If I Was the Wind - Original Acoustic #5

Recently I've made a big move and ever since then I've been trying to figure out where I really should be. I've lived in 3 states now, I know that's not a lot compared to others. It seems like a lot to me though but I would travel even more given the opportunity!

If I Was The Wind

We've recently moved from Kauai, HI. I lived there for over half of my life and I fell in love with the food, the people and the nature. There are places there that just instantly make me happy. I miss family, our favorite beach, my favorite mountain trails and I miss laulau like no other (meat wrapped in taro leaves - I just eat the leaves but they are the best thing in the universe). But when it comes down to it I'm still white which in many circumstances would automatically qualify me as a haole (somewhat derogative term for foreigner). 

My husband's entire family from both sides have been on Kauai for generations, plantation days and beyond. He has tons of aunties, uncles and cousins and it just seemed like he belonged there, although he was always the one who talked haole and not pidgin lol. I enjoyed being a part of big family parties and learning about the Hawaiian culture but I realize that it will never really be my culture. Then I got to thinking, "Well, what is my culture then?" 

I feel so separated from the homelands that my bloodline migrated from years and years ago. I'm not even really sure where that is. I'm some type of German, Scandanavian and English but at this point all of my family left in those countries are really distant and the holidays that we celebrate seem pretty Americanized too. It's no wonder why group culture is so important here, it gives us all a place to belong. 

Add that to the fact that the US was taken over less than 500 years ago and that Hawaii was overthrown less than 200 years ago and things get really weird. At that point in human history, you'd think there would have been a better way to negotiate things rather than just claim the land and pay reparations later. Between that whole ordeal, slavery, the holocaust and the notorious brutality of the Vikings what little I know of my ancestry sounds pretty brutal. And that's just about all I learned about in history class. Thank goodness for the peaceful hippy revolution of the 1960's! 

All in all I am happy to be where I am. I love all of the places that I've lived. If I had my way I would experience every culture. I think they are all so beautiful and interesting. There is so much to see, so much to do and so much to eat :P!

Hope that you all are having a great week!

<3KM