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Of course, one of the first things I wanted to do was visit my old homestead in Leilani Estates in the Puna District of the Big Island. I heard that the 2018 Kilauea volcano eruption had taken over parts of our subdivision, but I wasn't sure what part. We drove our rental car through the town of Pahoa and turned down Leilani Ave, the main thoroughfare of the Estates to look for Luana Street, eventually coming to a headend without seeing it.
Luckily Google Maps redirected us to Luana St. through an unfamiliar secuitious route, eventually arriving at Luana with nice houses and yards a block before ours. But as we kept driving, we eventually came to a huge lava mound where our block and home use to be. The Volcano Goddess Pele had taken our street as the 2018 lava flowed into Leilani Estates. As I stood on the lava and chanted to Pele, I had a epiphany: Nature is the ultimate power!
Driving back through Pahoa and stopping for coffee and reflection, I saw a mural of the Goddess Pele, and contemplated her power!
The Big Island Dance Council was celebrating it's 50th anniversary, and asked me to give a talk on Dancing the Afrofuture, which includes chapters on dancing in Hawai'i. I gave a talk on August 14 entitled "Ho'okoana: She Who Performs and Achieves," alluding to my Hawaiian name bestowed upon me by Kumu Hula Ehulani Stephany. She opened the entire presentation with a traditional Hawaiian Oli (chant) for which I was very grateful. Many of my former Big Island dance students attended, and I felt very honored.
Gene and I, of course, visited several of my old friends like my hula sister Lily Chan-Harris and her husband David, as well and Richard Koob of Kalani Oceanside Retreat.
Being in Hawai'i was another full circle moment, reuniting with the Aloha Spirit of the Islands.
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