The islands are calling...

In my pursuit of happiness, I find myself returning to Hawaii to live. I can't be a backpacker forever, so I was on a quest to find a place to settle for awhile. And by awhile, I mean less than a year. That's how I roll. Nothing is long-term in my life, you should all know that by now. I've had 8 months to ponder which island I wanted to live on. I was dead set on Maui by the 6th month of my trip. I planned to travel to Oahu, Kauai, The Big Island and Maui. In that order. Here's my opinion of each island:
Oahu- great job opportunities await me, but it's too crowded and touristy for my taste. Choose only as a back up plan.
Kauai- very quiet and laid back. But I felt like I would get bored there quickly.
Maui- I've always loved Maui, it was a no-brainer that this was the place I wanted to be.
THEN, I get to the Big Island. Never been here before, mind you. I pick up my rental Jeep at the Kona airport. As I make the 2 hour journey from the dry, arid west side to Hilo, the scenery starts to change from dry, ruble rock to a lush green rain forest. I'm in awe as I pass fields as green as Ireland and countryside speckled with horses, cows and sheep. Sometimes I swore I was in New Zealand. I drive along the north shore, called the Hamakua coast, and I'm blown away.

Hamakua coast

As I pass through the small, quaint towns perched along the sheer cliffs of this amazing coast, something clicks. Like a light bulb turning on above my head, cartoon style, I realize that this is the place I want to live. There was just SOMETHING about this place. I loved the vibe. I'm all about vibes. People have vibes, places have vibes, even things have vibes. This place had a very good vibe. I had to make it my home.

The very next morning, I started on my quest to make this island my home. With the help of craigslist, I found a house for rent in a tiny town called Pa'auhau, which is about a mile from Honoka'a. What I like best about the house is the fact that I have a tranquil view of the ocean from my lanai and bedroom window. There is a hospital in Honoka'a that just happened to be looking for travel nurses. (ooh, pick me! pick me!) The town is so cute and cozy. Just my style. Everything just seemed to fall into place and I knew it was meant to be. Maui will always be there, it will just have to wait.

I have a good feeling about this place. I highly doubt I'll experience my infamous island fever here. This island is so diverse, how could anyone get bored here?
It seems very country to me. There isn't that crowded feeling and I don't feel like the island is crawling with tourists. This is a true paradise. I feel like I've struck gold.
I spent the week getting to know the island. I was fascinated as I found sea turtles beached up on the shores of black sand beaches, basking in the warm sun.

Enjoying the warm sun

One night I saw the eerie red glow from an active volcano, simmering, looking ready to blow. I felt like a movie extra in "Joe vs the volcano".

I drove to the southern most point in the US and hiked 6 miles to a green sand beach.

Green sand beach

Another day, I hiked through molten lava rocks in Volcanoes National Park and warmed myself by the natural steam vents, natures own sauna.
One night, I drove up to the top of a volcano named Mauna Kea, which is the highest point in Hawaii, to star gaze. We seemed to magically drive up and above the clouds, into an alien-like world. I shivered as I peered at the stars gleaming brightly in the night sky. It's said that you can see 90% of the stars from Mauna Kea.
I hiked deep into the Waipio valley and also witnessed the tallest waterfall in Hawaii, the Akaka falls, crashing violently into a pool below.

Akaka falls

I had no idea the Big Island was so amazing. Yep, this is the place for me. At least for now. I've found my own slice of heaven, and I intend to rejuvenate myself here until I'm ready for my next big trip. I'm going to nourish myself with fresh organic fruits and vegetables that are so abundant on the island, and clear my head with the use of yoga.
Here's a few amazing facts about the Big Island of Hawaii:
~It's the youngest of the Hawaiian islands at the tender age of 800,000 years old.
~It's continuing to grow in size as the active volcano, Kilauea, spews volcano lava.
~Of the 13 climatic regions on earth, the Big Island has all but 2.
~It has the world's most active volcano, Kilauea.
~It has the wold's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, when measured from it's base below sea level to peak.
There's just so much to do and see here! I'm so excited to explore this phenomenal island!!!