Week in Paradise

It has been about two weeks since I experienced the breathtaking waters of Hawaii. I would've blogged about this the week I was back, but I was still taken away by the beauty of the place I couldn't even put it in words. For starters, I have never seen the ocean. So the first time I got to experience that was in Maui. All I can say was I fell in love. Not only with the ocean, but with the food, the culture, and the people there. Oh god the people. Never in my life I have met such welcoming and happy people.

For some of you that don't know, Hawaii is an awfully expensive place. You would think eight bucks for a gallon of milk is just absurd on the mainland, but in Hawaii that is their norm. The people I met there were not the richest either. As a matter of fact, a lot of the families there were considered to be in poverty (data wise), and lived in really old homes that they fixed up to their taste. There was also a considerable amount of homeless, and it wasn't because they had to be, it was because they chose to be.

I met a Hawaiian native named Ke’ale who dropped out of school to live off the land and surf. I'm not going to lie, when he told me this I thought he was stupid and was never going to be actually happy because he would have no source of income. He was one of the happiest guys I've ever met. When Ke’ale, Lilly, and I walked around the Lahaina strip, everyone knew him and greeted him with a smile. He talked about how the people from the mainland were so different mentally than the people that lived the island life. I didn't actually see this till I came back and really saw the difference in people's attitudes. Especially where they seek their happiness.

In Hawaii, the people didn't care about how your hair looked. No one had their hair done, nails done, or even make up. Being the girl that loves false eyelashes and teasing my hair, I definitely felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I adjusted within two days of being there, and found that I look fine without all the make-up, and I don't have to style my hair everyday. I guess here on the mainland you'd say I'm lazy. But this is exactly what I'm talking about! The change in people you see when you change environments is so astonishing to me. When I'm here and not in Hawaii, I noticed people lust after money, looks, and a degree. In Hawaii, I observed something I feel is more beautiful. The people there lusted after happiness in a less mainstream way.  People that worked a 12 dollars an hour job, lived in a broken down house, and ten minutes away from the beach (must I add), seemed a dozen times happier than the people that stressed out over having money, the latest ‘prada’, the nicest house, and the newest car.

I believe everyone should visit an island at least once in their lifetime, not at an expensive resort, or on a cruise, but actually stay in a small local area. Go through that humbling experience that I went through. It was extraordinary and I hope to be back there soon.