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Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

Mahalo for sharing! πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’“

Carrie Dancing Bear's avatar

ahhhh! so you both are traveling the world in an RV? which island did you used to live on?

Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

Yes.. I love it! In Hawai’i we don’t have them so this is my first experience lol (learning experience for sure lol) I was raised on the west side of O’ahu.. πŸ’“ have you been?

Carrie Dancing Bear's avatar

Ah! Yes, I went there in 2019 with the aforementioned former boyfriend (not sure if you saw that part of my prior comment as I added to it after Substack posted my comment too quickly). His mom and aunties live in Honolulu but we drove all over the island as part of his ancestral remembering. My favorite side was the northwest β€” loved Ka’ena Point and the beaches along the west side. I personally felt deep resonance with that part of the island. What town are you from?

Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

Ahhhhhh woooow!! Amazing! I was raised in Waianae!! Up in the valley! After I turned 18 I lived in Makaha in and off..

In 2019 I was living in makakilo..

Yea!!!! wow.. that’s amazing im so glad that you both took that journey together. The west side has so much mana and depth.. the land is so alive. What a blessing to experience it. πŸ’“

Carrie Dancing Bear's avatar

amazing!! that area is so full of beautiful mana. I think it was Yokohama beach that really called to me β€” I think there was a sacred cave nearby? It’s all a little hazy.

North shore but…do you know the Cosmic Kitchen in Haleiwa? I had the most amazing vegan food there and I still dream about it!! 😍

Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

Yes! Ka’ena. (Now called Yokahama). lots of moΚ»olelo (stories) of ancient times in Ka’ena and Makua..

The cave was originally called Kāneana.. now a days we call it Makua Cave. Before I left we used to paddle out and be with the dolphins a few times a month.. my favorite beach (Makua Beach) That point of the island is very spiritual..

yes I love north shore! It’s gotten really crowded over the years so we only travel there on special occasions lol yumm sounds delicious!

Carrie Dancing Bear's avatar

Oh I am so honored you read it! Thank you for taking the time to comment too. πŸ’œ

Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

Yes.. i have been off of social media (actually all types of media) for 6 months and to hear about all that has been happening in the planet described in such a beautiful way warms my heart. Thank you for that.. what a β€œwelcome back” moment of insight and synergy. πŸ’“πŸ€—

Carrie Dancing Bear's avatar

This means so much to me β€” thank you for sharing this, and again feel so honored. What made you decide to come back to news/media at this time, if I may ask?

Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

Aloha Carrie.. hmmm I think I needed the time away to really root back into self without distraction and set a clear intention on what I wanted to bring forward.. more authenticity.. connection to people speaking authentically.. my friend introduced me to Substack and I subscribed to her but wasn’t really active. I looooove reading stories about peoples experiences in life.. it helps me navigate and know that I am not alone (I’m sure you know the path can sometimes be lonely for us women🀣) so I decided to return and give it a shot lol I want to share more about my Hawaiian lifeways so people understand the foundational principles that my ancestors so freely laid for our lineage.. so.. lol here I am.. surrendering πŸ™πŸ½

Carrie Dancing Bear's avatar

oh my goodness Substack keeps posting my comment before i am done! πŸ˜„ My apologies if you got several notifications that were a few words! I was trying to ask which island you live on, as I started reading your Substack posts. I love the intentionality of your desire to stay focused without media distractions and to deeply connect with your heritage. From everything I read on your Substack, I see so much lovely overlap in what speaks to us both. Mahalo again for taking the time to respond so deeply and for your beautiful shares about your journey to reclaiming your heritage β€” a former boyfriend of mine is Chinese-Hawaiian and has being through a similar process of ancestral self-discovery β€” it was beautiful to behold.

Anela Malulani Watson's avatar

No.. I actually left home in 2022 (sold the house and everything) to travel the world. (Scary choice but I jumped all in!!) and sooooo grateful that we did. we (my wife and I) got Oregon and bought an RV and so far traveled to 38 states and 4 countries .. it’s been amazing! I visit the kids and grandkids back home once a year.. but love the freedom and simplicity