Did you feast on Thanksgiving excess? I did.

Did you dash out for Black Friday Shopping?

I didn’t – a possible mistake given the bargains I’ve undoubtedly missed. But I needed something else.

I needed to metaphorically sail away into a Sea of Tranquility

Everyone who looks can find their own favorite place to reconnect and recharge. It could be the back yard or a country lane. It could be down the street or across the country. Mine is across Hawai`i Island at Puako, a stretch of rocky, sandy coastline created by an old lava flow.

Our family runs away to the Fairmont Orchid for Thanksgiving. We reconnect, eat, and laugh. There’s also time for morning solitude when I steal away across the property and head off into a well-traveled but still secluded coastline walk.

Green sea turtles, Honu, are a protected species in the Puako Marine Reserve. Snorklers often swim with them. I sometimes encounter them resting on the beach. The trail crosses rocks and sand. There are fish ponds with rock walls and signs warning visitors not to tease the eels hiding in the walls.

I treasure these quasi-solitary walks as a time to be at peace in my surroundings. There’s no rush. Just sun, sea and moments to let my mind run where it will until it returns with tranquility.

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 Photo of Thanksgiving cornucopia display at Fairmont Orchid by Author.

Photo of Dog with Packages by Eric.Ray Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

All other photos by Author.

Fairmont Orchid.

Puako is Rich in Hawaiian History and Unforeseen Changes. Hawai`i Life. July 25, 2011.

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