KAUAI: home is where the heart is... (part 1)

Home is where the heart is…

When I left Hawaii 13 years ago, I left a piece of my heart on the island of Kauai.

Growing up on this little rock in the middle of the Pacific, I never understood and appreciated the tremendous beauty of this island. I remember complaining to myself that there was nothing to do on Kauai, and drag my salty feet to the salty beach.

At the age of 17, I was thirsty to see the world and left for the mainland to attend college.  I missed my parents but I never missed the island life. I continued to satisfy my nomadic soul by joining the Peace Corps post-college, traveling to West Africa and Western China. Three years later, I checked off my first bucket list item by moving to New York City, the city of my dreams. I continued to feed my wanderlust by traveling and living out of suitcases in countries like Cambodia and Nepal.

As I travel and experience life each year, I start to realize more and more of how special my little rock in the middle of the Pacific really is.  As I get older, I’m realizing there really is no place like Kauai and it really is a place where I left a piece of my heart at.

Next year I get to share this special place with my love, my family, my future family in law, and my closest friends from far and near. I’ll get to unite my family and family in law by getting married on this island.

T and I recently flew back to Kauai to start planning our dream wedding. Here are a few pictures that captured the first few days back. Stay tuned for part 2 of "Kauai: home is where the belly is..."

good morning home sweet home. view from the backyard.

sunrise papaya, locally grown. nothing beats waking up with this.

salt in hair, sand between toes. this island girl is in her natural habitat.

met mishka's sister, momoko. she loves sleeping in.

the obligatory "hot dog" legs beach picture. 

found mishka's future wifey, tiki, laying on the beach on kauai. this pom mom approves, mishka! (in case you are reading)

share the aloha! bus stop with donated chairs.

mama's home cooking.

-mai

Mishka's commentary:

i am sad that my wolf pack didn't take me with them, but at least they found my future gf and got me this sweet aloha shirt.
Can't wait to say ALOHA to that cute wahine next year.

october is sweater weather...and oysters and pizza weather.

It's already October! My favorite time of the year!

No, it isn't my favorite time because of PSL (pumpkin spice latte). I actually run away from anything artificially pumpkin spice-d...even PS scented hand soap. YUCK!

October is beautiful on the East Coast. The foliage is beautiful and it's perfect sweater weather! It's time for stews and soups. It's exciting to go to Target and see all the Halloween costumes. The kids are all back in school. The work day still ends when it is light outside because it's still day light savings time.

October is also the start of oyster season in southern Maryland.
This past weekend, we drove two hours south to the river house to celebrate my future brother-in-law's birthday.

On the way to the river, we stopped at the St. Mary's Oyster Festival.
An entire weekend festival of everything oysters-From fried oysters to grilled oysters, oyster po boys, to oyster soup, oyster shooters to oyster t-shirts!

I LOVE OYSTERS. NOM NOM NOM.

A full river house with my future in laws, future siblings in law, future second cousins from california, and future dogs in law- It was a nice and cozy weekend.

a river that looks like an ocean. 

Having a Neapolitan future father-in-law means homemade brick oven pizzas.

Sunsets are beautiful here.

The weather is chilly but family and pizza makes it warm.

i see you, pizza.

-mai

Mishka's commentary:

I love October too! Finally the weather cools down and I can strut my fur coat!