Aloha means Goodbye too.

As make a few preparations to leave Hawaii again, I reflect on my past four and a half months here on Oahu. When I arrived here on Christmas day, my thoughts were, "this is NOT Maui but at least it's close" and felt like this would probably be a short visit.

After I had been here for a couple of months, I actually began to enjoy it while I steadily complained about the traffic and the same time tried to be proficient in negotiating it. I saw the rugged beauty of the North Shore and East Side as well as the ugliness of Waikiki. I watched the sunrise along the Ala Wai canal and stood on Kuhio Beach and watched the sun set. I passed Pearl Harbor daily and visited Chinatown for the New Year. I stayed on the 15th floor of hotels and dived the depths of the Pacific. Most importantly, I've forged deep relationships here that will stay with me for a lifetime.

My business life was centered in the Aiea/Pearl City area and slowly realized I was being pulled deeper into the culture and love of the people here.

Each weekend, I found myself becoming less and less of a tourist or visitor (if that be possible) and went out to learn the heart of this place. I picked the brain of my co-worker for tidbits and curiosities and talked story with clients who could understand me perfectly while I struggled to process their Pidgin phrases. I met shop keepers and hotel bellmen who had come here from somewhere else on their quest for a life adventure and greater understanding of the world and what it has to offer. This culture is deep and complicated and I have not even scratched the surface.

As an old Heinz 57 Caucasian, I was pretty much a minority almost everywhere I visited and began to see bronze colored complexions and puffy Asian eyes as quite the norm. In a curious way, I felt a little self conscious about my deep set eyes, long nose and super white skin that seemed make me stand out like a neon sign.

I'll fly out of here Friday night on my way back to Louisiana and may prove to be quite adjustment period as I get back being comfortable being all white and nerdy.

Buh-bye west Oahu, I'll miss you.

Rounding Third, Headed For Home

Saturday, I realized my time here in Honolulu was slipping away so I took one last turn around the island, checking out the east side, north shore and driving directly into some towns I knew were there but never had driven into, like Mililani. Darlene, my wife, had already admitted she was having "withdrawals" from the two times she had visited me here and is desperate to return, so in some respects the last drive was really for her.

The weekend before, I'd driven through Kapolei and turned north to drive along the west coast up through Waianae to the very end of the paved part of Farrington Highway. It had been reported that this was not a part of Oahu I needed to be traveling in but decided to go anyway. This end of Oahu has it's own beauty and reminded me much of west Maui but unfortunately, I completely forgot to bring my camera (if that's believable).

At this point, I have one more week to prepare my mind for the departure. I've done this over and over again in Florida, California, Alaska and a dozen other places but this has been the longest tour out without a break, (other than a quick weekend at Easter) so it will be a little tougher to say goodbye.