Hawaii has been a small part of my life for a long as I can remember. Starting when I was five, my family would vacation on Oahu on a fairly frequent basis. While this may sound glamorous…it was not...which made it even more perfect. One of the many, many, many perks of having a parent in the Air Force is the ability to fly from base to base on one of the military planes. I doubt my parents found this to be quite as charming as I did because these planes are not intended for passengers in any way. The bucket seats are far from comfortable and the noise was deafening. For a kid though (and honestly maybe even now) it was the most exciting experience I had ever had. I have flown in a C-5, C-141 and KC-10 (which was the plane my Dad piloted most of his career). I wish I could remember this better, but I only have vague recollections of sliding around the bed of the cargo deck with my brother and how loud it was during flight. The most memorable part of flying with the Air Force was watching the Blue Angels refuel over the Pacific. I thought the glass panel on the floor of the plane was actually a gaping hole and was naturally afraid I would plunge to my death if I got near it. My Dad loving solved this problem by tossing me onto the glass. Once I got past my heart attack, I was able to sit and watch the boom operator refuel one of the most iconic aviation teams.
On Oahu we would stay at Bellows AFS, which was an active air field during WWII but is now only used for training and a vacation spot for military personnel. The bungalows have been renovated but…it’s still base housing and might be considered cringe worthy to some. Staying 50 feet from the best private beach on the island made up for this in every way.
Looking back over the years, I can see the changes in myself reflected in the ways I spent my time on these trips. As a child it was all about adventure; catching crabs at night, golfing with my dad, swimming all day, getting stung by jelly fish numerous times…fun stuff. In my early teens I just wanted to sit on the beach and read all day long, so my family left me to go hiking and exploring while I was a beach bum. Now, I wish I had gone with them more often. In my late teens, I did not want to stay on Bellows…I wanted to be in Waikiki where there was action and nightlife, restaurants and shopping. I would beg for a few days at the Hale Koa-a military hotel and still one of my favorite hotels to this day. I wanted to spend the days surfing on Waikiki beach and my nights wandering the international market place.
Now, being the ancient woman that I am, the crowds, tourists and traffic on Oahu bother me. I do not want to go anywhere near Honolulu; I want to explore and experience things other people cannot. This is when I discovered the joys of the Big Island. One of my best friends in all the world moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in the Spring of 2015. I made my first trip out to see her in July and fell in love with this island mostly due to her influence. Together, Jessica and I have the wildest adventures, greatest accidents and most laughable catastrophes. This is my third trip to Hawaii since she has moved here and each time we have spent every moment of our days exploring and adventuring; we hike all morning, swim all afternoon, fall into countless mishaps and end each day exhausted and happy. Jessica is the one who taught me that the best way to experience a beautiful place is to immerse yourself completely, not sit on the beach with a book and observe from a distance.
Tonight, Jessica and I took a walk through the neighborhood I am staying in. It was the kind of night that I wish I could bottle up, save and savor for many years to come. There are times in life where I can look back and feel the moment rather than just remember it…I hope that this is one of those times. I don’t want to forget the sweet, delicate smell of Plumaria that surrounded me. The dense atmosphere that cradled me. Most of all, I don’t want to forget the soft, warm caress of the wind as it called me to adventure, yet soothed my soul at the same time. I stood and just let the wind wash over me, trying to feel each wisp against my skin and it truly made the evening magical. Perhaps it is the warmth and humidity, but the breeze felt thick; it made me feel alive and optimistic but also grounded and reminded me to savor each moment I have. I have such a bad habit of constantly thinking about what I need to be doing in the future that I miss the beauty of what I am doing in the present. Taking in those deep breaths of heavily scented air, I was able to focus on the exquisiteness that surrounded me and appreciate everything I had right then and not worry about what needed to happen for the rest of the night, week, month or my life.
I love that this island brings out my sense of adventure and exploration. I love spending time with my friend. I love this phase of life I am in that allows for such experiences.
