Aloha mai kākou, Keili here!
I hope your week has been filled with gratitude and adventure! I've been striving to find moments for these two essential things in my daily life. It's so easy to get caught up, push them aside, or, worse, forget about them completely.
Recognizing the incredible gifts I'm given each day can instantly bring joy. But just as easily, that recognition can slip past our thoughts (as it often does). Finding adventure is a way I reconnect with that ever-present joy.
Though I'm no longer on a grand adventure like sailing across the Pacific, I can still find that feeling. Whether it’s waking up at sunrise to hike a quick trail with a new friend, surfing a new break, or even tackling an intimidating errand or craft, adventure is everywhere. It can be as simple as turning down a road I’ve never driven before.
Enjoy video 4! Mahalo kuʻuipo for putting it together!
Memories from the Voyage
We were deeply saddened by the amount of trash in the ocean. Every day, I walk the beach in Waimānalo and see a lot of debris, but encountering it out in the middle of the ocean was a different experience. Being so close to the Pacific Garbage Patch, I’m sure there were countless microplastics we couldn’t see. Hitting a large piece of drifting rubbish is a fear that I imagine will increasingly occupy the minds of sailors. Honestly, seeing about 400 times more trash than wildlife really angered me. I often thought about what the ocean would look like for my children one day.
I hit a big low point around this time, and the boys let me sleep through their shift, which really helped reset me. It was then that we all realized just how crucial seven or more hours of uninterrupted sleep is—what we had been missing with our four-hour sleep schedules. Simply sleeping felt like such a gift, and I will always be grateful they gave me that chance because I probably would have lost my mind if they hadn’t! I made sure to return the favor whenever I could.
Unknown Artist
“Itʻs in the blackness, itʻs in the cloudiness. Itʻs in the times that arenʻt easy that you grow, that you become the best”
- Nainoa Thompson
Not seeing many stars, much sunlight, or much wildlife—the “glamorous” aspects of voyaging—was far from the experience we expected. We were highly uncomfortable in a world that’s typically so comfortable. It was truly a testament to our ability to adapt and work together to achieve our dream—not just to survive, but to thrive and stay stoked!
PC: Noel Kenny
In an attempt to earn our keep in Kahaluʻu and perpetuate voyaging skills we have learned,
Chris has decided to open up da classroom! So, if you or any friends have felt called to begin learning how to way find, want to explore basics of sailing, or just want to come on board and see how we were living - please reach out, we would love to see you. ʻAʻĀ has taught us so much, and we are eager and excited for others to experience the feeling of flying!
You can txt, call, or simply respond to this email if you are interested.
Until next time,
Keili
Mahalo nui loa to everyone who reads, may you find gratitude and adventure in the mundane! For my mother, Illa McEvilly, who never turned down a chance to make every day extraordinary.