Aloha Hawai‘i Nei

Most of our friends and family from the mainland will have a hard time believing this, but we haven’t locked our doors for five years. Even when we’ve left Hawai‘i for extensive trips to the mainland or elsewhere, the doors stay unlocked and the car keys dangle on the hook. Part of what makes that possible is just luck – we’ve lived in Honolulu (a major metropolitan area) for five years now, but we’ve always seemed to live in tucked away places. But it’s also just part of island life – we’re all on the rock together. As they say in Hawaiian, E Lauhoe mai nā wa‘a, or “everyone paddles the canoe together.” There are many aspects of island life that are subtlely different, but yet that make all the difference in everyday living. This is just part of what makes living in Polynesia so special. When we moved to Hawai‘i I had an inkling that this day would come – that we might someday have to reckon with the prospect of leaving what Mark Twain called “the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.” In most ways it is truly a paradise both in terms of the environment and the people. We were blessed at the outset to have been introduced to the islands by Hawaiians. For this we warmly thank Anela and Iokepa and their family - Mahalo nui loa. And we’ve met some incredible people here – many close friends that we know we will stay close with for many years to come. It’s been our home and community for five years now – it’s hard to believe it’s been that long. We both got graduate degrees at UH, we added two beautiful sons to our family, and we went on countless adventures throughout the archipelago. We recognize how fortunate we are to have had these experiences, made all the more richer by the places and people that have joined us. Parting with Hawai‘i is made easier knowing we’ll be closer to our families on the mainland – within driving distance of Daniela’s parents and brother, and short(er) flights to my brother, sister and parents – not to mention my niece and nephew! And so we say goodbye for now to Hawai‘i nei, our beloved home and set sail for a new adventure in beautiful northern California. We’ll be settling in Monterey, a beautiful seaside town whose rich maritime history has been chronicled by Steinback’s Cannery Row. It’s also home to a number of top-rated institutions engaged in marine scientific research, education and outreach. We’re excited to make this our new home and we hope to see all of our friends, family and extended ‘ohana soon.