THE LONG ROAD TO HILO

When I left Hawai'i to go to school in Oregon in 1972, my intention was to finish my degree and come back to Honolulu and settle down.  Instead, I chose relationships that kept me on the mainland for over 30 years, something I don't regret, but would probably make a different choice today.  I've moved around, mostly in and around Portland, OR (with a brief stint in Erie, PA), but have never lived in any place that I could truly call home.  Most of my adult life, I kept hoping to return to my native Hawai'i, but when I finally did in 2008, I didn't see myself living in the bustling city of Honolulu for the long term.  It's a great place with lots of activity, but too crowded and noisy for me.

I had eventually planned to move to Hilo, on the Big Island, but saw that happening sometime in 2012.   My sister just moved there from Maui in February and the city of Hilo reminds me of the town of Kailua, where I grew up in the 60's and 70's.   When my sister's live-in companion passed away a couple of months ago, I decided to make the move sooner, by September 3rd to be exact.  It's always a big risk making a move with a spouse or partner because no matter how much you like it, they have to like it too or seas will always be rocky.  But with my sister, I know I'll never have to cross that bridge, our energies complement each other and we both are committed to living  the rest of our lives in Hilo.

Now I can see myself putting roots down, becoming an active member of the community, participating in the activities that make the Big Island a great place to live.   I feel like a tree that has never really been in the right soil, had the right weather or enough sunshine to really flourish.  I think we all come to a point where we feel like "we're home" and I feel that way about Hilo.  For the first time in my adult life, I feel truly grounded and have this sense that the best of my life is really ahead of me.

Many of my friends have asked, "Why do you want to live in Hilo, it rains so much?".  I just smile and say, "I like it there."  (In a typical Portland winter, between November 1 and March 1, you'll get 90-100 days of rain.  It makes Hilo look like Palm Springs).   All my years in the Pacific Northwest were simply getting me ready to live in Hilo.

Hilo is a great contrast of new and old.  It has big time retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot, but also great local establishments like Nori's Saimin and Blane's Drive-In.  The Ebesugawa Sisters Florist has been in business over 75 years and the "sisters" are still there everyday despite being in ther 70's and 80's.  Hilo also has one of the best "Farmer's Market's" in the state where produce is freshly picked and the fish are literally caught that morning.  It's that lifestyle that's causing more local people to move to Hilo to retire and because the real estate is the most affordable in Hawai'i.  

I'm fortunate to have many friends and classmates there, lots of opportunity and and a landscape where things grow so easily.  I'll miss my brothers and friends in Honolulu, the UH football games and being in the hub of statewide activity, but I won't miss the traffic jams, the noise and #6 Bus going by every 14 minutes starting at 5:13 every morning.  

My life has taken a lot of twists and turns and the road has been steep and rough in places, but I think we all just want to find that place where we feel connected to the environment and the community, feel loved and supported and confident that we can not only live well, but thrive.  I know in my heart, that I've finally found it and that sense of certainty is truly amazing.