BIG ISLAND, BIG MOVES

Whew, it’s been an absolutely crazy ride the past 3 weeks. I arrived to the Big Island thinking I had this plan, that the next month would be spent living as an intern at Hawaiian Sanctuary. I’m learning really quickly that making plans off island is very limiting to your own self being.

Hawaiian Sanctuary is a collab between raw/organic foods, sustainable living and community events. Hula, meditation, dance and every type of yoga can be found here. It’s an amazing place if you’re looking to advance in yoga or just de-stress from mainland life. For me, it was a great place to meet new people and take a few classes along the way. Hula is my new favorite dance and I have a deeper appreciation for yoga (which I hardly did before). However, living in the rainforest, far away from the ocean and not being able to be my free spirited self was getting to me. So I sat down with one of the owners, and confessed my goals and aspirations for coming here. With a place as positive as Hawaiian Sanctuary, communication had no barriers and love was free flowing. In other words, it’s all good. 🙂 So, my roommate Chelsea and I found our way up to Hilo and rented a 4runner which we later named Maks. Having a vehicle meant that we could explore as much as the island without limitations. Big I rallying. There’s nothing like it. 😉

Pretty much we covered the best of the big island in just 4 days. Our first mission was to a little place called Makalewena Beach. Pretty much everyone’s favorite beach here because of all the sand. Here on the Big Island, it’s also the newest island, meaning hardened lava rocks replace white sand beaches. I think it’s pretty ironic how I came from the sand bars of the Outer Banks of NC to the black rocky beaches of Big I. I now realize how spoiled we are on the OBX. So to get to Makalewena, you have to drive down a rocky and rugged path. Four wheel drive only, you better have a little lift to your vehicle and yep, you’re going to have to drive in S’s to avoid bottoming out. Thanks to our friend Sheyenne, I drove down like a champ! So once we arrived to the beach, we parked Maks on the first sandy beach and set up camp. A little picnic, a couple blankets, a bon fire and an acoustic guitar to make this spot just a little more magical. Literally, here on the Big Island, you feel like you are jutted out closer to the universe with a billion stars dancing around you. So anything else is just bonus. What happened next is just comical. The island’s way of reminding us that nature is indeed the big kahuna. My sound asleep friends, Chelsea & Sheyenne woke me up with a scream. Mother ocean, put a little shorepound water wash show to wake them up. Chelsea describes the scene as if titanic was sinking. Water everywhere, sleeping bags tossed, slippahs(flip flops) are MIA. I never laughed so hard. I was safe because I moved to the car in the middle of the night and missed the entire thing! Lucky me. 🙂

The adventures I’ve been having here are totally unexpected. I’ve learned how to identify plants so that we can forage for breakfast. Avocado, papaya, bananas, we even learned how to crack open coconuts and macadamia nuts without a tool. We can sustainably live off of the land and that feels pretty darn good.

Now that the 3 weeks have gone by, we unexpectedly booked one way tickets to Kauai. We arrived last night so this island is still a huge mystery to us. This morning I woke up and watched the sunrise. Before we even left the Big Island, we read in a guidebook that when you arrive to Kauai you leave all your worries on the plane. Well, here goes nothing. A new adventure awaits! Until next time…

Chelsea learning how to open coconuts with a machete at Hawaiian Sanctuary. Later the local boys taught us how to climb the trees and open them without any tools. Good knowledge to have when you’re thirsty and there are no stores around… Commonality here on the Big Island.

The men showing us how it’s done. Hula with paddles and all. We were just trying to keep up on our uwehe steps. 😉

Sunset over the lava field before cruzing over for our first Uncle Robert’s Awa bar experience.

Searching for dolphins to play with at Captain Cooks Bay.. All we found were humans instead.

Makalewena with the Puna crew.

The volcano goddess Pele in her nonfiltered gopro footage beauty.