Five Things I’m Loving About Life in Hawaii So Far

The coolest stuff to do is free.

It’s called the beach, and it costs nothing. And in Hawaii, no beach is private, so there’s none of that bougey resort-only crap. One day, Eaman and I decided to sit in Ala Moana Beach Park after running some errands, and we were thinking, “This is just what we do. Does it get any better?” Maybe Californians are used to this, but it’s certainly new to Eaman, who’s from landlocked Oklahoma and me, who’s from New Jersey. (No, I don’t like the Jersey Shore, nor do I care to legitimize it as a nice beach.) Of course there’s much more to do that we haven’t even gotten to do thanks to the recent spate of bad weather and my trip back home – like snorkeling in Hanuma Bay, visiting the cute town of Kailua and hikes galore – but we’re itching to get started. My friend Doug, who lives here, says that Hawaii is like college; it is what you make of it.

Everything.is.so.lush.

Flowers and fruit trees and palm leaves, oh my! It wasn’t until I went home to New Jersey and saw the barren, winter-plagued trees, that I realized how lucky I am to be surrounded by what’s basically a city-wide botanical garden. Funny Terrible how I was already taking it for granted after just a month here.

Things I see during my walk to work, which, I might add, is just a simple (but nice) residential neighborhood:

We’re far but we have family.

Since our move here, my cousin, Pratt, and her husband, Craig, have been nothing short of amazing. They’ve cooked us dinner, took us to cool events, introduced us to their friends, driven us around and are basically always there when we need them. We’re so lucky. And now my other cousin, Runjini, is moving to Honolulu in May! Seriously, what are the chances?

Craig’s stellar homemade sweet potato gnocchi:

The aloha spirit.

Speaking of my cousins’ generosity, the best part about being in Hawaii is experiencing what I’ve come to learn as the aloha spirit. It’s a bursting positivity, an eager willingness to help people and a kindness I’ve never before felt. I mentioned it here, but, again, I was totally shocked when we witnessed firsthand how sweet and generous people are here. I consider myself a nice person, but I sometimes don’t give as much as I could’ve. Being here is teaching me the value of extending a hand—and then some.

I know what you’re thinking: Well, duh, your cousin’s friends are nice to you. She can vouch for you! But even the bus drivers are amazing — always smiling, giving me detailed instructions and helping me get off at the correct stop. I love New York and do think it gets a bad rep in terms of kindness levels, but the bus drivers deserve that stereotype. They’re terrible. And mean. In Hawaii, it’s rare to come across someone who’s in a bad mood. Perhaps it’s the weather, but I do think it has a lot to do with the aloha spirit. Forget macadamia nuts; this is what I want to take from Hawaii.

This picture of a gecko outside of our screen door with the moon in the background.

I think he’s now living somewhere in our apartment.