The island of Oahu is small, especially compared to California. You can only drive so far in every direction until you hit the ocean again. Yet somehow there’s always something new to discover. Some people may oppose the idea of being confined to an island, but I sort of love it. I love that we can drive for miles and miles and in any direction we’ll always see the ocean. I love how each part of the island is a little different from the other. I love the colors- green mountains and blue waters.
Last summer I didn’t make much of an effort to step out of the Windward side bubble. I might have made it to the North Shore maybe two or three times, and even then it was just a quick drive through. So spending a whole day driving up and stopping wherever our hearts desired was fun. As we left Kaneohe it was raining and windy and cold, but by the time we got to the very end of the road way up north, it was hot and sunny with gorgeous blue skies. Our day just got better and better as time passed. We ate good food, saw sea turtles, and went as far as we could until we couldn’t go much further.
Sometimes I’ll immerse myself in projects or office work so much that I forget to stop and take a look around me. Hawaii is gorgeous. In every direction you turn there is something beautiful to look at. Going up to the North Shore was just the kind of pause I needed to remind myself to slow down and appreciate the things around me.