Framing Hawaii

            This is by far the hardest blog post I have had to write this semester. It probably has to do with the fact that I am very sad to leave Hawaii. It became my home. I have never lived somewhere that feels so much like home without it being my actual home. It’s really hard for me to explain what this semester means to me. I can’t put it into words. It was by far the most incredible experience. It was eye opening, breath taking and a jaw dropping experience. I tried so many new things and went on some incredible adventures. I have been asked several times what is my favorite thing I have done this semester and every time I answer the same way. I don’t know. I usually give them a list of my top 5 things (in no order): Playing in snow on top of Mauna Kea, Snorkeling with Manta Rays, jumping off a 40-foot cliff at the southernmost point of the United States, watching a whale breach right next to my boat and sliding down an old sugar cane shoot. I think my favorite was the slide down the sugar cane shoot but it’s really hard to actually pick a favorite. I also learned a lot in my classes. I learned countless things about the Hawaiian ‘Ohana including how to make Hawaiian food and lei’s. I learned and got to go on field trips to Volcano National Park so I could learn about volcanoes. In global change, I learned how to communicate issues about the environment with others. In Aquaculture, I’m not sure what I learned but I made some incredible friends. And in Coral Reef Ecology, it taught me that even though I may not be the greatest at biology and am not its biggest fan, I have and can learn something in a biology class, it may take more work but I can understand the material.

            I learned a lot about myself this spring. One thing I learned about myself is that I am able to move anywhere and make it feel like home. I have never traveled anywhere by myself and the first time I do travel by myself it is across the country. I went somewhere I didn’t know a soul and was able to fall in love with ‘Aina and the people. Along with this, I learned an was able to work on and control my stress levels. I have always been a stressed person but this semester I was able to destress, for the most part, and just focus on me and my friends. I also learned that I loved adventuring. From here on out, my plan and goal in life is to try something new every week and go on some sort of adventure. I don’t know how I didn’t do all of the adventures before but I am really going to try and do it from here on out. I grew in more ways than one. I have become a better person and have grown so much. I am so excited of the person I have become.

            There are a few people that I would like to thank who made this semester possible and incredible. First to Kimberly and the NSE staff at USC for taking a chance on me and going with my crazy plan to apply to Hawaii no matter what happens and for being one of my biggest cheerleaders and supporters while I have been here. Thanks to Kadian for taking a chance on me, making one of my dreams come true and for letting me come to school at the University of Hawaii at Hilo for the semester. To my friends back in South Carolina, thank you for putting up with my excitement from the very start. You jumped up and down with me when I got the call and you helped and participated in my crazy count down before I even arrived in Hawaii. To my little brothers Will and Cal, thank you for always supporting me and being just as excited if not more excited for me to go and live in Hawaii. You two were the first ones I would tell about all of my adventures and you guys always loved to hear the stories. Thanks for always having my back. To my friends I made in Hawaii, thanks for the countless adventures and for dealing with my craziness. In such a short amount of time I became friends some of the sweetest and most genuine people. You all made my experience better than I could ever imagine. I don’t think it would have been the same without you. To Anita and all of the people at BCM, thank you for opening your doors and welcoming with opens arms and treat me as one of your own. I loved getting to know you all and my experience would not have been the same without you. To Emma, thanks for being an incredible friend and for always being there to talk. I am going to miss our late-night talks and our afternoons paddling. To Michaela, for being one of my best friends and lunch date all semester and our late nights studying and laughing and making jokes together. To Stefanie, one of my best friends I made in Hawaii, THANK YOU! You were the person I could count on for everything and anything. You helped me get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I have loved getting to know you and spend time with you! You made this semester incredible! Last but certainly not least to my parents, for letting me go on this trip, for paying for me to go to school in one of the most magical places I have ever visited and being my biggest supporters and being the people I could call and talk to when I went on all of the super cool adventures or when I was home sick. I love you two! Thanks for everything you two have done for me! This semester would not have been possible without your support.

            While this semester is over the memories and friendships I have made will live on forever. Hawaii was the most incredible experience of my life. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. The friends I have made are some I hope to keep for the rest of my life. We may not stay in touch and text everyday but I know that when I need them we will all be together. One day I will be back to this place, whether it’s for school, to visit, to live or to retire. Hawaii is home. I think from now on when I think about home I wouldn’t just think about Charleston, South Carolina but I will also think of Hilo, Hawaii. I left a piece of my heart back on those little islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I left it with the turtles swimming in the waves, I left it with both the sun and the rain days, I left it with the swaying palm trees, I left it with breath taking hikes and dives but most importantly I left it with the people I met who impacted my life. Mahalo Hawaii for the this truly incredible experience. You will be missed but just know that this isn’t goodbye, it’s a hui hou.