Where are you from?!

Pristine waters, breath-taking vistas, magnificent ocean creatures and warm people; it’s no wonder that Hawaii plays host to visitors from around the world!

One of the enriching aspects of working the Kona-Kohala coast, is that Kona is a popular destination so I have the wonderful opportunity to meet and engage with many of these national and international guests.

Just in the past week, I’ve had guests from Dubai, Canada, Japan, France, and Zimbabwe… They all have questions like; “What’s a must do activity, while here?”, “Which restaurants have the best poke?”, and “What is a good beach for small children?”. I give them some insight, and they’re thankful, but what most excites me is hearing about their perspective and culture. Through our conversations and their stories, It’s kind of like the world coming to me! Last month, I spent a day with a wonderful family visiting from Serbia. They generously and passionately shared about the history of their country; Bosnian War, the dissolution of Yugoslavia and also the modern-day characteristics of the Serbian people and culture. I enjoyed my time with them, while taking them to various Big Island locations such as South Point and Papakolea Beach (Popularly known as Green Sand Beach).

A lovely couple from Dubai expressed to me how much they were enjoying the sights and weather, here, on Hawaii Island. “It is simply beautiful here.” the wife said as if recalling the details of a dream. I responded “Yes, it is. I feel blessed each and every morning.”, I replied. From the videos and photos, I’ve seen, Dubai is also beautiful.”, I continued. “Yes, but Hawaii Island is the opposite of Dubai.”, the husband said. “How so?”, I asked. “As beautiful as Dubai is, it is all man-made… artificial. Hawaii Island is mostly natural. You know?… Natural beauty.“, his wife added. “Yes, that is a good point.” I said with a smile. We went on to have an interesting conversation about renewable energy and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City. I love this stuff Haha!

On my website, and the Facebook page, there is a considerable amount of traffic from around the planet. The website stats indicate the following countries as the top five visitors of my page:

1. United States