Stopover on Kauai

Arriving in Hawaii.

It had been almost nine years since I had seen Eric and I expected him to look exactly the same. He pulled up to the arrivals gate where I was waiting for him. As soon as I saw him, that huge smile, just the way I remembered it, spread across his face and it was like no time had passed at all.

Eric and I met freshman year of college when he sat behind me in English 101 and started telling me pirate jokes. He was intense, funny, and just enough crazy that we quickly became friends. He left the beginning of sophomore year to study in Hawaii for "one semester" and he was supposed to come back for the spring, but then keep delaying his return... And now here we are, 12 years or so later, and he is still there.

Over the years, our relationship often consisted of late-night phone conversations when I've either been drinking or suffering from insomnia. I really, really appreciate having a friend like him. He is always ready to have intense conversations about anything. He is by far one of the most genuine and passionate people that I have ever met.

Just like the last time I visited him on the Big Island in 2006, he was ready to provide me with an experience of Kauai the way most people will never have a chance to see it. 

He throws a trail book at me and tells me to navigate. While he drove, I attempted to follow the directions, which went something like: "Once the road ends, you'll drive though a couple of rivers, make a left at some tree with branches, another left at one of the forks" and so on. And of course there was no map.

There had been some heavy rains over the past few days and eventually we got to a very large puddle. Eric decided to walk in to determine how deep it was.

So, we aren't going to make it any farther on this road, but that's okay. He takes me to another trail that is more accessible. Luckily, the entire island is full of beauty.

Eric and his truck with our adventure awaiting in the background.

View from our hike just after I have arrived to the island.

#Selfie

Over the next few days, if Eric is working, he lets me drive his truck around to explore. If he is not working, he takes me on adventures.

View of the sunset from Eric's backyard.

During a hurricane in 1992, chickens got loose and now represent an ecological nuisance on the island.

I found this while exploring on my own one day.

Bamboo forest canopy.

On one of our hikes, Eric made me cross this waterfall. The rocks were really slippery, but we survived.

Another friend of mine, Pete Kartsounes, who had been traveling around the world for something like two years happened to be in Kauai at the same time as me. We met up to talk about where we had been and where we were going - life.

When I first met Pete in 2008, he was preparing to hike the 500 miles of the Colorado Trail to raise money for children with cancer. I remember meeting with him for breakfast in Boulder just after he returned from the hike and I wanted to know if he found the secret to life while hiking. I don't know that he gave me an answer, since I don't remember one, so I'm guessing he hadn't yet. I'm sure he is always getting closer though.

The more I travel, talk to people, move, experience, and leave my comfort zone, the more I'm beginning to wonder if maybe the secret to life is to just always be seeking and striving to be the best person you can be. Do you know what I mean? Just don't stop trying and don't stop growing. Ever. Don't ever think that you are better than anyone or know more. Be honest. Be thoughtful, patient, and kind. Be selfless and ask questions. There is always more to know and I think that the more we seek, the better off we all are. Say "yes", but don't be afraid to say "no" either.

But, what do I know, right? This is only my first time here.

This is Pete.
He is a musician and you should check out his music.

Pete contemplates the ocean.

A crowd of people had gathered here and we thought someone fell in.

But then we saw this sea turtle instead! The Hawaiian word for turtle is honu.

The following pictures are just from other places around Kauai during my visit.

On my last, full day on Kauai, Eric took me hiking. I don't remember the name of the place, except that he called it, "The Grand Canyon of Hawaii."

When we were in the parking lot, before beginning this hike, we overheard the couple in the car next to us talking about Portland. Eric knows how I feel about Oregon, so he made friends with them and the four of us hiked together for the day. They were really nice and when we completed the hike, we exchanged numbers so that I can dog-sit for them if I do end up there! 

For the last night in Kauai, Eric took me to this beautiful beach on the west coast to camp. We stopped on the side of the road to fill his truck with firewood. 

The view from our "camp site".

The small blob of color on the bottom corner is my friend, even if he just looks like a pile of towels.

While Eric played around on the beach, I stood by the shoreline to capture every moment of the sunset. Here are some of the pictures of the sun setting on the Pacific Ocean from the west coast of Kauai: 

The next afternoon, Eric drove me to the airport. We hugged goodbye. Then I walked into the airport full of excitement and fear. My next stop would be Auckland, New Zealand. I did not know anyone in there and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do when the plane landed, other than put one foot in front of the other and keep breathing.

A rainbow bids me farewell and good luck before I begin my next adventure: New Zealand.

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If you have the time, I recommend watching this interview with Eric regarding the controversy surrounding the Thirty Meter Telescope project on the sacred volcano Mauna Kea. He is very passionate about this subject matter. 

Highway 101

After dropping the car off at the Eugene Airport, Danny called. We found each other using Craigslist Rideshare. He was moving from Portland to Santa Cruz, California for a new job and was looking for someone to keep him company; I was trying to get to Berkeley. We spoke for a few minutes and he explained that he wanted to stop for hiking and exploring along the way. We would camp in his truck for at least one night. Perfect!

A few minutes later, Holly and her husband, Paul, arrived to pick me up with their new, tiny, little baby in tow - something like 10 days old!

With Holly being a new mom, and me being totally exhausted from nonstop moving and annoying bouts of insomnia, the only thing I really remember was watching Hunger Games and cuddling with her dog.

The next afternoon, Danny arrived.

This guy shows up at the door with his RayBan glasses, mop-top haircut, and a fringe leather jacket. We are about to travel for two or three days together (and he is my second Craigslist Rideshare experience). Honestly, I was wondering what I got myself into and not sure what to think about this 26-year-old dude who looks like he has traveled straight out the sixties to pick me up. I am hopeful that I will, at the very least, get a good story out of it.

We get to his truck, which is parked a couple of blocks away, and I become suspicious. My first thought, of course, is that he has parked his car out of view of my friend's house and he is going to murder me right now. I was not thinking about how he was towing a trailer and parking is not that easy on her street.

Either way, I voluntarily get into his 1989 Ford F150 and we begin our journey, heading due west to Highway 101 - the scenic route.

I feel some relief as he tells me that he has to call his parents back in Staten Island to let them know he picked me up and we were leaving Eugene now. I could hear his father on the phone. He asked him something about making sure to stop by a commune somewhere.

As we drive along, I get to learn about my driver. Danny was a "Socialist Jew from Staten Island". He referred to himself as such multiple times, while chain-smoking cigarettes and talking passionately about politics, music, mental illness, and society.

He told me about a radio show, or PodCast or something, that he hosts. I forget if it was about music or politics, but most likely it was a combination of both.

Danny and I both love Folk Rock, so choosing the music for our trip was an easy compromise and mostly involved playing albums that we had a strong love for and then introducing each other to new artists we hadn't yet heard. Lucky for you, I forgot to write down any of the new bands that he introduced me to.

We started the trip with Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde followed by Cat Stevens, and then Joni Mitchell. The rest is a blur. But it was perfect. All of it. I made sure to pretend that I was existing in the sixties for the entire trip. But once I turned my phone off, there was no real way to tell the difference! I could pretend we were playing 8-tracks!

I loved being in this big, old truck with this vintage dude listening to the tunes out of the original speakers (playing from his Smart Phone) while driving along the breathtaking Oregon Coast. My heart feels so alive just reliving this. I can't even!

Part of the agreement to take this trip together, was that we would stop and explore when we felt so inclined.

We were somewhere near the Southern Oregon Coast when we saw these amazing mountains and decided to stop. Even though it was overgrown, we found a trail that we could hike down to these beauties. I don't need to tell you anymore. The photos will do that for me. 

For the complete experience, I recommend playing this song while you scroll:

The Three Sisters

Danny walking ahead of me on the trail.

Am I in the United States or Middle Earth?

I found a Hobbit!

Middle Earth

If you are still wondering why I want to move to Oregon, do I need to say more?

We drove for a couple more hours before finding a State Park on the Coast to sleep. We ate granola bars and talked about life - one of my favorite conversations. He went to sleep in the bed of the truck, and I slept in the cab. 

We were on the road the next morning by 7:30am - after he called his parents on the East Coast again to let them know. It did not take too long before we crossed the California border. We decided it was okay to take our pictures for both states. (The pictures of me in front of the California sign were blurry.)

We kept on driving and listening to good music. We drove and made stops when we wanted to look at the land. There's nothing more to say about the drive, really, so I'll just let you look at the pictures.

Redwood Country

Chelsea and a Tree

The first elk that Danny had ever seen in his life! Right here!

One of those places that sells... stuff.

Army of Peacocks

Sasquatch or Big Foot?

We arrived in Berkeley just before the sunset on the second day. I thanked Danny for the adventure and with that, my new friend, the Socialist Jew from Staten Island, continued on his way to Santa Cruz to begin his new job in the morning. 

Moments before Danny drove off into the sunset.

View of Berkeley at Sunset