How About Gardening in Maui, Forever?

One of these in my hair every day

My husband and I started another convo last light about moving to Hawaii. This is one of those issues that won’t go away. If there’s something in the brain that niggles away non-stop, thoughts that won’t subside, ideas for change that won’t leave us alone, we should listen to them. Those are the things we should attend to. Thoughts on living on a smaller Hawaiian island have been rattling around in my brain for years.

Imagine the gardening! Growing our own food would no longer depend on abrupt seasonal changes. The food garden wouldn’t shut down for half of the year. I’m thinking beyond what I’ve grown all my life – in Hawaii, we’re talking fresh, pure fruits nearly year round: pineapples, coconuts, mangoes, avocados, bananas, soursop, sugar cane, citrus, olives, guava, passion fruit, java plum, taro, Okinawa sweet potato, and aloe. 

And flowers? I don’t even want to think about it. How about a fresh lanai flower or orchid in my hair each day? One thing I love about summer – my hair bleaches nicely. Come winter, it’s dark again. I’d love that blonde at my tips all the time.

Waking up with few clothes on, and staying that way. Never being cold. Living as far off the grid as possible: me working on the loom and the gardens, him working the land and selling the fruits of our gardens. Eating fresh, homegrown food from our land. Hitting the farmer’s market in Maui for the freshest food. Selling our own food at the farmer’s market. Maybe one of us will need to take a straight job, god forbid, but sure – I’ll gladly work hard on a sugar cane or pineapple farm.

This is all coveting, I know, I know. Coveting leads to unhappiness. But how about not coveting, and just doing it? That’s what we discussed last night.

Listen to that voice in your brain, the one that won’t go away.


Live Pono