Travel Mindset at Home — Appreciating Where I Live

Aloha Festivals Parade in Honolulu

Acknowledge the Land and People

Wherever you live, it is always healthy to appreciate it. I don’t know about you, but I can live anywhere I choose to. It is a privilege and a joy. It seems that the more I am conscious that it is a choice, the happier I am that I made this choice.

I have lived in other places and currently live in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. My ancestors migrated to Hawaiʻi at the end of the 19th century, when Hawaiʻi was a sovereign nation. It wasn’t much later that sovereignty was taken away — unjustly annexed by the United States in 1898. Hawaiʻi’s development in the twentieth century is a weaving together of internal and external influences. The tension continues, but through it all, the Hawaiian culture manages to survive — resilient and beautiful. I am grateful to be here, and to the Hawaiian people for their strength and graciousness.

Appreciate the Effort — Show up!

Anything that requires effort for the benefit of others is something worth showing up for. These are gifts.

I had this thought when I was watching the Aloha Festivals Parade recently — I am happy to live here.The Aloha Festivals started as Aloha Week in…