Coronavirus and Current Situation Thoughts

As places begin to reopen and the stay at home orders start to relax, I just had to put down my thoughts on how this should have taught us a few things.

While we were all stuck at home, there were less cars on the road and less people in wild places. All of this led to nature being able to breathe a little. As much as I love travel and visiting places, it was a nice reminder that sometimes we need to give Mother Earth a chance to recuperate. We as humans need to realize our impact on the earth and try to find ways to be a little bit more conscious about our decisions.

In Hawaii, not having tourists has had a big impact on our economy. At the same time, a lot of locals are liking it. The few visitors to our island that have come during the pandemic have, unfortunately, shown little respect for our islands and people. As someone who loves to travel, it is heartbreaking to see someone who has traveled here with no respect for the culture or people of this land. Anywhere we go, we should always be respectful of the culture and customs there. After all, what is the point of traveling to a new place if we learn nothing from it? I believe that travel helps us learn to be better and more understanding human beings. All experiences are a chance to learn something new.

On a side note: This was originally typed up prior to the current situation regarding riots and the horrifyingly tragic incident that resulted in a man dying. I think what I am sharing below also highlights how one can protest without resorting to violence. The people of Hawaii have always had their fair share of protests and it can be done without violence. I think our anger can be channeled in more positive ways for change to happen.

I wanted to share a piece of my home that was put together in the form of a video by Mana Maoli. They do amazing work and this video brings me to tears every time I watch it. If you do not know anything about Hawaiian history or culture, this video will give you a glimpse into what Native Hawaiians have gone through and still go through. It also shows a bit of how we have protested in the past and how we are still protesting to this day.