Wow. Let's just say wow. It is 10am, and my kids are still asleep because they still are on Hawaii time. I think I still have sand in my hair. I couldn't fall asleep last night because I couldn't hear the ocean. I didn't know what to have for breakfast because we don't have fresh papaya on the counter. I wanted to walk to the grocery store this morning...barefoot. My typing is really bad because i haven't touched a keyboard in two weeks. I am looking for rainbows out of my office window. We had to buy Ian new crocks before getting on the plane because they were too small...but we didn't realize it until then because he hadn't worn shoes all week. I can't smell plumerias outside my front door. There is no ocean breeze to keep the hair out of my face. My husband is leaving for work right now, and I had to remind him to put a shirt on. There was no rooster to wake me up this morning. And I may not make complete sense yet...Red-eye flights with toddlers and a four hour time difference takes a while to adjust. But then, so does coming home from a tropical paradise.
I could write novels about our trip, but here is the abridged version:
We stayed on the North Shore of Oahu for two weeks for a family reunion on my husband's side (benefits of my husband's parents) and RELAXED. We also did a lot of this
and every day, my eyes were filled with images of this
If the North Shore is a familiar place to you, then the words Ted's bakery, Giovani's shrimp, Sunset Beach, Wiamaia Bay, Ke Nui road, Chocolate Haupia pie, Huuala Korean BBQ, PCC, Rosalani ice cream, Turtle Bay, Sharks Cove, giant sea turtles, beached seals, rainbows, liquid sunshine, Motsumotos, Kua Aina, slow driving, malasadas, lychee, kuhuku land farms, red raiders, and sunset surfing are words you don't ever want erase from your daily vocabulary.
There is nothing like watching your children fall in love with the sand and the ocean. Especially when I have 50 years of history on this Island, it makes me so happy that my kids are creating memories of sand and sea. Addie cried all the way to the airport " I don't want to leave Hawaii alone!!!!" Oh, we cried with her. The land and ocean here speak to me, and teaches me how to just "BE". The people here are beautiful because they are so open and genuine and take care of eachother. Remembering these things is always the challenge when I come back from this place, but I am determined to carry the ALOHA spirit...even in a world full of deadlines and filled-to-the-brim living.
But, now we are BACK!!! and as sad as I was to leave my favorite place on earth, I am really excited to show you all the exciting projects I have ahead. Two weeks of a vacation is long when you are soul owner of a business...but can I tell you: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! I am refreshed, renewed and rejuvinated. I can't wait to dive into all the ideas I have flooding.
So...thanks for checking in, and sorry for the pause. But come back, pull up a chair and have a chat. Lots of new exciting things in the works. Hope to see you around!
