aloha y'all! as the weather turns cooler back in the mainland, it sure is nice to be in paradise year round! so what am i doing out here anyway, you may wonder. ever since i applied for teach for america 3 years back with my #1 choice as hawaii and really no interest in teaching anywhere else stateside (yeahhh, didn't get that teaching position! ha ha!), i have been itching to live in hawaii. because why not! it seemed to me the most cultural, non-american place to live and still have the benefits that come with being in the u.s. and utilizing that american citizenship. i feel like it is important to keep a safe distance from things like donald trump and scott walker and gun laws and gmos...
so i've been doing this crazy work schedule of 8 days working approximately 15 hour days followed by 6 days straight chillin'. this schedule has allowed me to explore a good part of the big island, and what a beautiful, big island it is! i am so blessed to call it home and i remind myself that every sunrise, sunset, rainbow, tropical storm, drive around the island, sighting of colorful geckoes, flowers, fruits... ahhh i could go on. so who wouldn't want to live out here, amiright!? :)
the work is a mixed bag. it has its moments, and it can be incredibly draining and isolating with its crazy schedule--forget trying to become a part of a community outside of work, they will wonder why you fall off the map every other week. for the most part, it is wonderful--working day in day out outside, having the resources available to play and experiment in the garden, being available for young people, creating the space for them to cope with and heal whatever they came into the program to work on, and allowing them to foster peaceful, healthy ways to carry on in their lives. it's also helped me understand ways to live more peacefully and healthily, too. cooL!
though when all is said and done, i realize what i truly want is a piece of land to cultivate. i want to grow my own food, foster a vibrant, healthy community, and be a healer, teacher, and bright light in the world. i must say, i see this type of shared farmspace livelihood transpiring in many places on the big island. now i wonder whether to join something already in existence or to cultivate something on my own...
so i've been doing this crazy work schedule of 8 days working approximately 15 hour days followed by 6 days straight chillin'. this schedule has allowed me to explore a good part of the big island, and what a beautiful, big island it is! i am so blessed to call it home and i remind myself that every sunrise, sunset, rainbow, tropical storm, drive around the island, sighting of colorful geckoes, flowers, fruits... ahhh i could go on. so who wouldn't want to live out here, amiright!? :)
the work is a mixed bag. it has its moments, and it can be incredibly draining and isolating with its crazy schedule--forget trying to become a part of a community outside of work, they will wonder why you fall off the map every other week. for the most part, it is wonderful--working day in day out outside, having the resources available to play and experiment in the garden, being available for young people, creating the space for them to cope with and heal whatever they came into the program to work on, and allowing them to foster peaceful, healthy ways to carry on in their lives. it's also helped me understand ways to live more peacefully and healthily, too. cooL!
though when all is said and done, i realize what i truly want is a piece of land to cultivate. i want to grow my own food, foster a vibrant, healthy community, and be a healer, teacher, and bright light in the world. i must say, i see this type of shared farmspace livelihood transpiring in many places on the big island. now i wonder whether to join something already in existence or to cultivate something on my own...
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