Hawaii – the True Beauty of the Aloha Spirit

As I fly hour after hour to get back home, I always find myself restless and out of sorts in leaving Hawaii but among those sad feelings, there is the silver lining of gratitude that gives me the greatest pleasure.  I am so thankful for my friends and for the true spirit of Hawaii that I see in its people.  It’s true – everyone there really IS nicer.  From the lady who rushed to make my sandwich so I wouldn’t miss my flight to complete strangers that I run into around town.  It’s built into their DNA and after about a day of being there, I also start to shed my East coast restlessness, my haole directness,and fall into Hawaiian Standard Time which is a mélange of a giving spirit, patience, and happiness.  It’s most base quality is appreciating the beauty around us and truly loving your friends like they were your own family.

Recently CNN did a poll about how “nasty” we Americans are becoming – a bi-product no doubt of our partisan politics.  I am proud to say that that “nastiness” has not yet crossed over the Pacific into the peaceful islands of Hawaii that still bask in the Aloha spirit.  This is not to say you can’t find sweet or nasty anywhere in the world….I guess part of it is what you look for when you are there.  What do you expect to find, in New York, Paris, or Mumbai versus Honolulu?  Perhaps that is the secret to Hawaii.  How many people who go to Hawaii go in a bad mood?  How long can a bad day last when the cerulean blue ocean is just minutes away from any location?

Sometimes I wonder, why do I love Hawaii so much and this trip, more than any others in the past, gave light to that love.  Of course each visit of mine is a combination of good times, laughter, and a whisper of nostalgia from my days of living in Hawaii.  Whether it is dinner at Roy’s feasting on the freshest seafood or browsing the sinful boutiques at Ala Moana, or sipping cocktails at Pearl; it is the people that I enjoy the most!  Most travel to Hawaii to behold the sparkling blue ocean, the majestic mountains, and wrap themselves in the perfect weather every day.  For me, however, the panoramic beauty of the islands is easily superseded by the beauty of the intrinsic Aloha spirit of my closest friends and instantly feeling kama’aina the minute I land.