Alohaaa

 Hey Mom, I got fired from my job and am going to Hawaii to be a travel writer! I mean, maybe. The great thing about being a travel writer is that all you have to do is travel and write, right? And thanks to the internet, anyone (for better or worse) can be published. 

I didn't exactly get fired, and I'm not exactly going to Hawaii to be a travel writer, but it makes for good dramatic effect. Three weeks ago my position with a start up was "eliminated", which freed me from a tedious and unfulfilling job. They did me a massive favor by letting me go, because I have been known to be loyal to a fault and wait too long to cut ties with things that aren’t a good fit for me. Also, yay unemployment. 

Going to Hawaii isn't by total coincidence, either. I've known Monica since we were 5. We became best friends around 4th grade and have remained close ever since. When she and her husband Ryan were looking for a home to buy, Monica's mom, who moved out to the Big Island when we were 18, suggested she look at property in Hawaii. As the story goes, Monica and Ryan bought a 3/4 acre organic farm in Captain Cook sight unseen, and it has been one of my favorite places to visit ever since. Now, between the farm, their three year old boy, Bodhi Kai, one year old daughter, Mahina, and full time jobs, they have their hands full. Monica and I worked out an agreement where I get to live in a badass little cabin on the property in exchange for a day a week of childcare, plus or minus a bit of cash. I couldn't ask for a better set up. 

So while I believe my job title at least one day a week will be super auntie, the rest of the time here I intend to write, explore, surf, snorkel, make friends, write some more, farm, read, jam on the guitar, learn how to meditate and all those other things that one generally doesn't have time for with the normal hustle of life. Judging by my last endeavor at travel writing, which lasted exactly one post, writing (or doing anything) while taking care of kids proves difficult, but I’m hoping with discipline, structure, spreadsheets and lots of lists, I’ll stick to the plan.

What is the plan, you might ask. I don't know! I'm hoping to spend at least a few months in Hawaii, and I've committed to my brother and brother-in-law's joint 40th birthday in Barcelona this coming August. So Hawaii and Barcelona are my goal posts. I hope these posts are wide enough to give me fodder for this blog. Do people even read blogs anymore? I know I could do Tik Tok videos and Instagram posts, but I really hate that shit. For some reason, writing seems  less egocentric and shallow than Tik Tok, but I know that is just my self righteous inner monologue. 

Self absorbed or not, I love to write when I travel. Before I left San Diego, I did a thorough clean out of all my possessions and realized that, given my privileged life, I have been a travel writer for most of my life. Here is an excerpt from my journal of sailing in Mexico with my family 25 years ago to the day:

Not much has changed since '97, not the quality of my handwriting nor the content of my journals (generally). Squishy beaches, sailing, more beaches and pan dulce. For whatever reason, traveling has always inspired me to write. Whether or not it is good writing remains to be seen, or judged by previous posts – some decent, some mediocre, some absolutely cringeworthy. In any case, regardless of quality, I will be posting about traveling, farming, auntie-ing, surfing and all the good things that come with Hawaii. Follow along if you’d like.