Aloha! As many of you know, this past month has been a big transition period for me as I have moved from Fort Worth, Texas to Maui, Hawaii! I am finally now feeling somewhat more grounded to write a post for you all, and share more of my experiences and what has been going on down here on the island.
As I write this, I am sitting at a cute outdoor cafe surrounded by plants and tropical trees. I am sipping on a decaf macadamia nut-milk cappuccino, after teaching a morning of yoga classes. This all sounds extremely picturesque and dreamy, and don’t get me wrong there are not a lot of complaints on my end, but I want to be super honest and transparent about what it actually is like moving across the ocean all alone. This is week two of my move, and I am still definitely in that transition period, taking each day as it comes, and all the emotions as they come and go.
November 26th, 2018, I boarded a plane with a one way ticket to Maui, not fully knowing what the next chapter would hold for me. I had connected with a local yoga studio on the island looking for Baptiste yoga instructors, (the type of yoga I was trained in), and was warmly welcomed into the studio and was offered a position as an instructor. This is a relatively new studio on the island and is in the process of building community, so I was very excited for the opportunity to come and help grow such an awesome yoga community. Besides the connections I had made through the studio, I do not have any friends or family on the island and was definitely scared to leave my home in Texas. I lived in Austin for 14 years, and Fort Worth for about 6 years. The comfort of home, of loved ones, of routine, and of security, were about to be traded in for the unknown.
The unknown is a scary place to be, and even the thought of the unknown often stops us in our tracks. However, staying where we are comfortable never inspires growth, change, adventure, and new experiences. I realized I was in a space where I was needing to be pulled out of my comfort zone, to see what I could create with my passions, and take advantage of the opportunities that were coming my way. BUT this is not to say that this decision was in any way easy. I am not a super spontaneous person, I like plans and to know what’s coming my way. But it was time for me to jump without knowing exactly where I would land, and to trust that my path would reveal itself to me. It always does, if we just trust ourselves and the journey.
So what has it been like for the past two weeks?? Definitley not cocktails on the beach! haha. I was fortunate enough to stay my first 2 nights with family friends who own a home on the island in Kihei. In those 2 days, I got ahold of a car and set up 2 different interviews at local places on the island. After the first 2 nights, I then moved temporarily to Makawao for a week to housesit for my boss and take care of his family cat while he was out of town! And in that week, I started teaching at the studio, and figuring out where I would be living after the week was up. I had a couple different leads, but it is not easy finding housing on the island, even if you have been down here for awhile! But no worries, a connection I had made helped me to find a room in a cute little home with some awesome roommates with full access to kitchen and all the necessities. I am planning to find longer term housing with just one other person around the start of the year, but I am so thankful to have somewhere that is safe and clean! It’s crazy how much we take for granted having a bed, a roof, kitchen supplies, washer and dryers, but we are so fortunate to have all of those comforts. The people here have been nothing but welcoming and helpful to me, and I truly could not have made this transition without the help of my yoga community, kind strangers, and connections from friends. I feel lonely at times, and cry when I need to. I often wonder if I made the right choice, and question if this is where I am supposed to be. That seems to be the human condition, always wondering if we are doing what we are meant to do…. I try to trust myself and follow my heart, and for now, this is where I am supposed to be.
My days have consisted of mainly adulting activities, like getting car insurance, buying some basic home supplies, working, interviewing… and also some fun like yoga and some stops at the beach! Like I mentioned earlier, I am just starting to feel somewhat more grounded, but emotionally each day is different. Moving to such a beautiful island comes with more than just the pretty beaches and waterfalls, it comes with the reality of starting from scratch. There is so much freedom in starting from scratch, but also so much letting go. This is a time for personal growth, of being open to the flow, working on my passions, and having new life experiences. I have no idea how long I will be here, but I am hoping to learn as much as I can, enjoy the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place, and focus on being in the moment each day.
You don’t have to move across the ocean to shift your life or your perspective, you can find that right where you are. I hope you feel inspired to take action towards creating the life you want to live and towards the passions that light you up.
Talk soon (:
Lauren