, there’s only so far any one can go and it provides a deep sense of security. Yes, there is still crime and violence but not like other places. I never felt unsafe in all my years. I often left locks unlocked and allowed my girls to roam further than I might otherwise have done had I not felt so secure.
The air. Hawaii has some of the cleanest air on earth. For years I have had such minimal allergies that I often forgo my routine treatments. It catches up to me from time to time but if I could bottle the air in Hawaii I would. The gentle warm breeze with the scent of plumeria and gardenias that gently embraces you is like nothing else in the world.
The thrill of sliding onto a wave in the warm Hawaiian waters. Gliding and carving, swooshing and splashing. There is nothing like surfing in Hawaii. Over the glassy water, seeing the turtles and fish below, the warm sun on your back. Oh will I miss the easy drives to the beach, pulling my board out of my car, feeling the cool sand on my toes and sliding into the ocean. No wetsuits to wrestle, just pure island magic!
The pace of life. Being on island time just jives with my soul. It took me years to truly understand and feel comfortable with the slowness of life, but it has become part of me now. Coming from the East coast, things in Hawaii can feel infuriatingly slow but you know what comes with slowness, enjoyment, care, humility and respect. What’s the rush in life? I intend to remain on island time…
The people. The sense of community within a diverse melting pot of cultures is remarkable. Perhaps it is the endearing terms of “auntie” and “uncle” instead of “m’am” and “sir”. But I think it goes deeper. People look out for each other. They care deeply for the well being of their neighbors and the keiki (children). There is a sense of being in life together rather than in opposition or competition. There is a deep reverence for culture, respect, humility and kindness. It’s a beautiful thing that I only pray we can find as we travel beyond Hawaii.
Finally, I will truly and deeply miss the ability to wake up, year round and go barefoot. Over the last several months I have been thinking about this a lot. I’ve determined that I will just have to deal with having really cold feet for a period of time each day… but I am committed to continuing to ground and connect with nature EVERY DAY!
There are countless things I will miss about Hawaii and I’m sure more will come to me in the coming days, weeks and months. At the end of the day, I feel deep in my heart that my time in Hawaii was a beautiful chapter of my life but it is time for the next chapter and the next adventure. In fact, as I write today I feel the same giddy excitement about embarking on what we have come to call our “big adventure” as I did when I first arrived in Hawaii. It is with this feeling that I know good things beyond my wildest dreams are on the horizon.
It for sure isn’t goodbye to Hawaii but rather until we meet again!
Aloha,
Hilary
PS… if you would like to follow along as we embark on our “big adventure” please follow me on Instagram @iamhilaryvalentine
