ALOHA PROUD

What does Aloha mean?

I did a quick Google search to find an already existing definition of “Aloha” and found that the first result explained it best:

Aloha is a form of greeting, to say hello, welcome. But it’s also a form of farewell, or to say goodbye.

It’s also used as an expression of love and affection.

It’s all things good and positive. It’s uplifting and selflessness.

But more than just a word, Aloha is also a way of life!

Aloha to all and thanks for stopping by my blog. Hi, I’m Jenn and I am ALOHA PROUD!!

What does being a Hawaii local mean?

Aloha world!

Before we get into it, I’ll need to take it back a bit. I was born and raised on the island of Oahu. I was not raised according to any specific culture or ethnicity but I was raised ‘local’.

I know you may be thinking, “but what does that really mean?”

Well without going overboard, I have to share a little history of Hawaii taking it back to the beginning of the 1850s.

At that time, the sugar cane and pineapple industry began to grow rapidly.

Over a time period of 50 years, the industry contracted immigrants for labor from China, Japan, Portugal, Philippines, Korean, Okinawa, and Puerto Rico to work in the fields.

After the labor contract was fulfilled, workers had the option to return to their home country or to remain in Hawaii.

Many chose to stay.

Because of the diversity and mixture of cultures, Hawaii became a giant cultural melting pot.

As time evolved, the local culture emerged which basically meant that families were adopting the things they liked from the different cultures and making it a normal part of their lives which eventually became the norm across Hawaii.

In a nutshell, the local culture is a mix of many cultures, dominantly Asian cultures.

Do you have to be Hawaiian to be considered local?

Being local does not mean that you have to have Hawaiian blood.

I don’t.

Being a local refers to people who were born and/or raised in Hawaii.

Sure, there are some locals that don’t have “Hawaii” on their birth certificates but if the majority of their childhood and beyond was here on island, that generally checks the local box too.

There are many people who have been to the islands many times, perhaps coming to Hawaii every summer for vacation – “since ever since” or who may have been stationed here for a tour or two if they are Military that claim to be ‘local’. Sorry, no.

The local culture is something that you grow up with and is forever ingrained in your understanding in the people.

My blog

I’d say for a non-military/non-airline employee, I have a pretty good tally of places and countries that I’ve visited.

From an easy cruise ship vacation where almost everything is planned and all you have to do is show up to planning a multi-country excursion, purchasing everything on my own in the ala carte fashion, I understand how daunting travel planning can be.

Travel planning on your own is time consuming. From the endless googling of: Where to stay in ___, or Where to eat in _____, Things to do in ____, or Where the locals go in ____. You fill in the blank.

If I still have your attention up to this point I suspect you found your way here googling something about Hawaii because you may be planning on visiting the islands. If so, good! I’m here to help.

Learn about Hawaii from a real local resident

After hours and hours of reading reviews on yelp, tripadvisor, viator, etc…the lines start to get blurred on whether reviews are stacked with reviews of tourists or locals.

A frustrated travel planner will go with what popped to the top of the search review, which (sorry to burst your bubble) may be paid to show up on top, leaving the real gems in the dust.

I decided to start this blog to share all things Hawaii!

I’m here to help

I am here to help you with your travel plans to Hawaii from a real local.

Do you really want to know what we do or what we really eat?

To be upfront, there are 8 islands of Hawaii: Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, Kahoolawe

I’ll blog a bunch about 4 of the main islands: Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai

I’ve been to Lanai and Molokai once and only for a short while so I’ll try my best to share as much as I know.

I don’t have content on Niihau and Kahoolawe because I’ve never been there

In order to visit Niihau you’ll need an invitation from the family who privately owns it.

Kahoolawe is forbidden.

With all of that, feel free to ask me any questions about Hawaii.

Beautiful Hawaii

I am blessed to live in one of the top travel destinations of the world, Hawaii.

The Hawaii economy depends heavily on tourism for its main source of revenue and like any tourist destination, our tourists often get distracted and fall into tourist traps.

I’m here to share Hawaii from a real local perspective and the no kidding places locals go and what we really eat.

I encourage you to use this blog as a source of planning your trip to Hawaii especially if you’re wanting to experience it like a local. If you want a tourist experience, I can help you with that too.

Who am I?

I am proud to be from Hawaii. I love travelling, adventures, and trying out all sorts of random things.

I am fun and always try to look for the good in everyone, everything I do, and everything that happens.

I believe in betterment for everything whether it is mindset, education, or just getting out of your comfort zone.