Week 8: Haʻahaʻa (Humility)

I got to visit Lēʻahi (a.k.a. Diamond Head), and it was so beautiful, I cried a little.

The view from the top of the Lēʻahi crater

This week, Hawai‘i is teaching me haʻahaʻa (humility).

Not like, "how to be more humble," but more like, "how to move forward in spite of uncertainty."

Work: I am needing to pivot and use a new (to me) platform to adapt my first ethnomathematics lesson for asynchronous classes. Plan A didn't work. Plan B was better but still didn't work like I want it to. So, here we go, Plan C. Completely outside my comfort zone and I'm not even sure it's going to work! 🤪

Check out the lesson here

Personal: Ironically, I am currently working with my therapist on 'avoidance' — why I avoid things, examining my thoughts and emotions, and determining whether my concerns are backed by evidence (spoiler alert: they aren't.)

Cycle of Avoidance - talk about humbling...

Life: And then there's Lala, my first tropical storm (hurricane?). It should hit the Big Island on Saturday and will pass south of O‘ahu (where I am), but the College sent out the following warning: "While the other islands may not be in the direct path of the storm, strong winds, rain and high surf can extend hundreds of miles from its center." So on Thursday, after a beautiful hike to Lēʻahi (a.k.a. Diamond Head), I stopped at the store to get a flashlight, batteries, and some drinking water. I also grabbed some peanut M&Ms (don't judge me).

As a teacher, there is something beautiful about these lessons of haʻahaʻa. I am always asking students to embrace uncertainty and celebrate struggle. Now I get to practice that myself...
In every.aspect.of.my.life. 😅

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Below are some more fun pics from my Lēʻahi hike!

Lēʻahi is a crater of the Koʻolau Volcano and a site of reverence and cultural significance. A sacred place, it is a burial ground for chiefs and royalty, and is linked to the goddess Hiʻiaka.

The haole name "Diamond Head" came from sailors mistaking calcite crystals found in the area for diamonds, which led to nicknames of Diamond Hill or Kaimana Hila.

The beginning of the trail at the bottom of the crater.

About half-way to the top

Made it!

Beautiful view. How could I not cry?

It's not windy at all...

Who knew the Bisbee stairs would end up being a training ground for this adventure?

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A Saturday delight! With the impending Tropical Storm Lala coming ashore, Captain Ben decided to remove all of the tarps from Hawai‘iloa. So I got to see him in all of his glory!!!

Super grateful for this special treat!

Yes, drydock volunteering canceled for the day. No, I was not disappointed at all. It was a beautiful day and, if I had learned about the cancelation, I would've missed out on seeing this gorgeous vessel!

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I'm also gonna share (with humility) doodles I've done since I got here. I was encouraged by my sister Rita to share them... If you recall from my "Learning a Little Hawaiian" post in May, I've been using the "Hawaiian Word of the Day" to expose myself to the Hawaiian language and as a prompt to draw a little daily doodle for fun. I find the coloring part very therapeutic — Highly recommend!

Hawaiian Words + Doodles

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