Aloha Means Hello and Goodbye

I returned to Hawaii this week on what will likely be my last trip here. I’ve been coming here regularly for the past two years, working on two back-to-back projects. For two years, I’ve split my time between my home in Arlington, Virginia and my project in Honolulu, Hawaii.

While I’ve enjoyed my time here, I’m ready to be done with this island. It’s a 12-hour day of flying to get here and with a 6-hour time difference, it makes adjusting a beast. And while yes, I’m in Hawaii, I mostly just work long hours – it’s not like I’m laying on the beach with an umbrella-ed drink in my hand. For anyone who wants to glamorize my life, here’s my typical day in Hawaii:

4am/4:30am: Wake up – if I’m awake before 4:30am I log on and start working.

5am-6am: Workout – this means hitting the gym or going for a run

6-6:30am: Coffee / shower / get ready for the day

6:30am – 11am: Work from my hotel room. This is decidedly not glamorous – here’s my set-up:

This is where I work from while in Hawaii. Try not to be jealous….

Yup, my hotel room has no real desk so I use this small table and sit on an uncomfortable couch. Because it’s not meant to be used as a workspace, the couch isn’t the right height so I have to sit on two pillows and prop one against my back. It’s still not ideal and I often end up with a backache from sitting in the position for too long.

11am: Head to the ship to have lunch with my foreign crew or walk across the street to the food court and grab some lunch.

11:30am – 6pm: Work – either from my office or onboard the ship, depending on the day.

6pm – 7pm: 2nd workout – yoga or walking or an evening run

7pm – 9pm: shower, eat dinner, work on poetry and/or additional work tasks

9pm – 10pm: Read in bed till I fall asleep…and honestly, I’m usually out by 9:30pm because 4am comes awfully early…

There is, of course, some variation in my days but for the most part, this is my routine. The only thing that really changes is the 2nd workout – if I’m too busy I’ll skip this and keep working, often working 12-14 hour days. Most Saturday mornings I go for a hike with a local hiking club I joined and then the afternoon is spent working. On Sundays I go to yoga, then try to relax a bit before logging a few hours of work. If I’m lucky, I’ll carve out some time to work on poetry, either my own, or reviewing submissions for Crack the Spine, the literary magazine where I serve as a Poetry Editor.

All in all, my days and weeks in Hawaii are a steady stream of long days filled with work.

There are, of course, good things about being in Hawaii. The weather is lovely and a nice break from east coast winters. The hiking is unlike any I’ve ever done. And the sunsets can be quite glorious. But even with all of that, I’ve had my fill of this island. I’ve had my fill of rainbow-inspired poems. I’ve had my fill of the long flights and the time difference and being away from my husband and my home.