Hawaiian Word of the Week: hoka

I recently got back from a trip to Hawaii and it never fails that the minute I board the plane to come back home, I feel hoka (pronounced: hoh-kah) or disappointed. With every trip, it gets harder and harder to come home. 

As I mentioned in last week’s post, I do a lot of thinking as I watch sunsets on the beach. My last night in Hawaii this past trip, I did a lot of thinking as to why I feel so hoka everytime I leave Hawaii. First, the air…I take a deep breath and feel the unpolluted air fill my lungs…the ocean: the sound of the water that seems to calm me the minute I hear/see it…the people: living the aloha spirit and sharing it with everyone (and making me a better person by following their example)....the pace of life: so much slower than the intense feeling here in Silicon Valley. Maybe I’m just realizing as I get older, that really, what I’m looking for is a much calmer existence and that the true value of life is in the simple things.

What makes you feel hoka when you leave Hawaii?

Our ohana on Maui still needs us. Please consider donating to help the relief efforts on Maui.

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