Hawai‘i Vacation - January 2015

This past January I spent two and half weeks in Hawaii. I had just come off the longest concentration of work in my life, having completed photography on In An Instant, a show that came out this past winter on ABC. I was drained. I went to the islands to relax, refocus and spend some time with my sister and my friend Aaron (both live in Honolulu). I was mostly a depressed ball of recovering emotion, but managed to get PADI Open water certified while there (3 days of course work and 3 days of diving) and began to get myself into shape (working on the TV Show I wasn’t making good dietary choices and certainly wasn’t exercising like I need to). I also spent the better part of a week on Moloka`i and had the great honor of meeting photographer P.F. Bentley who showed Aaron and me around to some amazing spots on that island. We were also accompanied by his amazing ridgeback canine companion, Ehu Girl. I was faced for much of my trip (when not with my sister or Aaron) with an immense feeling of loneliness. Much of this I attribute to spending the previous 4 months surrounded by friends and crew and high stress 14 hours a day 5 or 6 days a week and then having nothing planned for me all of a sudden, it was an adjustment. But I also was experiencing these beautiful things and seeing these incredible places... alone. I didn’t have anyone to share it with. I had thought that I would want to be alone after all that work and designed my trip as such, but it left me empty. This alone time, however difficult, was likely good for me in that it highlighted what is important to me and helped me see what my values truly are. But now, through my photography and a couple of video clips, I can share part of the experience with anyone who cares to take a peek. So if you take a look, I thank you for sharing in this trip with me! Cheers!