The Life…..

I saw the ocean for the first time when I was 22 years old.  On my honeymoon 10 years ago.  I held my new husband’s hand and we waded in and fought waves for hours.  The salt surprised me. And so did the power of the waves.

Ever since then, the ocean, the waves and mystic power they have…is something I have been in love with. Soon after I begged my husband over and over again to sell everything and go work in the surf shop, along with all the other Americans that had never gone home from vacation. It’s still a dream of mine.  I have no doubt that someday, I will live there. If only for a while.

There are things that in my life have become a dream to me, which in most cases, if you knew me when I was younger, you would probably be surprised. When I left to college, I had dreams of working in a city, in a huge corporate building, trading stocks. As the years progressed, and even right out of college, I got to meet some people who actually did that. And all I saw was uhappiness.  Stress.

I changed my mind about what I wanted from my life.  I accepted that God didn’t want me trading stocks in corporate America.

What I saw at the ocean…joy. The joy was something I wanted. I wanted to live simply.

And I have.

Even though I don’t live at the ocean, I have managed to do that.

There is a movie that came out in the 70’s called the endless summer. It’s about two surfers who take it upon themselves to surf all the greatest waves in the world. They started their adventure on the North Shore of O’ahu. The movie was so inspiring that in the 90’s a couple of guys tried it again and made a sequel. I watched them both. Mesmerized.
We ended up driving a VWbug to the north shore…which next to a jeep, is the only way to travel in Hawaii in my opinion. And while we were there, I found my dream vehicle. A VW camper bus. Just last week, I was searching the Internet for a green one to buy. A long time ago an older lady called me a hippie, I was immensely offended. I was not a hippie. But maybe she saw something that I didn’t see in myself. A need for freedom now and then. If she were to call me that today….I would probably smile and give her the hang loose wave.

 This was a day I dream of. 

I ate shrimp from a roadside truck.  The greatest shrimp ever made.

I ate famously made shaved ice.  Not just any shaved ice, but shaved ice covered in coconut juice and piled on top of ice cream.

I bought and drank coconut from a man along side the road as well…..

and when I was done buying out all the roadside vendors,  I slept in the shade on the beach under the shelter of kimani tree.  And I slept sound. My husband even more sound as he woke me up with his snoring.