Recently, a friend of mine asked me how
I ended up in Hawaii. I'll try to keep it brief, but it's a long
story...
In July of 2012 I made the decision
to unload my personal possessions, quit my job, move to Hawaii and
volunteer full time in exchange for a roof over my head and food to
eat. It was an extreme change from the life I was living in Ohio,
but that was the whole point.
Before Hawaii – I had a financially
stable job that allowed me the freedom to work from home, but I was
miserable. I had my own place, my own car, my bills were paid, I
could put food on the table, but I was miserable. I'd just completed
the third round of radiation and quarantine, and my doctor wrote me a
“clean bill of health” by telling me that I was going to spend
the remainder of my life on medications. That was the straw that
broke this camel's back.
I knew that was a lie, and I was done living a lie.
I knew that was a lie, and I was done living a lie.
I had a great job (on paper), but I
didn't feel fulfilled, instead I felt like a fraud because I was
discouraged from being totally truthful with clients. I had my own
place, but my neighbors frequently turned into verbally abusive
stalkers when I didn't return their affections or accept their
advances – my sanctuary was no longer serene.
Chemotherapy was hard on my body. I
could barely walk the 15 steps from my bed to my desk without
debilitating pain. I could barely work for 3 hours without becoming
so fatigued that I needed to sleep for several hours, which is
pitiful considering I had a very sedentary job.
I could barely dress myself without pain and fatigue, I felt like a total failure because I couldn't even stand up long enough to wash dishes or prepare a proper meal. I was not living by any stretch of the imagination.
In short, something had to give.
To keep myself occupied (read: distracted from the misery that was my “life”) I took up work as a freelance writer. One of my first commissions was ghost writing a book about raw food dieting. That planted the seed...
I could barely dress myself without pain and fatigue, I felt like a total failure because I couldn't even stand up long enough to wash dishes or prepare a proper meal. I was not living by any stretch of the imagination.
In short, something had to give.
To keep myself occupied (read: distracted from the misery that was my “life”) I took up work as a freelance writer. One of my first commissions was ghost writing a book about raw food dieting. That planted the seed...
Next, I started transcribing audio for the author Simon Sinek (Start with Why)
The deeper I delved into the material for my freelancing assignments, the more I realized I needed a full lifestyle reboot. So I started to dig deep and ask myself hard questions:
What do you want?
What do you enjoy doing?
What makes you feel fulfilled?
When are you your happiest?
What are you doing when you lose sense of time?
The fact is, I'm not motivated by money. I'm motivated by being physically active, engaged in something creative, and helping others feel genuinely happy. After some research, I realized that I could achieve all of these things by dedicating myself to volunteering, and there are tons of people in need of volunteers to help lift their burdens.
What better place to volunteer full
time than Hawaii?
I arrived in Hawaii in September 2012, and started working at my first work/trade location – a 15-acre coffee farm at the start of coffee picking season. It was grueling work, physically taxing labor, and I loved every minute of it. Yes, I was still in pain. Yes, I was still fatigued. But I refused to give in. I'd quit my job, donated all of my material possessions, I had nothing to go back to, and only one way to go, and that was head-long towards reclaiming my life. Every day I listened to my body, and slowly weened myself off of all my medications. Within 18 months I'd stopped taking all meds, I'd lost a significant amount of weight, I was walking several miles a day, and I was starting to recognize my reflection in the mirror once more.
That first year on the Big Island I volunteered at four different locations, each one with its own valuable insights, lessons, challenges, and growth opportunities.
In July of 2013 I arrived at Hale Maluhia (The House of Peace) and accepted the volunteer position of housekeeper. This place truly lives up to its name, and I feel like I'm home. Every day I feel healthier and happier, more valued and significant than ever before.
