When I was about 11, I had a pen pal that I’d connected with through one of my favorite kids magazines. After exchanging a few letters back and forth, she sent me some gifts: a fancy multicolored pen and a few coins “from the United States.” She wondered if I wouldn’t mind sending a few Hawaiian coins back to her. She also wondered if I lived in a grass hut on the beach and wore a hula skirt and coconut bra every day.
Well, I never lived in a grass hut or dressed in a coconut bra and hula skirt on the daily, but being born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii definitely brought with it a multitude of unique distinctions and funny quirks that I am so very blessed to have grown up with.
1. “Island time” is a real thing.
Whenever I fly back home to Hawaii and step off the plane, I feel like I’ve walked into a time warp; everything suddenly feels slower and more relaxed. On the roads, people tend to drive more slowly and patiently; horns are rarely used and parking is easy to come by. Everyone walks slower too, and no one seems in a rush to get anywhere. This probably explains why I tend to walk at the pace of a snail in downtown Seattle.
2. Nobody wears shoes indoors, and going bare foot is common.
Most everyone has a pile of shoes outside their front door and a little sign that says something along the lines of, “please remove your shoes, mahalo." People go bare foot all the time, and walking across rocks and sidewalks doesn’t phase us. In Seattle, keeping your shoes on indoors is the norm. Every time I find myself stepping foot on nice carpet or sitting on the couch with my shoes on, a little voice inside of me is yelling, “Take off your shoes!”
3. There is such thing as a Hawaiian accent.
People will often point out that I have a slight accent, and after talking to multiple friends from Hawaii, we’ve discovered that there is definitely such thing as a Hawaiian accent. Apparently, we pronounce many of our vowels in funny ways. My friends love teasing me about how I say certain words like “pen" versus "pin” and “ten" versus "tin." They don’t sound any different from each other when I say them.
4. The beach is always a five minute drive away.
Growing up, I never lived right on the beach, but it was always a quick five-minute drive away. It wasn’t until coming to Seattle that I realized how much I took advantage of living close to the beach. Now, anytime I go to the beach, I am reminded that A), I miss Hawaiian beaches a lot, and B), Washington ocean water is freezing!
5. Everyone is so friendly.
There are so many friendly faces. Whenever I go to the store or walk around in town, strangers are always happy to exchange smiles and greetings. People often greet one another with a hug and a kiss, and the Hawaiian culture is so present in the way that places are filled with so much “Aloha."
6. Fashion isn’t really a big deal.
Let’s be real, the weather is so hot and humid all the time that everyone tends to dress for the heat and the beach. Very rarely do you ever see someone in a business suit, and popular fashion trends are often traded in for slippers and a tank top.
7. There is so much cultural diversity.
The cultural diversity among people in Hawaii is so unique, and I've always loved the sense of respect and love reflected in and toward the many cultures represented.
8. There are constant adventures to be had.
Whether you're hiking to a waterfall, dirt biking on an old ranch road, or stand up paddle boarding, there's always a beautiful place to explore or a new thing to try.
9. It’s nearly impossible to get lost.
Back in Hawaii, directions tend to be more along the lines of, “turn left at the big mango tree and then turn right when you pass the pink house.” It feels nearly impossible to get lost, whereas here in Seattle, giving Hawaii style directions tends to get people up a creek and ten miles away from their destination. Trust me, I’ve been there, done that.
10. Everyone knows everyone.
There’s a 99.9 percent chance that if you go anywhere, you’re bound to run into someone you know. And, if you don’t actually run into someone you know, you'l definitely see a mutual friend or exchange awkward eye contact with someone that you know of.
11. We use words and terms that no one else understands.
Often times, I’ll use Hawaiian words or popular phrases in my everyday speech, and I forget that people out here don’t know what I mean. There have been so many times where friends have looked at me confused mid conversation because they don't know what I'm talking about.
12. There are some questions you just can't avoid.
Some of my favorite questions that everyone not from Hawaii wants to know: Do you know how to surf? Do you go to the beach everyday? Do you know how to Hula? Do you know my friend *insert Hawaiian name here*?
