The day began with a honey ginger latte at the furthest west bookstore in the United States and ended with red stained Sanuks. I found the best way to become “unlost” is to find a bookstore, buy a map and find a new destination. For me, that was a beach that is known for washed up sea glass on the shore thus giving it the name “Glass Beach.”
It was a rainy day. I could have mistaken Glass Beach for a beach along the Northwest coast. The water was greyer than it’s usual vibrant blue and the black rocks seemed slightly blacker. The rain started to come down fast. It was only in the matter of a few minutes before I was just as wet by the rain than I would have been after swimming. If you want to imagine this with a very attractive six-pack surfer by my side please be my guest.
Following the downpour of rain, the most vibrant rainbow appeared in the sky. I was overwhelmed with the beauty Kauai has to offer. This beauty was so much more appreciated when I turned around while stuck in traffic and met two brothers from Long Island, New York. Their life style took a complete turn when they moved to Kauai. Solar powered lights, fresh organic fruit, simple housing and a shower outside really changed my perspective on the way I have felt I’ve needed to live. When I toured their land, we cut down coconuts, opened the top with a machete and drank the coconut water with a papa leaf for a straw. I picked a fruit whose juice can be used to make lipsticks and paint. Inside the fruit were little seeds that extracted a bright orange red color. I wore that as my lipstick for the evening.
The red dirt was damp from the rain, as well as the wooden porch that connects to the small one-room cabin, like home. Hidden by tall grass and surrounded by 32 acres of exotic fruit trees, I felt like I was completely isolated from civilization. Once the sun would set, the world became so dark that the shadow of the Napali Coast mountain range disappeared. I tilted my head back in laughter and was captivated by the number of bright stars in the sky.
If I didn’t turn around in traffic, I would not have discovered the most quaint way to live. We sang and danced until the balls of our feet were bright red from the North Shore dirt. I’ve noticed the more I let myself go, the more my life opens up to new opportunities. Whether you are in Hawaii or on campus at the U, do something you might have thought you would never do. I am fortunate enough to have red stained shoes and the memory of two New York brothers who showed me how simple life should be!