Absent is what my writting was.

One thing I've learned in the past 2 years of living in over 6 places, I must appreciate whatever and where ever I am. If the beach is just a 5 min walk from my bedroom, then I should do midnight swims, dinner at the beach, and relax in the sound of the waves. If I have an ever changing flux of foreign housemates, I should "visit" these countries by talking with them. And if I have 4 lilikoi vines(passion fruit) at my disposal, I should be eating, juicing, and canning them! 

When I moved to O'ahu this January, I wanted so much for it to be a positive experience. I guess it also helped that I would be here for over a year. Settling in was a must if I was going to survive and thrive. I'd come to a frame of mind similar to the saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." See, in my limited mind, I really thought the Big Island was the only island I would ever wish to live. Hence, making lemonade out of living here was more of how I envisioned my time on O'ahu. Upon getting here (O'ahu) I earnestly looked for opportunities to be content where I was at, as wishful thinking of home (the Big Island) only made for sour attitudes and defeat long before any battle. One way I decided was to get out and about; learn about the island not just known for it's capital city Honolulu.

Interestingly enough, sometimes its the very thing you are afraid of that becomes your biggest love. Adventure, though it runs in my blood somewhere, is often tucked away for my fear of the unknown. Before this year started, I would have hesitated greatly at the thought of exploring a new place. Yet, as I stepped off the familiar runway at Honolulu airport, I decided that change was in the air. I was bound and determined to play tourist and see the beauty in what surrounded me.

While I was still on the Big Island, several people I knew had invited me to hike with them. Fortunately for my timid self, it never happened to work out to go on any of them. I sighed a bit of relief each time plans fell through, but in the same breath criticized myself for being so cowardly. It's not that I technically fear hiking or the outdoors, just that I am always hesitant to try something new. You know, that adventure blood is pretty scarce in my veins.

So what would it take to change my mind? It came in the answer of my new found church home. Ladies hikes were planned and announced the first Sunday I went there. I swallowed my fear, grabbed the announcement handout, and decided that I was going to go on as many hikes as I possibly could.

The first hike I did was to a waterfall. It was a relatively short distance with some incline at the end. Being in God's nature was soothing to my soul and city-crazed mind. It reminded me of home, but not with sadness. It was a gentle nudge that I was not lost in a new place, I was simply embracing an extended family member.  Meeting other ladies was also encouraging to me.

And so it happened without much ado and without much notice, over the next few weeks and months I had found a new exhilarating thing to do. Hiking. In fact during the past 5 months, I have gone on 8 different hikes and have repeated some of them too!

I write this all, not to applaud myself, but to preface what will follow. To break my writing silence, I am endeavoring to take you along with me as I hike, explore, and fall in love with the island of O'ahu. Hello world, my name is Ellie and I like to hike.




Adventure awaits!
(click to see this hike)