It’s my very first packing post! I don’t usually write about what I bring with me when I travel, even though it’s a topic people ask me about. But, before I left for Hawai’i back in January, I did take photos of everything I was bringing with me, so, I figured, why not blog about it? Wondering what to take with you to work on an organic farm in a tropical climate? Or how to fit 2 months worth of items into a 50L backpack? Just feeling a little voyeuristic and want to look at all my stuff? This is the post for you! What I brought to Maui: Clothing:…
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The Pros and Cons of WWOOFing on Maui
Do you want to live in Hawai’i for free?! Um… maybe. The answer to this question isn’t as simple as you might think. I lived and worked on Maui for 2 months by WWOOFing. To refresh your memories, WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, and provides people with the chance to take part in work-trade programs all around the world. In exchange for room and board, volunteers work part-time as farmers. I’ve written about this program and other alternative ways to travel the world before. This time around, though, I want to talk specifically about my experiences WWOOFing, and share with you the pros and cons of…
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This Tea Tuesday, It’s Actually Ti Tuesday
I decided not to write a new post on Sunday because it was Father’s Day, and, if you don’t know why that matters, please see the previous blog entry. You don’t even have to read the post, you can just look at the title. I’m back today because it’s Tuesday, and on Tuesdays I drink tea. Well… I drink tea everyday, but I write about drinking tea on Tuesdays. Except this post isn’t about drinking tea. Oops. It’s about a different plant, which I encountered while living and working on an organic farm on Maui, called “ti.” And, yes, pronounced “tea.” So, it’s Ti Tuesday. (Ha!) And, for Ti Tuesday,…
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Weekly Travel Inspiration: Adventures in Travel Vlogging!
This week, I am proud to bring you your weekly travel inspiration in video form! Press play to hear about whales and the two months I spent living and working at an organic farm on Maui. Joyful discussion of humpback whales by me, filming by my boyfriend, E, editing was a joint effort. I hope this will be the first of many travel vlogs and videos to come. Let me know in the comments what you think.
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Tea Tuesday: German Chamomile
See this plant? This is German Chamomile growing in the tea garden at Hana Farms, the organic farm I worked at in Hawai’i. This sad scraggly thing is also German Chamomile: This particular specimen is looking pathetic because I transplanted it to the garden bed in front of my cabin, and, at the time this photo was taken, it was still adjusting to its new home. The farm manager told me that when you transplant something, it helps to pick off any flowers so that the plant will focus on growing stronger roots instead of wasting energy on keeping its flowers from wilting. So, when I saw my German Chamomile…
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The Hana Highway and Hana Town: A Pseudo-Local Perspective
I lived in Hana, Hawai’i for two months while working on an organic farm, and, as such, I have some insights into what life is like there. I want to share my pseudo-local perspective with anyone considering a visit or a more extended stay like mine. These are the insider tips you learn from living in a place, and knowing people who have lived there longer, but they are not the lifetime of understanding that comes from being born and raised in a place. Hence “pseudo-local.” I’ve mentioned the Hana Highway twice before (here and here), but I’m dedicating a post to it now because it’s one of the main…
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Maui
When I first heard that hitchhiking was a “normal” way to get around Maui, I was skeptical. However, after living there for two months, I can vouch for hitching as an accepted and useful mode of transportation, particularly on the Hana side of Maui, where I was living and public transit is nonexistent (a once daily bus to Kahului that requires reservations in advance notwithstanding). I didn’t do a lot of hitchhiking on Maui; I mostly just went the 3 miles between the farm where I was living and Hana Town — a short enough distance that the one time I didn’t get picked up for a ride, I was…
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Travel is a bit like acting
Throughout high school and college, I did theater. I loved being on stage with an audience watching, but unlike many of my friends, I didn’t want to pursue acting as a career. For me, acting has always been a fun hobby. I think one reason I like traveling is because it’s a little bit like acting. When I travel, I assume a travel persona, and this persona is different depending on where I am and how I’m traveling. I noticed this most obviously while living in Hana, Hawai’i for the last two months. Hana is located on the Eastern end of Maui, and is only accessible by plane or driving…
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Apparently, I’m an optimist
I think it’s time for a little meta-blogging. By which I mean, this post is about blogging and also my feelings, but don’t let that scare you away because it also includes funny anecdotes! While this is a travel blog, not a personal blog, I can write about no one’s experiences but my own, and I hope you find the narrative of my life mildly interesting. Two weeks ago, a friend commented on my post about how Krakow was a turning point when I was backpacking Europe. She said: “Nice to hear about the real feelings… you are usually so upbeat that the tough times make you seem more approachable.…
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Tea Tuesday: Mamaki Tea
Remember this plant? The one that’s growing in the tea garden, and I took a nice photo of, but didn’t know its name, but I liked the photo, so I still put it on the internet in a previous blog post? It turns out this is Mamaki, a plant that is only native to Hawai’i and is known for its medicinal qualities. Mamaki is commonly made into a cleansing herbal tea, which is good for digestion and general relaxation. (That sounds like code for “a laxative that will get you high,” but it’s not.) I was told by some of the other farmies (folks who work here) that just a…
