Fragrance
The thing I remember most about Hawaii from my visit to Oahu five years ago was the overwhelming smell. It is a difficult-to-identify conglomeration of warm sand, cool salt water, rich earth and sun-kissed flowers.
When I arrived at 11:30 at the Kahalui Airport last night, the second I stepped off the airplane, I recognized the scent. To my delight, it was raining and that seemed to just intensify the juiciness. Tarah picked me up in her VW, and after giggle-laced hugs of excitement, she handed me a can of coconut water. It was perfect for sipping as we drove down the dark roads in the rain.
We sat and played with the kittens as we chatted before bed, watching the little one run around attacking a crumpled up piece of paper with the determined stealth of a ninja. By the time I slipped into bed, I was ready for sleep to fall heavy on me, like the rain falling on the roof.
I woke up this morning and crawled out of bed into the little adjacent enclosed porch off my bedroom with my sea-green silk scarf across my lap. The window was open and a breeze dragged through the room and across my face, quiet as a flower-scented whisper. The atmosphere still was thick with last night’s rain and I sat smiling while listening to the palm leaves play in the wind. I practiced my pranayama, sometimes unsure of which sounds were my breath and what sounds were the world outside.
And now, Tarah and I are getting ready to adventure. Beaching and bending is the general consensus. Make mine a double.