Monday, July 4, 2011

My last days at Kalani...moving on.

There is something about the Big Island of Hawaii...some say it is the energy of Pele, who is the goddess associated with the island.  Claims have been made that Pele's energy can stir up emotions that can be quite intense and cause some internal discord.  The other islands don't seem to have this energetic component on this level anyway.  Or, maybe it is just the energy of the active volcano.

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Whether you believe in the legend of Pele or the possibility that energetically something may have been an impact, for me, all I know is that after 6 months I was soooo ready and anxious to leave that those last days of Kalani dragged on and became a bit frustrating to me.  I was restless, intensely so.  Leaving couldn't happen fast enough and it really didn't.  There were glitches with each step of the process and I had to learn to be patient with how this transition was unfolding.

Pele link:  www.mythicalrealm.com/legends/pele.html

However, there were moments of fun, like my last full moon at the point overlooking the ocean and New Year's Eve where I spent my time with Randy, party hopping at Kalani.  I hadn't really done any partying which was surprising to most when I showed up at each party.  But, it was my last night there and I wanted to be a part of the group and what they were doing...which was partying.  Randy (who also wasn't a party go-er normally) was a great party partner so he made it easy to move from place to place.  I really am not all that comfortable in groups or in party situations - maybe too many bad experiences in my early years where I felt rejected or felt socially inept due to my insecurities and shyness.  Whatever the case, it is what it is and I had a good time.

A week before, I had finished up at housekeeping and was taking my vacation days as my last few days there.  It was nice to not have to do anything besides have fun and say my good-byes.  As the final day approached, I packed up my things, cleaned my A-frame, and said my good-byes to living in the ghetto.  It was bittersweet saying good-bye to my home of three months and to the people, yet as I said, the energy was moving me forward. I was still inspired to explore and travel and it was time.

The morning of, Randy was going to be our driver to Hilo to get a rental car, which we would take to get to Kailua-Kona, the other side of the island.  We could barely get everyone's stuff into the van that we were using.  Luckily, I had purged, letting go of more stuff as I packed, and was traveling much more lightly than the others.  I had left all my 'extras' that I had acquired for the next resident of A-frame #27.  We were slow to leave due to others who weren't that organized, and the time it took to maneuver the abundance of their things around to get them into the van.  I was at my A-frame waiting, restless and a bit hungover, and, wishing that people had been traveling lightly.   I was the last to be picked up and my stuff just fit into the van. We were off...and we saw rainbows as we departed.
A good omen.

Randy presented us with a gift as we parted (we, being myself, Jan, Liz and Riana).  We opened his gift while sitting at a local restaurant for breakfast and we were touched by his generosity.  His gift was money for us to have a celebratory dinner when we got to Kailua-Kona.  We did, overlooking the ocean, watching the sunset.  Breathtaking.  We toasted our gratitude to Randy, our friend, our chauffeur, and our like-minded traveler who was and still is an inspiration.

The plan was that I would take a flight out the night that I got to Kona, but I was flying with a buddy pass.  A buddy pass means you fly standby and are not guaranteed a seat. After being dropped off, I went through security, which is a bit ridiculous to do since someone could easily hop over the wall into the airport - it is an open to the environment kind of airport.

I waited in a very long line until past midnight when I found myself standing alone, being the last person at the airport with no flight options available to me.   It was the holiday week and things were booked.  What was I thinking???  I called Liz to come back to get me.


 I stayed in Kona for several nights longer and spent time with Liz and Riana.  My delay, a glitch, but it didn't need to be...we headed to a white sands beach...ahh...peace and I could let go of my frustration about not leaving easily.  After a few days in Kona, I had begun to think that I may have been able to stay longer if I had had access to the white sandy beaches, but I didn't since Kalani is on the jungle side of the island with volcanic rock and black sand beaches - not to say it wasn't beautiful, I just resonate more with the white sandy beaches.
Hapuna Beach, Kona
I eventually had to say good-bye to my friends and was left alone in Kona for a night or two.  I wish I had been able to enjoy it more, but I was not being patient and was anxious to leave.  When I finally got on a flight with some paperwork problems around my buddy pass, I was on a plane to Seattle, Washington.  Excitement grew.  I was transitioning to the unknown.  I had no idea what I was going to do there or where I was going to stay...but I was heading there.
See full size imageUpon arrival in Seattle, I was so overwhelmed.  I had been in the remote jungle area for most of my stay on Hawaii and the city life of Seattle was way too much.  I knew immediately that I wasn't meant to stay there even though I had been there before and loved it.

I was staying in a cheap hotel, seeking out a computer when I asked someone about a possible location.  The guy said, Orcas Island.  A day later, after a few calls and getting a good deal with the owner of a B&B, I was off to Orcas island which is a part of the San Juan Islands, off the coast of Washington.
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I was on my way...to a new experience....and loving the freedom.






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