DAY 19- Mononucleosis

The test results came back positive for mononucleosis. People are sometimes out for as long as six months with this. But that won't be me. I'll get better soon.

I've become more intimate with the Straub Family Health Center at the Winward Mall. Apparently the main place to go to for a general practitioner. Getting an appointment was painless enough and the woman at the desk show exceptional kindness, but my first two doctors were somewhat apathetic.

The first, as I said, showed appropriate humility and clearly didn't trust too much in his practice. He reasonably assumed that it was a virus and sent me on my way. I told him not to prescribe me anything.

The second, clean cut and stylish, seemed more of a salesman than a doctor. He joked with me about Hawaii, and how badly he wanted to get to the mainland so he could go snowboarding again. I don't think he talked about my sickness or looked at my insides once. He gave me some anti-biotics and sent me on my way. Later I discovered that diagnosed me with sinusitis- a general bacterial sinus infection- ironically enough the same mis-diagnosis the diagnosis service on WebMD made for me, when I typed in the symptoms myself.

The third doctor, Dr. Mickels, asked why the second doctor prescribed anti-biotics, when you clearly weren't experiencing sinusitis? I shrugged my shoulder. Dr. Mickels, was more than helpful and very caring. She showed me everything on her little screen and worked through all the steps with me and actually listened to me, even though I was I mite strange through my swollen glands.

The strep test came back negative.

The mono came back positive.

She printed off a nice sheet and such and talk things over with all proper like. She was a very nice doctor and clearly desired to come to the proper conclusion.

So now I have Mononucleosis, and three bags full of Ricola natural herbal cough drops.

No better place to recover from Mono than in Paradise.

DAY 12- Recovering?

I failed to write the last two days. Come night time I've entered into a feverish haze and slumped on my bed.

I walked down to the local store today. Picked up some detergent, bread, and lots of orange juice.

I decided I need to really stand up to the sickness, to kick it back into its place- to show it what a little vitamin C can do.

My tent is erect outside. It waits for me. I put it up to avoid the mosquitoes.

I'm going to go avoid them.

DAY 9- Playing Sick

I looked up at the stars as I stretched my legs. A few were visible and glistened. At least one blessing for each star, I mused.

The doctor assessed that I either had a viral infection or . . . leptospirosis. Doctors aren't always as much help as you hope, but this one was particularly reasonable and aware of the limitations of his practice.

He told me to keep him posted.

My fever was 100 degrees F. Back at home Emma gave me some Yound Living Melrose essential oil and graciously told me to keep the bottle. It soothed my swelling glands as I rubbed around my years and upper neck. I sucked on a lozenge.

As a child I often played sick so I could stay home from school and drink Jell-O juice and watch cartoons. My mom rarely stopped me. One time I faked an illness to stay home from church and watch a Luney Tunes special on Granny and Tweety Bird. I never played sick again.

I wish I was playing sick now.

I noted that clouds hid many of the night's stars. The stars likely wouldn't strike us so if clouds or city lights didn't often obscure them from our view.

Perhaps time granted Emerson's plea.

DAY 8- Leptospirosis

My eyes hurt when I look to the peripherals. My body is unusually sore and aching. I slept more than normal for the last 3 days. I went swimming in fresh water 3 days ago, at Maunawili Falls.

When I made my campsite reservations and picked up some topos for hiking it seemed like all of the tourist literature mentioned leptospirosis. Don't wash open wounds in fresh water. Don't submerge your head in the water. It is carried and transmitted by various small animals, and water is often infected when contaminated animals urinate in the fresh water.

Although I made sure I didn't have any open wounds when I went into the water, I admittedly submerged my head, and I'm not the best at not inhaling water when I swim.

John had warned me against it, and I had warned my friends against it. Now I may have it.

Oh well, all in a good life.

DAY 7- Emma

I went to sacrament meeting today. It was passed. The high councilman spoke. He recollected an experience when he was a young boy, and his scout troop embarked on a 20 mile hike: from Lai'e to the Kaneohe stake center. At one point they were hiking along the road. He thought to himself- if nobody is behind me, I'm going to hop on the next bus. He looked behind himself only to see his scout master's enthusiastic face. The scout master saw the fatigue in the boy's look. He said to the tired boy- just hike past ten of these telephone poles and then rest. So he did. And after each set of ten, the boy rested, and after each one, the loving scout master bent down and rubbed the boys sore ankles and feet.

The scout master, of course, didn't remember any of this, but tears swelled in the eyes of the teller.

I sat at the end of the front right row, the tall white end of a long line of Polynesian children, counter balanced by a tall Tongan woman- Emma. She cares for six of her own, and two of someone else. She houses a man with no legs, another single mother with two children, two missionaries, a nephew, and myself.

She runs the household and the daily activities, regally. She cares for all around her and those in need, lovingly. She dreams and plans an NPO of her own, to house the elderly, and the young and the youth, faithfully.

A facility will be built at the bottom of her pasture. People will come from all around to find sanctuary.

-This is the circle of life, yeah- she says- people helping other people. I will provide not just for those who can pay, but for those who can't afford too.-

This will happen as the Lord wills.

Like the scout master she will help those that are tired and sore. Perhaps one day, she will not remember all of the occasions that she helped the afflicted or lost, but rest assured, tears will swell in the eyes of the teller.

DAY 6- Leaping into Paradise

So I am already within paradise. Oahu is the local of millions of tourists a year, all seeking after its tropical climate, unprecedented beaches, and laid back lifestyle. Today, I went to a paradise within a paradise- the place where people already acquainted with the beauties of the island go to find relaxation and pleasure. That is- Maunawili Falls.

We caught the bus south. Transferred to another. Started walking. Made our way through pleasant neighborhood back roads, up winding roads cutting through dense jungle, and, eventually, to the trail head. The hike wasn't much to talk about difficulty wise, however we did pass some unfortunate, dehydrated passer-by's. We traversed the jungle, up, and in and out, and through, and across, and over and down, down into a valley, where a river flowed by. Hopping across the rocks, we came to a calm, cool pool, water flowing into it from above. It trickled down over a gradual fall, with tall walls curling up around it all, embracing it. We were the firsts to arrive.

My comrades unvested themselves, and didn't waste time diving in. I held back, and waited for Josh, who opted out for concern of leptospirosis, him having large wounds on his toe. We climbed up the near wall and spied out into the pool. The others swam across the pool, scrambled up the side of the fall, nimbled over the top of it, and then skirted across the far cliff, to a point that stuck out farther than the rest. A rope dangled down next to them for emotional support. There they teetered, on the edge. Jungle, roots, and rock at their backs; air and water at their fronts. And they jumped- one by one, making splashes down below us. I photographed.

And then I went down, and up, and over, and jumped. Worry wore on me in the moments before the jump, worry of things going wrong. My friend counted.  I pushed off, out from the rock, and in the moments between the rock and the water, I felt so alive, I felt peace. A thrill. Breath. Life. Paradise? And then I was wet and I swam out.

A leap of faith perhaps. A leap into paradise.

DAY 5- Somewhat Homeless

This morning, I think I may have reached the legally homeless status. I wanted to open a bank account so I could cash some checks. I needed an address or a PO box. So I went to the Post Office. I waited around till they opened at 10 am. They told me I needed, like, a local address. And then the word "homeless" started getting tossed around, and I left.

I left to charge my phone in the mobile store a few spaces done. I told the owner I was homeless and I needed to charge my phone with the charger I just bought from him.

I cleaned some windows at the Key Project. Something that homeless people often do.

But then things took a turn for home. John and I met with Emma at her house about 5 pm. She offered me a room. And said I could camp out on her farm. I thought for a moment and a half before accepting. Now my hammock's set-up in the back between one tree, and I think I may have an address.

Amazing where the wind, or the Lord, will take you.

DAY 4- They didn't misname it Paradise

DAY 4- Laie, Hi- The bus driver barked orders at me to get off the bus and go find change- you're holding up the bus he said; everybody else fed money to me in charity and pity. Two dollars from one, one from another: bus pass paid. Thank you.

I remarked the charity that I experienced throughout the day. 

I summitted the mountain on our way to John's house. He runs the Key Project, the place I am interning. He offered me tangerine juice. He gave me bread-fruit from off of his tree. I looked out across the tree-tops from his balcony, and I never wanted to leave again. It's paradise.

DAY 3- I am here

DAY 3- Laie, HI- I am here. The destination before my destination. I arrove. All in one piece. I am staying with the gracious Josh on the north-east corner of Oahu. 

Josh and I are old pals. We met two weeks ago at his sister Jackie's wedding. He said he was a funny guy living in Hawaii. I said I was a funny guy going to live in Hawaii. And that was that. I'm staying with him tonight and tomorrow because there is no camping anywhere on the island Wednesday and Thursday night- closed for "maintenance".  It's really just to discourage drifters. 

The girl two seats over from me on the plane was finishing 44 hours of travel on her return voyage from India. She was endeavoring on a program to better northern India. The wife of the founder of Traditional Medicinal was her companion. They were establishing sustainable schools and other programs to better the conditions for the herb farmers that produced crops used by the nationwide tea company.

The man by my right side was the CEO and founder of Sportball an institution for non-competitive sports instruction for children 16 months – 12 years old. He grew up in South Africa, moved about two decades ago, fleeing the violence, to Toronto. He now travels internationally caring for his business. His accent was charming. 

One flight later, the man on my left cackled in good humour. We discussed modern politics, culture, and the electro-magnetic spectrum. He lived in Honolulu and Boston. We exchanged phone numbers and he said, if you ever need a place to crash- just give me a call.

As I departed with my bags from the air port, I saw the two gypsy children make their way out with their uke and banjo. They were WWOOFers. Pretty sweet deal. And they looked the part too. In from Oregon. 

My ride picked me up an hour later. Josh had been so courteous as to rent a vehicle to pick me up. Nice guy. I nibbled on my Fruit and Nut medley as I waited in happiness,  speaking romance to my fiance on the other side of some electro-magnetic waves of love.

DAY 2- Packed

DAY 2- Covington, WA- I am packed. I wish I could say that I managed to pack light, but I didn't. A duffel bag, an internal frame back-pack, and a "personal item".

But, considering the nature of their purpose, its surprisingly little.

The duffel bag is my home. I plan to be camping at Kualoa regional park for the majority of my stay. It contains my hammock, tarp, and a tent, newly acquired.

The internal frame bag houses everything else, including a professional array of clothing needed to survive in my internship for Key Project, dealing with local officials and politicians.

My personal item is my livelihood. It's a small bag that keeps my camera and laptop. My money makers, as I hope to make money as a freelance photographer and writer.

I also wish I could say I was cool as a cat. But I'm not. I'm all knots inside. But I know that everything will work out for the best. It always does. Angels will be on my left. Angels will be my on my right. They will go before me and mark my path. I will trust in the Lord, and he will protect me.

Day 1- I'm coming

Hawai'i. I'm coming.

Tent's pitched, hammock's up, tarp's taut. Airing out, soon to be packed. Blades are sharpened. Sterno alcohol stoves wait, full of potential energy. Place of residence?

Who's to say?

Hawai'i. I'm coming.