For me its balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surf is in my ear; I can see its garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud-rack; I can feel the spirit of its woody solitudes, I hear the plashing of the brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago.
– Mark Twain, a Biography

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient.

One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh- Gift from the Sea

This morning I am sitting in the lanai at the cottage and soaking in the space that surrounds me.  I wish I was more of a poet and could put into words how I feel but suffice it to say- the ocean is everything.  Somehow just the sound of it is all problems, all victories, all moments of tedium, and all gleeful exclamations.  It makes me happy in a way nothing else does.  It might seem like a cliche but just the sound makes me want to be a better person.  I can’t explain it but knowing there is something that beautiful makes me want to live a more beautiful life.

I just love it so much!  I am a very soft sleeper but last night I just had to leave one window open (with screens of course).  I had to hear the swoosh, swoosh, bang of the waves.  It made 21 hours of travel well worth it.  Anything is worth it.

I’ve had a very tough year and it means so much to me to be here.  I feel like I can throw all my problems into the water and it will take it away for  a time, only to bring it back with the tide.  In the meantime, I have 12 days to absorb life without all the burdens and struggles.  I can be perfectly happy and that is the magic of Hawaii for me- perfect happiness.