This is the Life!

Saturday in Hawai'i and I've decided to do what thousands of islanders do every Saturday-no, not go swap meet-but hit the b-e-a-c-h! Though born and raised on what is arguably the most beautiful set of islands in the world, surrounded by pristine beaches and the glorious warm Pacific ocean, I'm ashamed to say that I've never really been a beach goer. Don't get me wrong, I love our beaches and I've always felt the ocean was sacred and beautiful. But alas, I've spent more evenings on the beach, playing a guitar and cruising with my friends, than I have days baking in the sun and ripping a wave.

I mean, there's so much pre and post work that goes into a family beach day-packing, prepping the food, slathering on the sun screen, pulling out the boogie board, finding a parking space. And then there's afterwards-the sand in the car, the sand in your. . .everywhere, the salt in your hair, the wet clothes and towels that need to be washed right away, the unpacking. . .*sighs*. I must admit that my laziness has contributed to my absence from our white sandy shores. But not this day! I reckoned that it was time to buck up and live like a true island family, and so, to the East Shore Hubby, Sonny and I went.

The sign reads "Waimanalo Bay" but the locals call it Sherwood Forest. In Hawaii, we have an interesting phenomena of mini forests that grow right near the ocean. Upon arriving, my little ohana excitedly unloaded and dragged our10x10 tent, cooler, blanket and back packs through the pine needles and cones. As we cleared the trees, I caught my breath. What lay before me was the stuff of postcards-white sand stretching as far as the eye could see, hues of green and blue ocean, rabbit island to the right and the mountains behind us. Yes, this is why people save up for a lifetime to step foot on these sands and swim in our waters and I was touched by the sheer beauty of God's handiwork.

We pitched our tent, lay down the blanket and all our stuff and my son ran off towards the water with his boogie board (while refusing to take off his shirt because he's in this weird "I don't wanna show my body" phase. Wait til you get older, buddy!). It was a windy day and the water was rough. To top it off, there were warning signs with bright orange flags down the beach that read "Beware: Man-o-War". Great, the one day we come and we have to worry about Portuguese man-o-war. No childhood would be complete on this island without a sting from one of those bubbly creatures, followed by a cousin or sibling making shi shi on it to get the poison out. I think of yelling after my child, but see that he's decided on a quick dip and has resorted to playing on the shore, waves are too rough. You can tell we don't frequent the beach because little girls younger than him are braving the shore break to ride the waves, but he doesn't seem to mind.

I have a confession to make: I've only been in the ocean ONCE in almost 7 years! This would be my second time. The thought of traipsing around in a bathing suit had been enough of a deterrent to keep me in the shade all these years, but it was a new day, a new year! "Are you going swimming, hon?", asked Hubby with a hint of incredulity in his voice. Me: "Yes, I am!" Hubby: "Are you planning to wear your pants in the water?". Hmmm, tempting. I moved quickly before I could change my mind, and walked out into the sunlight with nothing but a bathing suit and lava lava on. I tried to ignore the fact that I was whiter than the haole people on the beach. Heck, the old haole man to my left in his speedos was darker than my husband! What started out as a little self-consciousness soon led to a long overdue revelation-I LIKED the beach! It was a gorgeous sunny day and as I dipped in the water (and got pummeled on the shore by the waves, while I attempted to get my bearings, all the while pretending I was in control and my son shouting, "isn't this fun, mom!?", but I digress) and lay in the hole that my son and I dug together, sunglasses on, face tilted towards the azure sky, I thought to myself, "This is the life!".

While I got a much needed tan, I took a moment to reflect on how a beach day in Hawaii is a wonderful tribute to the way we live here and why I love my island home. 1) It's freakin' gorgeous! Enough said. 2) Family comes first. One has only to view the dozens of family groups, multiple generations coming together to enjoy a family day to know that doing things as a family is how we do things in Hawaii.   3) Locals love to grind! Food is an integral part of our lives here-one has only to look around at the locals with their hibachi grills-kalbi ribs, teriyaki chicken, poke, spam musubi, noodles, mac salad, rice and manapua to appreciate our diverse cuisine and appetite for food and life. 4) We no care how you look! You got your range of body types on the beach-from the wispy blonde and Asian girls to the BGs (Big Girls) rockin' their bikinis or board shorts. Braddahs with ripped abs shredding the surf, or big blalahs with their opu hanging over their shorts. Tattoos, shades, slippahs, ehu hair, no hair, we got it all and you can look like you want and not worry about being judged or ridiculed.  5) We get ALOHA! You see it in people's smiles, you hear it in the greetings, you taste it in the shared food, witness it when you see all the keiki playing together on the beach (Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Haole, Samoan, Micronesian, etc.).

Ah yes, just another beach Saturday in Hawaii. . .think I'll do it again, soon.