Thoughts on being home.

The thing about spending half your year at sea - or just away from home - is that nothing stops while you're away.  

In my mad dash to head out the door I left a little sweet potato stuck in a glass on my windowsill. It had two tiny sprouts coming out the top. This is what I came home to. How it survived let alone thrived is beyond me.  

It's the perfect analogy for just about everything else in my life. 

My family. My friendships. My home.  

I often times leave and return to find things have changed.  

After ten years what I know is this - the things that are meant to be will be here when I return. You know that friend you can see after five years and it's like nothing has changed?  Some things are just meant to be.  

It always takes a few days after coming home to assess the lay of the land.  

What's new. What's the same. What's something I need to let go of. What's broken. What doesn't matter if it never gets fixed.   

People keep asking 'what are your plans this time home?' and what I really wanna say is, 'leave me alone.  I don't need a plan.' but, I don't. I pretend I'm socially adept and tell them what they want to hear.  

Then I hang out in my house. I water my new little sweet potato plant. I rummage through my shelves to see all the things I've forgotten I like. I stream music (because hello cell phone reception is glorious). I wear my pajamas until the afternoon. I shoo the neighborhood cats off my porch.  

My plan is to do that on repeat. The people who don't care I've been gone will stop by and join me.  

Hello House, Remember Me?

My house and I have a long complicated history. We're kind of like a married couple who have a bitter divorce but then realize it really was meant to be and re-marry.  Except now that we've remarried we actually have to relearn eachothers quirks and idiosyncrasies. 

As in, oh yeaaah, that pink bathroom tile on the front porch really did always irritate me!   I forgot about that....  We're married again now though so I guess I better get over it...maybe I can just throw a lauhala may down and take a sun drenched photo?

The house has a lot of BIG projects that require tackling...like the gutters need cleaning, the exterior needs bleach and paint, *ahem* the front porch needs new tile...​

Even though these projects are BIG I'm considering them the 'micro' and am instead focusing on the 'macro'. 

The overall big picture is that I need to learn to love my house again. ​

It's cute. Undeniably adorable. ​

Except I need to get comfortable here - make it feel like mine - again. ​

I'm still waiting for my things to arrive...I mean we all know how unpredictable those shipping schedules can be *wink*!​  In the meantime I'm just relaxing here. 

I'm making coffee. I'm hanging curtains. I'm setting out photos. I'm listening to music. I'm working on the macro.  

I'm also documenting a lot of this process on Instagram with the hashtag #haleonautie (Hale O Nautie = House Of Nautie).  

Aloha Friday v5

Nautie Friends!

I'm back in Bali (which feels blissfully familiar and easy compared to Nepal).  

I celebrated Aloha Friday exactly as it was meant to be celebrated - by doing absolutely nothing - and then eating.  

This also means there is no song for you....vintage instagram of Hilo Bay?  It'll have to suffice - not quite Halloween-y is it? 

(Also, there is absolutely no sign that Halloween exists here other than my Instagram. This suites me just fine.)

I hope you lovelies are enjoying your Friday wherever you find yourselves! 

September Equinox

The sun cracked the horizon at due East this morning and will set at due West.  Day and Night will be almost perfectly split.  Late this afternoon marks the September Equinox here in Hawaii (4:29pm to be exact).  

Today is when the earths equator perfectly lines up with the celestial equator.  The sun will begin moving into the Astrological Sign of Libra - the scales - who's symbol looks like a sun rising above the horizon.

In Greece Persephone will be returning to her husband Hades in the underworld.

Autumnal Equinox Day is a public holiday in Japan so that they may celebrate the Buddhist holiday of Higan, cleaning headstones and offering flowers to passed loved ones.

China, Korea and Vietnam will be celebrating the harvest with a moon festival - giving thanks, gathering with loved ones and praying.  

The Mayan Pyramid Kulkulkan was built to track the equinoxes - the pyramid was built to create a serpent made of shadows - this phenomena is most noticeable at the equinox.

The Iroquois celebrated the harvest with a corn dance.

Michaelmas (or the Feast of St. Michael in the Catholic Church) preparations are underway with people making corn husk dolls and stuffing themselves with a a large goose dinner.

Pagans and Wiccans will be celebrating Mabon, or the time when there is balance between light and dark.  

In Hawaii Piko o Ka Honua in September marks a transition from the move of Kane to Kanaloa time period.

“The season for enjoying the fullness of life — partaking of the harvest, sharing the harvest with others, and reinvesting and saving portions of the harvest for yet another season of growth.”

— Denis Waitley

On a personal note, I can say with absolute certainty that there is very little balance in my life.  I live a life of extremes.  Being at sea, flitting around on land, spending money I don't have (perhaps I should say....spending money like a drunken sailor....), heading back to sea to work my butt off so I can flit around a little more.

Where does that leave me?  With the sun on my face.  With some change on the horizon.  With some important decisions made.  With gratitude for all I harvest.  It leaves me completely unapologetic for every little imperfection I claim my own. 

Here's to balance.  Here's to change.  Here's to the seasons of our lives. 

Technically, the Equinox is an astrological point which means that the day and night isn't exactly equal - it also means that the date and time fluctuate.  Secondly, I prefer the term September Equinox over Autumnal because well, it's not Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.  

Using the September Equinox as a marker I'll be lining the blog up with seasons.  I figure, what could mark my Going Nomad experience more accurately then the path of the sun?   

Home Sweet Hilo

If there is a reason you haven't heard from me in a few days it's this right here....

I'm Home In Hilo.

I think if I hadn't made it home I'd be in a fetal position on my Life Coach's office.

How's that for a Going Nomad affirmation?  I had to go home or I might freak out (heh heh).

In reality, I came home to take care of some business but, going for morning swims, having lunch with old friends and attending a baby luau are some serious perks.

There's been yoga and water aerobics and fresh fruit smoothies.

I know I sound like a little Braggy McBraggersins but, truly, when I think about what relaxes me and fills me up simultaneously, and then realize how closely it's connected to where I'm from and who I'm with I realize that I hope others feel the same way.

I hope you all look out your windows in the morning and think yep, life is good.  I hope you eat something fresh and locally grown and think yep, life is good.  I hope you can't wait to meet up with your friends.  I hope you sit around and chat (ahem, gossip) and think yep, life is good.

I hope your home is sweet.

Concrete Memories

My Step Dad is really into memory making these days.  I know that sounds a little goofy but, I actually mean that quite literally.  He'll say, 'Mei, I think you need to come help me do this....someday you're going to wanna say you helped....we're making memories!'.

The 'side-yard' has been an ongoing household project.  (When I say ongoing I mean....we've been working on it for years...)  Johnny (he'd be my Step Dad) has been making concrete pavers, he's been eradicating the 'yucky grass' and cultivating his favorite type of grass, he's been building rock walls and most importantly carefully cultivating orchids.  

Every weekend he makes three pavers - which is exactly one wheelbarrow full of concrete - and last weekend he absolutely insisted that I help him.  Which sounded like this:  'but Mei, you'll be soooo sad if someday you can't say you made some pavers....we're making memories!'.

Out into the yard I went to help shovel some concrete and then use the mag float to smooth the surface....but basically I just took pictures of Johnny making pavers.....

Concrete memories being made.

Concrete Memories In The Making.