Although these images seem spectacular, they are as ordinary as the everyday. Moments like these happen all the time here. Over time, the awe they evoke becomes something no words can describe. It is like when the moon is filtered by passing clouds in the night sky. It occurs just above your head and is one of the most beautiful sights to witness, but it’s not an out of the ordinary occurrence. You just look up in silence and feel something deep inside that resonates with the sublime.

Aloha is love, presence and breath.

Being at the beach, having the sun above, swimming in the ocean, sharing stories with friends and strangers, learning something new, and catching the sunset with the warmth of the day and the vibrations of the ocean still inside you.

There’s a nice little scene at Baldwin Beach. It’s a place where, no matter what I have going on, nothing affects me once I’m there. All is at ease, and I can really chill out.

Having a second life on the mainland.

There is an image of Hawaii that, up until the moment you arrive, is intangible. When you are here, you are here. You can move about, feel the wind, smell the air, feel the earth beneath your feet, and see a land that is boundless. As you spend more and more time here, that initial beauty is replaced by something far more profound and mysterious. There is no longer an image.

I remember hearing a podcast by Duncan Trussell in which he described the archipelago as “God’s elbow”. God’s work is normally not seen, but in Hawaii you can catch a glimpse.

Ross McElwee, Omer Fast, and Alan Watts.