I am

This island is busy.

As in busy roads, busy people.  Not much of the "Aloha Spirit".  It seems there are more tourists and military personnel than locals.

There are locals, they just seem a bit more hardened than the ones I know in Kona.  There are no "Aloha's" or "Mahalo's".  Just hello and thank you.

Maybe they are just a bit more like the mainland - a bit more hardened from all the people coming and going.

Don't get me wrong, I have met nice people.  These military guys and gals protecting our country - they are incredible people.  I love hearing their stories.  I even got to go on base and see bullet holes in a building from when we were attacked.  These kids know their history.

To get ANYWHERE, you spend at least 30 minutes in the car.  I know that's not a lot to some people, but for me I don't really travel much out of a 20 minute zone, so to spend an hour in the car is upserd for me.

Today, we were at the North Shore (and it is GORGEOUS, by the way), then I drive Todd back to his house.  I then leave for canoe club.  It's 20 miles.  This equals an hour drive.

What am I doing?

I'm driving over an hour to go to canoe?  Have I lost my mind?

I get to canoe club.  I'm hot.  I'm actually kinda whiny - good thing I was alone.  Seriously, I even thought of just going to the beach to swim and not going to canoe club.

I waited it out.  This group is a bit more serious than my last group.  There are also actually people my age in this group.  There were teenagers there.

We get in the canoes.  We paddle down a "canal" in Waikiki - about two miles.  Then you make a turn, and the ocean is there.  On Tuesday, we got to that point, then we turned around.

Truth be told, if I had never paddled before, I would have never gone back.  It was okay.  The people were good, it was actually just another activity I would have participated in.

But, today, we got to keep going.

The next thing I know, we were headed to the "third buoy" from the marina.  The double I was on (holding 12 paddlers) made it out first.  All other canoe's were to turn around when the first one made it to the third buoy.

I am in the middle of the ocean.  You could also see the surfers in Waikiki.  That is what the picture books are made of.

Suddenly, my canoe was the first to turn around.  On my right was downtown Waikiki - with the sun glimmering off of all the high rise building.  Shining so bright with a beautiful reflection.

On the left, the sun was beginning it's descent into the ocean.

Then, as I was paddling harder than I ever have before, to catch a swell.  I am then paddling harder.  Part of a team to catch that perfect "push" back into the harbor.

Straight ahead is Diamond Back.

Part of something that was more than even me.  As I am now a part of pictures all the tourists were taking.

I use to be one of them - watching the outriggers in the sunset.  Now, I am on the right side of the camera.