Live Like A Local: What A Year

Today marks my first 12 months on Maui.

In past blogs, this has been an opportunity to reflect on what I've done and learned over the past year, and where I think I'm going in the year to come.

For the former, I've explored beaches, water sports, and most of the major cultural activities on Maui.

I've volunteered for environmental groups, walked a 10K for whales, and participated in this year's Women's Walk.

I've consulted on a film company's website, an animal sanctuary's communications, and written a dozen or so short stories with five published since this time last year and at least three more coming out later this year.

I've enjoyed the best mangoes I've ever tasted straight off the tree in the back yard, a visit from my family, swimming in the warm ocean, and discovered a fascination with sea turtles.

As to the latter, I have no idea. We might end up back in California. Or the Pacific northwest. Or Austin. Or Mexico. Or we might still be without job prospects by our self-imposed June deadline, and end up crashing with my family in Virginia till we find our way again.

Without spending too much time dwelling on the lessons learned during lockdown, I will say that I've now spent 12% of my time in these tropics staring at our inside walls, and missing the things I would miss anywhere:

the freedom to hang out in the sun
the ability to wander through parks and museums
the fun of window shopping
the chance to relax with good food and maybe some live music
the joy of greeting strangers, acquaintances or friends with an open laugh and a handshake or hug.

Larry and I had long talked about living on an island. Now that we have, pandemic notwithstanding, we can happily say we've done it. But truthfully it's not for everyone, and, as it turns out, not for us.

Not yet.

I, for one, feel like I still have much to conquer and more that I want to offer before settling comfortably into the lovely yet hyperlocal world around us.