Finally Friday Week 20: Living Wild in Maui

A rainbow on our journey up to the farm

"Nana ka maka;
ho`olohe ka pepeiao;
pa`a ka waha."

"Observe with the eyes;
listen with the ears;
shut the mouth."

—Hawaiian Proverb

We are tending to a friend's farm for several weeks out here in the wilds of Maui, Hawaii. It's an outdoor living style. The kitchen is outside and we sleep in a geodesic dome and use the outside shower. We are taking care of two cute pups, 6 chickens, an amazing garden.

Life moves at a slower pace here. I'm sitting in the open air kitchen sipping Hawaiian ginger tea with fresh picked limes from the lime tree. Every now and then a hen comes along and plops down in front of me and then gets up, cackles and pecks at something in the rocks, and then wanders off. We don't feel the need to do too much out here except tend to our farming duties. We aren't farmers at home, except for the little garden we have in the front yard that a dear friend is watering while we are away.

The kale and Swiss chard here put my kale and Swiss chard to shame. These are not plants, these are TREES. I've never seen a kale tree grow anywhere else, so my husband and I figure it must be all the Aloha out here on this island in the middle of the Pacific. Here's what they look like:

Besides gathering eggs from the hens everyday, there are plenty of fruit trees bearing lots of fruit right now. The avacados are humungous and delicious and there are also bananas, mangoes, limes, tangerines and peaches all growing right above our heads!

And the flowers...well, there's nothing like the flowers on Hawaii: hibiscus, bird of paradise and, my favorite, plumeria.

The tropical rains have moved in, so I've moved the pups inside the dome where we are hiding out until it passes. Rains last a very short time here. The big chimes are blowing gently in the wind and birds of all varieties are singing their songs. Out in the pasture beyond, past the goats that graze in the gulch, I saw a pair of spotted dear. The male had huge antlers. And a few days ago a bright orange cardinal flew into the open air kitchen and kept trying to fly out the window rather than out the other side which was open to the outdoors. Yoon had to catch him and set him free. 

We feel so fortunate that our friends are willing to share their piece of paradise with us and we are tempted to live out in the wilds of Hawaii too someday. There must be a reason why we keep coming back to these islands every year. When you get away from all the tourists and the hoopla and really sink into Aloha, let it enter you and feed your soul, things really start to shift. They say the islands magnify everything and change happens super fast. It you set an intention here, it's bound to take hold much faster than it normally would. I think I believe that.

Changes

I feel a big change coming soon. Things are all up in the air in my mind, but on the surface life rolls along just as it always has. I think this idea of something new on the forefront has been on my mind for a long time, but now it appears to be a burning desire to move.

Move in a different direction.

Walk along a different path.

I feel it will all come to fruition....

soon.

We don't make things change in nature, they just do.

What I find is that when I'm resistant or fear the change and try to continue along the same road that no longer fits me, the desire to change course burns even stronger in me. It won't leave me alone.

So I decided to go out with my husband today and witness the inevitable changes in nature. We hopped in the car after breakfast and headed out to Discovery Park.

Along the path, through a tunnel of greenery, we saw that the salmon berries had decided to ripen a bit earlier than usual. All the way down to the ocean we picked these juicy gems and popped them into our mouths. It was our own garden of Eden.

When we got down to the ocean, wild roses greeted us along with daisies and lupus. Behind them, the Olympic Mountains stood majestically in the background. I felt the warm sun on my shoulders and back and realized I had forgotten suntan lotion. It's rarely needed in these parts.

The tide was way out due to fact that the moon is currently full. We walked out where clams were squirting and half-devoured crabs lay mangled on the sand. The seagulls had obviously had their lunch.

Yoon plopped down in the dry sand near a pile of driftwood and I followed. I sunk my bare feet deep into the warm grains and rested my head on a log. I felt light and happy and assured that I didn't need to push things.

Change will come, whether I like it or not. Nature is evidence of that. I just need to fully feel each day, each sight, sound smell, taste, touch...pay attention to the bees working their way from flower to flower. Watch the kids on the beach joyfully searching for sea creatures.

All in due time.
All in due time.

I feel it will happen sooner rather than later, but I'm not going to wait for it. I am not going to wonder about it anymore. I'm just going to enjoy my day.

Are there any big changes or shifts you are also currently experiencing?

365 Inspirations—316: The Sun and the Moon on the Big Island

Sunrise this morning from our ocean vista room

The sun and moon are rulers of our planet—they give life, regulate life and without them we would not be here. I feel a lot of gratitude for their presence here. I believe in my sun sign (scorpio) and moon sign (gemini). I am interested in opposites—darkness/light, sun/moon, chaos/clarity. I believe there is beauty in all of these things.

Here on the Big Island of Hawaii, the nature is so intense. It's pulsating and vibrating every moment. Out here in the middle of nowhere, we become all that is here. There's something very primordial about being here.

We drove along the coast and took photos of the dramatic sunset. We are not on the sunset side of the island, but we can still get the sunset colors.

Last night, it was a completely clear night with millions of stars. The moon illuminated the path Yoon and I were walking on. The silhouette of the palm trees gently rustling in the breeze as we walked on this path of light felt a bit surreal.

We are out at the very end of the point staying in the ocean vista accommodations at Kalani, high up in the hills with a view of the ocean. It's a bit of hike to the main facilities. Sometimes we drive it if the weather is stormy, but last night we felt like walking. We planned to go for a moonlight swim in the pool, a soak in the jacuzzi and a rest in the sauna.

Walking home again in the moonlight, with my body tingling and fresh from the night dipping, I felt so much gratitude and awe. How did I get here? How am I here in this place with such wonderful people and so much love?

It's hard to sleep on this island. This place is so alive. To connect ourselves more with nature, there is no glass, only screens on the windows. We feel every breeze, we are part of the rain, the Coqui frogs sing and keep the rhythm with the beat of our hearts. We are also alive in every sense of the word.

I arose for the sunset (something I rarely do). The rosy pink in the sky illuminated the ocean with the very same color.

I headed off on my own to Prosperity Yoga in the main yoga building. I decided to drive, since I was running late. On the way, I saw the teacher walking along the path. She was going to be late to her own class, but she seemed to be in a state of awe and wonder without a care in the world. She was listening to some lovely music when I picked her up.

"This is Kathy Zavada I'm listening to. I went to a retreat of hers on Mt. Shasta. It's lovely, isn't it?"

I felt synchronicity making its rounds again. Mt. Shasta is on my list for high energy places to visit. It's part of my book research for my next book.

I enjoyed the class immensely and gained so much from it.

Today, at 1pm, I teach 'First Thoughts: Intuitive Writing for Greater Clarity and Purpose.'

I'm excited to see how it all unfolds.

Have you connected recently to the sun or moon? What do you remember about your experiences?

365 Inspirations—216: A Million Stars

"It is written on the arched sky; it looks out from every star. It is the poetry of Nature; it is that which uplifts the spirit within us."—John Ruskin 

 The best part of being out in the countryside is seeing a million stars. In the city, I'm lucky if I can see a handful. When I look up at the sky and see its vastness and all these tiny points of light, I feel limitless.

Seeing stars reminds me of how small I really am, but I don't feel that smallness has anything to do with my possibilities. In fact, it reminds me to open up more. Instead of feeling small, I feel expansive and all those spectacles of light become part of me.

I want to live like this. I don't want to live in a box with limits. I don't want to say, "I can't do that." Life is meant to be lived. It's meant to be awe-inspiring. We've all seen the stars so many times, but we still say, "Wow!" when we look up at them.

I don't want life to become mundane or commonplace. I don't want to get stuck in ruts or habits or old ways. I want to always find something to say "Wow!" about. I hope I can be amazed by something each day.

I have felt so much gratitude recently. I've been out on a beautiful lake with family for the past three days. It's just my dad and me now. Everyone's left to take care of obligations. I have them too, but felt I could afford another day here.

The silence is creeping in now. It's getting late. I think I'll go sit out under the stars before I sleep.

Have you spent any time looking up at the stars recently?

365 Inspirations—186: Sitting Ducks

Sitting ducks on my walk around Greenlake today

"Each stone, each bend cries welcome to him. He identifies with the mountains and the streams, he sees something of his own soul in the plants and the animals and the birds of the field."—Paulo Coelho

By tuning into the little things all around me, I'm finding that everything is a source of inspiration.

Today, while walking around Greenlake with Yoon, I saw these adorable ducklings with their mamma sitting on a log basking in the sun. They were sunbathing.

Usually I see them in the lake or along the lake's edge, but these ducks were right out in the open. They were literally sitting ducks!

But they didn't seem to have a care in the world. They were trusting and even let me get up close. That's rare for a duck and her babies.

For some reason, the trusting nature of these ducks today gave me the trust I needed to confirm that all things will work out just fine. If I'm gentle to others, they will be gentle to me. In fact, usually animals can sense fear, anger or other strong emotions and they react accordingly.

I'm sure they can also sense a gentleness or kindness. Perhaps that's why these fluffy, little guys didn't budge.

I think this is true for everything in the world. What we put out there is what comes back to us. We can't fake emotions, because they can be felt. Intentions are so important.

What kind of emotions or energy did you put out there today? How did you feel? Did you tune into nature around you today?

365 Inspirations—173: Cabin Fever and a Book Winner

Sunset at cabin tonight!

"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul and that I am sure is why he does it.”—Roald Dahl

Day 4 of my solo retreat. I may have cabin fever.

What are the symptoms exactly? An insatiable desire to go out for sushi and to the movies?

Tofu and broccoli are getting a little boring. I was determined to only eat what I brought, which are mostly fruits and vegetables and those are starting to run low. I do have eggs and my juicer. Doing lots of juicing and feel quite healthy, but I'm salivating thinking of all the food I can't wait to eat when I get back to the big city.

In Korea Town in NYC while on book tour. Delish!

At the same time, there's a deep peace I feel out here.

Today I went swimming. How could I hunker down in the dining room when it was 72 degrees and sunny outside? That's a rarity in these parts.

I opened up the storage and took out an air mattress, got my suit on, slathered on the suntan lotion, got my book, towel and a drink and headed to the end of the dock.

Within minutes I was out on open waters on my air mattress with my drink and suntan lotion in the cup holder. I paddled out to the center of the lake, let my feet hang over the edge and my arms fall loosely at my sides and just closed my eyes.

The cool water on my feet and hands felt so relaxing and the sun on my face and body was soothing. I let the wind decide where I would go. The gentle movement of my mattress on the water practically put me to sleep. I woke up and saw sparrows glide across the surface of the lake. Frogs croaked in the distance. I heard the laughter of children and the talk of grown-ups enjoying the weekend along the shore, yet I was in my own little paradise connected and protected by the natural world out there in the middle—part of the deep blue below and above. I could have stayed there forever.

Back at the house, I threw my air mattress up on the dock and sank down into the cool water. It was buoyant and I could see the bottom clearly. The sun on the water made it sparkle like diamonds. I swam and swam with broad breast strokes. I was nearly in the middle of the lake by the time I decided to turn back. I kept even strokes and an even breath and swam calmly back.

I sat up on the dock and read my book. I did NOT want to go back inside to write. I sat out there until nearly 4pm. Perhaps I needed a break.

My mother suggested I turn on the TV and watch a few episodes of HGTV or a movie on Netflix. I think she could sense my cabin fever. She said, "Why don't you go into town and get yourself some real food." It was tempting. I haven't gone out or watched anything besides the sunset and the moon since I got here.

By the way, the sunset was absolutely amazing tonight. I sat at the end of the dock and watched it until there was nothing left of it.


I'm keeping my plans loose, but I may leave on Wednesday. Three more full days to work on things should be enough. That will be one entire week out here.  Let's see how my cabin fever goes.....

Okay, and on another note, I have a winner for Torre De Roche's book Love with a Chance of Drowning. I know I said I'd announce it on my blog a few Fridays ago, but life caught up with me and I got off track on many things I thought I'd do. Now I'm finally catching up! Phew!

I sat down at the dining room table with all the names of people who had left a comment on this post that they were interested in a book and I pulled Karen Cafarella's name out of the bag!

Karen, you are the winner of Love with a Chance of Drowning. I'll be contacting you soon!

Now a question for you all.....

Have you ever had cabin fever?