{ aloha andy }

I miss saying aloha on a daily basis.

Thoughts of Hawaii have been on my mind a lot lately after hearing about the death of Andy Irons

I've been recalling many days spent on the beach watching him at Pipe.

I didn't know Andy personally but  have always been in awe of the awesomeness of the surf
and his surfing prowess.
I never was great at surfing, but I'm obsessed with watching.
Taking pictures of the waves is actually what got me back into photography again. 

Walking down the crowded, billboard invested streets of Times Square every day,
Hawaii seems like a dream, but it's not.
Once upon a time, the first thing I saw each and every morning was the ocean
and I got to breathe in the sweet plumeria air. 

Hawaii is too much a part of who I am to ever forget. 

 the spirit of aloha is real 

and those of you who know what I'm talking about, know how very real it is.
It sounds cheesy, but it's not cheesy at all. 

as I watched flowers showering down on thousands in the water who came
to pay their respects for Andy,
I was pulled back to my aloha days and the spirit I felt there.  

I have a hard time relaxing but take me to the beach and I could sit for hours, just staring at the waves.
As I watched everyone pounding the water in memory of Andy, I was overwhelmed

overwhelmed by the death of such a great athlete not much older than me
and overwhelmed with the spirit of the islands
and the great community there that I used to be a part of.
life was so much simpler there
we never watched tv and the tallest buildings around were not more than 2 stories
life revolved around the ocean and enjoying the islands to the fullest
and that we did.
we spent time talking instead of trying to find the next big thing
and more time listening...to each other and to the waves crash against the shore
and late at night when the lights went out and the moon was full,
we were out enjoying the warm hawaiian waters.
The moment I'm around anyone from Hawaii, it's all we can talk about
and I know it will always be that way.
Once Hawaii gets to you, you'll never be able to really let it go.
aloha a hui hou

{ photos courtesy of Jack English & Transworld Surf, & this video of the memorial }