Kona bound ...

I'm ready to get away

to drift in the waves

to lay in the sand

to be in the warmth of the sun 

We leave in a few weeks. I get so excited leading up to getting away on a plane. The first time I went to Kona I feel in love with the little town and the magic of the island. A great big rock in the sea surrounded by nothing but water, deep water. A dream of a life waking up here on a little spot, snorkeling my days away, and playing in the rich dirt of the land. Fruit trees to coffee, I would love a little tropical farm. 

There is so much to do but nothing needing to get done in this place. It is the perfect situation for me. The possibilities are endless as to how you fill your time with no expectation of well, anything. It still feels like a lost world, the beauty amazes me and the seclusion is wonderful. I've been to this place before but still find wonder in all its abundance.  

Not everyone can sit on the beach for hours on end in the infinite blaze but that I am someone who can. We will do this every day making it a ritual of sorts. Living in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), a place of great beauty but little sunshine, I will take all the glorious sunshine possible. I would bottle it up and bring it home if I could in pretty little yellow bottles. Instead, I bring home macadamia nuts. They seem to have the same effect on people, who knew.

Sitting still can be a hard thing to do for most people, me included but I find peace of mind turning inward and just listening to my breath, mimicking the waves, as I sit there for hours. There is nothing more pleasing than a few deep breaths on the beaches of this island. I'm starting to realize that peace is not necessarily a place to be or thing to have but a feeling that generates way down in the belly, somewhere lets say close to the soul.

I'm looking forward to the night snorkel with some giant manta rays the most. Yes, I'm talking in the water at night with big beast of the deep except they are gentle giants with no teeth or stingers that wont eat you. They just fly through the water, right up to you in fact, eating plankton attracted to the lights your holding. They have wing spans of up to 12 feet and gaping mouths that a small child could fit into. I won't lie, I screamed the first time one "belly rolled" me. It is like nothing I've ever done before and something I hope to do many times again. It's almost as good as my dream of getting into a shark tank.

After the night snorkel. It gets so cold the ride back

The night snorkel is just one of many water activities that we enjoy while on the island. We have our favorite snorkel spot to hit up during the day, most of them being close to Kona to limit the drive time. Two step is probably the best all around spot, while Captain Cook Monument is magnificent but takes much more effort to get out there or a chartered tour. I recommend at least one whale watching adventure. Getting to see the Humpbacks up close is so enriching and important for ocean preservation. We've even since a "pickle" before, which is a baby humpback jumping out of the water. It really does look like a pickle. We are going to get up on paddle boards this time around too. We own them here in the PNW but the ocean has a motion all its own.

It is a big island and the water surrounding it is not the only thing that as attractive qualities. Whether it's into an old lake bed covered with lava or down a steep ravine to a black sand beach, the hikes are endless. Some are more remote seeing only a few other adventurers along the way, while others are inundated with tourists. I never consider myself a tourist really, I don't like the word, it seems so trivial, so passing. Instead I'm someone looking for an adventure, a temporary local so to say. Doesn't it sound better? The hikes sometimes don't even have a destination but instead are loops that allow the walk, the trail to become the journey.

I will reflect this time around. Slowly enjoying the time to think, the time to breath, the time to appreciate all that is life. Taking time to be grateful for all that I have and all that I've lost this past year. It was here that I got the news my little brother, Skyler, was diagnosed with cancer. It was here I first felt helpless in the situation. The last few days on the island, I talked with him often but there was nothing I could do to help, to make it better. He told me to enjoy myself and have fun. He was so selfless even in his final days. I will always be reminded of him when we travel here. You might be gone little brother but you are far from forgotten! 

This island is magic, not the hocus pocus kind but the real shit. It has so much beauty draped across the mountains, laid among the reefs, and wrapped within the beaches. It is a sanctuary for souls, for people looking to escape the daily routine of life, and for those who just want a simpler existence. It is a healthy retreat for me to explore and dive deeper into life.