...the more things stay the same.

In my old job, I sat in an office at a government agency and spent the bulk of the day writing and reading reports and responding to emails. Now I sit at an office at a grassroots environmental organization. And spend the bulk of the day writing and reading reports and responding to emails.

I kid. A little. (Have I mentioned that that environmentalism is an astonishingly LOT of paperwork?)

Certainly, some things have not changed. But many things have. I have never felt such a sense of purpose and urgency in my work--not simply that the work I am doing is meaningful, but that the work I am doing is truly part of something greater, a small contribution to things that might actually change the future of this place. And for the better.

Perhaps unconsciously, I have always considered myself to be "from" here--three generations before grew up and lived and worked in Hawaii. I am finding that I am a true Californian in ways I didn't know, and that in me is a heart for Hawaii in ways I hadn't expected.

Other differences? Well, it rains a lot more in Hawaii than LA. I walk to work, instead of driving. I eat more chinese takeout than I used to, and it's harder to find organic greens. There is no Trader Joe's (the horror!), but the mangoes are much, much cheaper. And the papaya is much better. Oh, and rainbows. Lots and lots more rainbows.