Day 3: Hoʻoulu ʻĀina/Kōkua Kalihi Valley

 Another breakfast outside to start my day, followed by a fun walk/dance to the 7-Eleven to meet my carpool buddies. A new friend, Colten, listened to my playlist with me as we walked together, and they even grooved with me along the way! #dancelikenobodyiswatching

The Hoʻoulu ʻĀina/Kōkua Kalihi Valley is a gorgeous, 100-acre nature preserve and a truly sacred space. Our guide, Mo, led us in an introduction where we shared our three names: The name we go by, the name of what we call 'home,' and the name(s) of who we are bringing with us into the sacred space. The land went first (the land is called the ʻāina, and Mo shared an ancient name that was recently discovered) and presented to us some wind and a brief but significant rainfall.

I wore my 'Seneca Street' sunshirt, so I shared how Seneca Street and all the people there are my 'home'. I was so happy to have them with me. I also shared bringing my mom and dad, calling them by name to honor them and keep their memories alive: Miguel Angel and Aurora. I cried to speak their names, and I was grateful to be surrounded by the kindhearted, safe people in my cohort.

The land is so beautiful here. 

Beautiful Mountain Views

We spent a few hours cutting some invasive Alibiza trees (young ones) to make space for native plants to grow. Mo told us a beautiful story about a colleague who was cutting down all the alibiza trees with a vengeance, but then, one day, broke down crying. He recognized that we call these plants 'invasive,' but they did not travel on their own. They were brought here, likely without consent. And their lives are beautiful. And he was killing them all without honoring their beautiful lives. 

So he decided to honor their lives by harvesting these trees to carve canoes.

Canoes being carved from alibiza branches

We filled many bags with alibiza waste and felt accomplished when finished. Our closing Mahalo included some more gusts of wind, accompanied by the silencing of birdsong, as we listened to the land accept our 'Thank You' (

Our group with Mo after a day's work

I had a lovely time visiting with my cohort members -- sharing stories, laughing, and working together. We closed the workday sharing gratitude.

Afterward, we traveled to the University of Hawai‘i (UH) for lunch and the day's lesson. We broke bread, and I got to try some more native Hawaiian foods, including Hot Bread from Moloka‘i. It was delicious!

I was inspired to consider what kind of lesson I will create, one rooted in land and culture. This has been on my mind and was causing anxiety, as I feel so ill-equipped to think of something. But after listening to my colleagues with their ideas of math in nature, the lesson started to take shape, and I am excited to iron out the details over the next few months.

I walked home from UH with Colten, but instead of lazing at the beach tonight with Maddie, I decided to laze at the house, in the backyard pool. No rain today (like yesterday), but there were some storm clouds rolling in, offering a much-needed break from the sun.

Tomorrow I will be on the Ocean in a boat. I've already taken a dose of Dramamine to stave off water sickness. Four more days, and it may finally hit me that I'm moving to Hawai‘i for real.

Traffic will be heavy while we are on the road. I am so grateful I am not driving!

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