Guess who caught the bouquet?

I just passed the 6 week mark here on Kauai and it just keeps getting better.  Since moving to the Kauai Beach House Hostel, life has become one big family. People come and go but there is a core OHANA (family) living each day as a song, a dance, a sharing, a kindness …... Some people are working at the hostel in exchange for lodging. Some are passing through on their way to the Kalalau trail. Still others like myself and my daughter are here to enjoy the connection through community living and partake of the bounty of this beautiful islands many beaches and trails. Every day there is a new adventure.

Last week we went zip lining. Not something I would have chosen myself but it seemed like a good idea when it came up.  With a big fat YES , I  decided go for it and abstain from worry .  I figure why worry when perhaps I am no longer the person who is afraid of speed or height. It turned out that it was true. So it would have been a waste to get worked up. After the first few launches off the edge, (a bit of a leap of faith), I developed a need  for speed . I watched a 14 year old boy launch himself off the edge and I followed suit with all I could muster.   We spent the entire day out in the stunningly gorgeous and picturesque outback of Kauai zipping and enjoying the magnificent vistas. Incidentally, this is the very land where Jurassic Park was filmed.  The day ended with a little zip into a fresh water pond. Deep transformation occurred for me that day as I let myself arise through play!!

Jill and Kiala, harnessed and ready for action !!

What you see under us is just the tree line ……the bottom is way way down there under the water falls. Very beautiful. Like the garden of Eden!!

Adventure #2 involved a trip to the end of the road on the west side of the island. After a day of deeply satisfying wave riding at Brenneckes beach in Poip'u, we headed to Pulahale for sunset. The 4.1 mile dirt road, laden with pot holes,  took approximately 30 min to navigate in our Toyota Echo. The end result was well worth the head bobbing and wear and tear on the rental car. We were treated to wild Hawaiian waters and a gorgeous vista looking down the Napali Coast. Heaven on earth. As colours of the sunset and the almost full moon penetrated our senses, we dove into the embrace of the magic of  land and sea and tumbled head long into playtime. During the  30 min return trip, we created a song line starting with "999 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" , that is surely still echoing through the area. Between  stopping for toad crossings in the now darkened road way and belting out melodies with heart opening zeal, the trip was a complete paradigmal blast.

I will end this blog by sharing the Nuptuals of Olive and Jewel. My first same sex wedding.  With very little planning (two days in fact) the ceremony was an inspiration of community giving and sharing.  The two brides declared their intention to be married and everyone jumped to contribute. We even had an in house minister who was able to perform the ceremony. Same sex marriage is legal in Hawaii but not yet legalized in their home state of Oregon. Ohana came out of the woodworks (I really mean this literally) to share their gifts and create beauty. This is what it is like to let go and let the whole universe give to you. A photographer ,who incidentally is also a pole dancer come cirque du Soleil acrobat, shared her talents.  Someone brought champagne and another chocolate with which we  toasted the new couple. Another made a bouquet and someone else appeared with flowered leis. As the ceremony was about to begin a brother showed up out of thin air to play the wedding song requested by the brides. He literally came in out of no where and sang it beautifully. OMG!!! As they pronounced their vows, the sun beamed out from behind a cloud and when they were finished a whale beached to the left. You can't plan that!!! Still gives me goosebumps. The party that followed was a delight of song , hula hooping, tree climbing, coconut pole dancing and sharing of everything. A beautiful day was gifted to all of us.

I asked for community (inside and out) and I am being gifted with it faster than I can think it. Through this connection, my body is letting go of cellularly held memories. Letting go of what I have been taught that is not true. Letting go of habitual worry.  I hear my higher levels, my divine intellect ,whisper softly  "Kiala, you have been expecting the worst for a long time but we want to give you the best ride ever. Jump in sister, the waves  that we are sending you are going to take you on a journey of arisement through play. Even if you stumble, we got your back. GO FOR IT."

 Congratulations OLIVE and JEWELS

GUESS WHO CAUGHT THE BOUQUET?

Landed in my hand like a guided missile!!! Bring it on!!