So I went to Maui for Xmas. As in, Hawaii. As in, Paradise. It was truly a beautiful place, with tropical breezes and rainbows (and double rainbows) every few hours. I played in the ocean, SWAM in the ocean (for me with my lizard-like metabolism, this is nearly a miracle), tromped through tropical jungle, and drank in sunsets almost as glorious as those over Lake Champlain in Vermont. I spent days convinced I had finally found a place I could be happy making tourist art, just so I could manage to live there. Ian is looking into the graduate program in Honolulu for the future.
Strangely, it reminded me of Vermont, albeit the most perfect summer day ever. I realized that what I miss most about Oregon, besides my posse back east, is humid skies full of puffy clouds, smearing the sunset all over the place. Here, the sky is usually grey or blue, but seldom much of a mix.
I am looking for the chink in the armor, however. I'm sure there is something wrong with the place. I've never lived anywhere that didn't have its huge problems. I suppose the small size of the islands and their proximity to nothing might become claustrophobic. The cost of everything is considerably higher. And then, there is the fantastic, laid-back spirit of aloha which is magical on vacation, but might wear on me eventually. Aloha is not only the word for "hello" and "goodbye," it also means a spirit of brotherly love and well-being. Which means people move slowly and peacefully and are happy. Which also means they are a bit like the Portland slackers, if those folks could get transported to Paradise.
On our way to the airport the last morning, we stopped at a locals' beach in the hippie town of Paia, and met a dude who was 25 going on 55, blazed out of his mind, who "bombarded us with aloha." I wonder if too much aloha is bad for an artist. I felt like my edge was slipping. How can you write strange little stories about monsters in a land of so many rainbows? I didn't see one mohawk on the whole island. And for me, that was a bad thing.
The reviews of Honolulu are very love/hate. I look forward to seeing it some day. Right now, I am embracing the clouds and the moss, as that is my immediate future. And I have some monsters to go draw.
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