One Year in Hawaiii

Almost sounds like the title to a book. Well, today marks one year since I arrived in Hawaii. Saying I can't believe is in a way true, but I was so determined to do something like this in my life that I'm not surprised I made it happen. Just delighted really. And amazed that a year has gone by already. The cliché is accurate: feels like yesterday. I have seen and done and learned so much on the Big Island. From standing by lava, to viewing a volcano from a helicopter, to swimming with humpback whales and dolphins and sea turtes, to freediving 40-50 feet underwater, to hiking through dense rainforest, to hanging out on the top of a 14,000 ft mountain in the snow and ice in Hawaii, to exploring old craters, cinder cones and lava flows, to learning about the Hawaiian culture, history and language, to meeting new friends and interesting people, to working at a newspaper on a tropical island covering education, the environment and a little bit of everything else, to having the same weather - 80 degrees and sunny - almost all the time. For so long, maybe 15 years, I've dreamed of living in a place like this. And I made it happen. The challenge is of course being 5,000 miles and a 10 hour flight from family and friends and where I grew up. But Hawaii makes a great place to visit. After being here a year, there are still so many experiences and sights on the Big Island I haven't got you yet. There's certainly lots of exploring left to do...just the way I like it.