Ana's Hawai‘ian Adventures 🌺

This week, I got to ho‘okipa Daryl, filling this home with deep aloha and joy. Sharing some of my life from the past weeks was a delight: the morning swims, mālama the gardens ( Week 5 ), catching the bus (including getting lost and serendipitously happening upon unexpected treasures), playing with some of my O‘ahu PicklePals ( Week 4 ), learning with a walking tour of Downtown Honolulu (DoHo) ( Week 4 ), sampling yummy malasadas ( Day 4 ), and watching Patrick perform at a fantastic Thai restaurant ( Week 11 ).  We also got enjoy new adventures together: like surfing Waikīkī , snorkeling in Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, attending live theater , celebrating Daryl's 68th birthday at an iconic  restaurant , and stumbling on a DoHo Night Market with food trucks, vendors, and local performers.  Daryl arrived on Tuesday evening! Here's a photo dump of all of the fantastic memories we made this week! My Seneca Peeps sent birthday wishes for Daryl and also an alarming image ...

This week, Hawai‘i invites me to celebrate hoʻomau (to persist or continue).  Hurricane Lowell hit the westernmost islands of the state of Hawai‘i on Monday/Tuesday. For me, it meant being prepared for tropical-storm-level winds and rain. Hurricane Lala taught me that may mean loss of power, so I let the refrigerator food run towards empty to avoid food waste.  hoʻomau Image of Lowell from a news report The storm also meant my virtual class meeting was canceled as schools and other businesses closed to help keep everyone safe and at home. Assignments were still due, but we had to pivot and record our previously-scheduled live presentations.  hoʻomau My presentation Concerned I would be stuck inside due to rains and winds, I went for a walk on Monday to Waikīkī. The clouds and wind were beautiful. No rain, but more gusty winds and a gray sky the longer I walked, so I headed home before actually reaching the beach. At home, my neighbor was swimming, even in the sprinkling r...

This week, I noticed that I am pretty isolated here. I spend most of my days on my own. My friend asked if I was lonely, and I replied, "I don’t think so. Just alone a lot. But I’m good company 😅." This week, Hawai‘i is teaching me the blessing of luana : to live in comfort and ease, be content, and enjoy pleasant surroundings or company.  Alone or with others, my life is full, and I am so happy to share my Hawaiian adventures with you - thanks for reading! I started the week with a lovely visit to Waikīkī to watch the Sun set with Ben. Sunset on Waikīkī  It seems like the Universe knew it would be good for my soul to be around people because my Monday PicklePals took me out to dinner, the University of Hawai‘i (UH) hosted three events I attended (with so many people!), and got to see my neighbor (a musician) perform at a local restaurant. ♥️ The UH resource fair (postponed due to Lala ) was scheduled in conjunction with Queen Lili‘uokalani's birthday. They presented res...