You Say Goodbye, I Say . . .

Aloha! In Hawaii, Aloha means both hello and goodbye. I am greeting you, so in this case it means hello.

Here are a few extended “alohas”:

Aloha kakahiaka—Good morning

Aloha `auinala—Good afternooon

Aloha ahiahi—Good evening

Aloha also means love.

Aloha Au Ia 'Oe—I Love You

Aloha Nui Loa—All my love

Aloha Pumehana—Warm love, affection

So, how do you know what someone means when they use the word, aloha? It’s all in the context. I greeted you with a warm hello, just like you might be greeted by friends at the airport in Hawaii.

Also in Hawaii, there’s something called the aloha spirit—filled with love. You’ll experience this when you visit the islands.

Today (Thursday the 19^th) I am filled with the aloha spirit for family and friends—it’s my birthday, and I am excited to celebrate another year! Check out my photos and you’ll see I’m not going to let the growing number of years get the best of me! See me climb a rock wall and go down a zip-line, both for the first time! Maybe I’ll even post videos of my attempt at wakeboarding and my indoor soccer experiences. Haven’t done any surfing lately—but I did when I lived in Hawaii.

Before I go, there’s another word used on the islands on a regular basis, although maybe not as familiar to you as aloha. The word is Mahalo, which means thank you.

Are you ready to continue this adventure with me, exploring a little history, geography, geology, arts, and food of the islands? Come back regularly and soak up tidbits of Hawaiian culture.  You’ll soon discover why I chose to base my mysteries in the islands. I’m excited to find out what I’m going to share on Monday—it’ll be a surprise for me too!

Mahalo Nui Loa (Thank you very much) for visiting, and Aloha `oe! (Farewell to you)

--Cheryl