Why swap homes with a stranger? “Aren’t you worried they’re going to try your clothes on?” my friend exclaimed in horror after telling her our plans for a home exchange. She wasn’t comfortable with a stranger in her home period. But I was open to it because we needed options. We had plans to visit […]
A Change of Plans We were supposed to be on an airplane, flying over the Pacific, engrossed in a movie with ample snacks stowed in the seat pocket. Instead, our carefully packed luggage sat by the door at home while we wandered the length of Kaiona Beach Park slightly dazed and lost. First, there were […]
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Indonesia. I have loved you long before I first stepped on your shores. It was about 20 years ago when I first read David Quammen‘s The Song of the Dodo. He introduced me to island biogeography with it’s giant lizards paired with miniature elephants and I immediately fell in love with islands. I remember reading […]
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Sans Souci Beach – a perfect little family beach Waikiki has a lot of excitement to offer, but we always find ourselves drawn to the same little stretch of beach called Sans Souci Beach. It’s a small beach on the outskirts of Waikiki adjacent to the Waikiki Aquarium. In fact, we walked past it many […]
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It’s been a challenging month weather wise. Even when it wasn’t raining, howling winds and man-o-wars kept us off the beach most days. We were extra grateful for the beautiful days and made the most of them. This is the last post of the year for our 10-on-10 photo project where a group of photographers […]
October was a whirlwind. For family photographers, October through December is the busiest time of year. With holiday activities piled on, it’s hard to make time to relax, stretch your toes in the sand, and breathe. But it’s critical. Here and there we managed to sneak in moments of joy outside – our happy place. […]
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A Beach for Little Adventurers Mila looked at me quizzically as she surveyed the beach. “Why did you take us to a beach with brown water, Mama?” True, the water often has a brown tinge as the rain from Kahana Valley empties into the bay, but it’s perfect for exploring. She quickly forgot about the […]
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Honolulu – Vancouver – London – Amsterdam – Budapest. That was our ambitious itinerary for our two week trip to Europe. Sure, we had taken the kids to Europe before, but this was the first time we were doing any real traveling. The type where you don’t speak the language and you have to navigate […]
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The Beauty & Diversity of Big Island Big Island has a wild, raw beauty that is undeniable. Its diversity is unparalleled from dripping rain forest to barren moonscape. You can dance on black, white, and green sand beaches, gawk at waterfalls as they meet the ocean, and gorge on lychee, papaya, and mango. If you’re […]
Hawaii has always been a land of vibrant color for me. I’ve fallen in love with the many shades of blue and green and don’t see the landscape in black and white. But now I want to. I just committed to a 100-day project with another group of photographers – 10 minutes a day dedicated […]
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The Magic of Kaneohe Sandbar The Kaneohe Sandbar is located in the middle of Kaneohe Bay, in windward Oahu, about a 45-minute drive from Waikiki. As a submerged sandbank, it becomes partially exposed during low tide, taking the form of a shallow, sandy area that stretches out into the bay. At low tide, you can […]
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Nuuanu Valley Park, The Best Park on Oahu That’s right, I said it. Nuuanu Valley Park is the best park on Oahu. I dare you to drive past it in the crush of traffic on the Pali Highway and not feel a tug to pull over and stop for awhile. From the road, the welcoming […]
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