HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII, USA

Thursday, May 25, 2017 | Language: English, Hawaiian, some communities speak Pidgin | Currency: U.S. Dollar | Population = 390,738

Aloha. It’s the first thing you hear, see and feel as soon as you step foot in Hawaii. The easygoing, smooth-sailing, carefree way of life here – the Aloha Spirit.

Aloha. It rolls off the tongues of the beautiful women as they place fragrant frangipani flower leis around your neck. They wear the flowers behind their ears, on the right if they are single and on the left if they are married.    

Aloha. It is painted on signs all around you including the iconic Aloha Tower which stands as a welcoming beacon for visitors traveling to Oahu.   

Aloha. It is joined with a playful rainbow on the license plates.

To Hawaiians, the word “aloha” means more than hello or goodbye. The word has become part of local culture, often referred to as the Aloha Spirit. It is said to capture the history, legends and values of true Hawaiian culture. Some say that aloha originally meant “what is yours is mine,” a true reflection of the Aloha Spirit. It reminds me of Shalom and Namaste.

Pronounced ha-VAI-ee by locals, Hawaii feels familiar. No currency exchange is needed. Everyone is speaking English to each other. The U.S. Postal Service truck drives by. Even though you are in the center of the North Pacific Ocean; 2,390 miles from the nearest coast of the mainland in California and 4,780 miles from Baltimore.

Hawaii is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America, receiving statehood on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is the only state not located in the Americas. Floating all by itself in the middle of the Pacific, Hawaii proudly maintains its own distinct identity apart from the U.S. mainland.

While it was once a major hub for the whaling, sugar and pineapple industries, it is now economically dependent on tourism and the U.S. military. The natural beauty of the islands – the sugary beaches, cobalt blue water, colorful coral reefs, beckoning volcanos – continues to be Hawaii’s greatest assets. Honolulu is the state’s capital and largest city and where we begin our journey.

The television show Lost, shot in Hawaii has a thank you note at the end of the credits saying, “We thank the people of Hawai’i and their Aloha Spirit.”