Introduce yourself

[Menehune]

Aloha kakou (may there be friendship or love between us, greetings)
Those are words that I take to heart and really means something to me.

"we seem to have a lot of lurkers/newbies"
A "newbie" I will gladly admit too but a "lurker"! Then I Wikipedia'd it - In Internet culture, a lurker is a person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, chatroom, file sharing or other interactive system, but rarely participates. O.K that might apply too.

When I was younger, I was called Joey; then after high school preferred Joseph, now as I am older and retrogression sets in the friendlier Joey is requested.

I am nervous - I want to make a good impression - I hope to be a good a friend and neighbor.

Kon Tiki was my introduction to the Pacific and it's Islands - funny, it started in South America.
Like many of you, I visited and fell in love with Hawai'i. First (awhile ago), just passing through Hono.lulu to and from Southeast Asia; then Kaua'i with my wife Bonnie (she'll have to "Introduce Herself" just before Hurricane 'Iniki. Recently, Waikaloa when the dam broke in Kauai and the earthquake at Ki.holo Bay. Finally, this September with only Pu`u `O`o's new fissures and lava flows. What's not to love - nature always "talk story".

Bonnie came with six high school girlfriends and spent a week in Kailua-Kona. A few months latter, Anne (who lived here for awhile and will again one day - has son working at Hertz in Kona) was telling her about Puna.

The adventure began.

I read the books - lurked the forums - memorized the MLS - booked the flight, car, rentals. We came with as much knowledge as we could muster. I was ready (to jump right in - buy - move - build) but Bonnie had a clearer head. Five days in HPP, five days in Captian Cook - drive, stop, look - drive, stop, look - repeat as necessary.
Found a spot! Don't get too excited - you both have to love it. Walk the lot, pictures, videos - walk the lot, maybe? maybe not? - drive, stop, look - walk the lot, pictures, videos!
Do we decide NOW or leave and think about it?
We decided and JUMPED RIGHT IN! Now it would be a serious discussion as to who gets on the plane first to get back to Puna!
We are aware of the many issues we will face - BUT we believe in ALOHA!

I read myself to sleep with PUNAWEB. The info., the people, the passion, the heartaches - politics - religion - heros - evildoers; everything a "good read" is suppose to be. Someday, very soon, I hope to meet you all and put a face to the names - right now I can only imagine.
Now that I have broken the silence - I will lurk no more and JUMP RIGHT IN! "Talk Story" with you in the forum.

The adventure continues.

'O wau no me ka mahalo, (I am, [yours] respectfully)
Joey


Edited by - Menehune on 10/22/2007 14:05:36

[Kapohocat]

Welcome Menehune!

[David M]

Welcome Joey
Look forward to meeting you.

David

Ninole Resident

[missydog1]

welcome, Menehune! Where did you buy?

[Menehune]

KathyH
We are fortunate to be in HPP on Ala Heaiu!

KatyH, David M, Kapohocat - the welcomes are appreciated. We can't wait to meet you all.

Mahalo nui loa
Joey & Bonnie

[mgeary]

Aloha, all. My name is Mark, and I'm looking forward to moving to the BI in a couple of years.

I was born in Queen Liliuokalani Hospital in the Territory of Hawaii in 1957, so that makes me kama'aina. Unfortunately, I've spent most of my adult life on the mainland. I'm a battalion chief with the local county fire department in SoCal (yeah we got our butts kicked this year), and I'll be able to retire in late '09, possibly early '10.

My wife Pamela and I got married on the BI this summer, and had a wonderful two week vacation. We spent most of our time doing touristy things - shopping, snorkling, eating, snorkling, flying in a helicopter (oops, sorry), snorkling, you get the idea.

The hidden agenda for taking Pamela to the BI to get married, of course, was to see if she'd cosider the idea of moving there. She bought it hook, line, and sinker, so now it's just a matter of when and where.

I'm grateful for this website, mahalo, and intend to make use of it to make a daydream turn into a real retirement plan. Either the realtors here, or the builders, or builders' helpers (thank you, Cat), or all of you will help Pam and I to either buy or build a home in paradise.

I can't wait. I'm a kama'aina haole Hawaiian boy who just got lost for about forty years. I always knew I'd find my way back home, I just haven't got there quite yet.

Aloha, mark.

How do I know?

[mella l]

Welcome to Mark and Pamela to the Puna! Just jump right in and make yourselves at home! Lots of good information here for the asking! LOL

Also welcome to Joey and Bonnie, I enjoyed your story so much, how you fell in love with Puna, reminded me of our own adventure in 04! Best of everything to you on your adventure.

Aloha,

mella l

[Kapohocat]

quote:

---

...
We are fortunate to be in HPP on Ala Heaiu!..

---

Near the house with the turtles tiled into the bottom of the swimming pool?

[angeloahu1]

Wow! I guess I came in a little late on this one. The whole forum is here.

Aloha everyone! My name is Tanya and my fiance and I just moved here on August 1st. We stayed here for 2 weeks and did a lot of work to our property. Then we took a 2 month vacation traveling the East and West coast. We visited with his family in Boston and then we visited with mine in California. We traveled all over and we just got back 2 weeks ago.

We actually moved here from Oahu. I was born and raised there. My fiance came to Oahu from Boston 3 years ago. He met me and never went back. We decided we were sick of the hussle and bussle on Oahu so we looked into some properties here and, well here we are. We couldn't be happier.

It's just so different here than on Oahu. No traffic, no houses stacked up on top of eachother. Basically, no more rat race. It's great! Everyone's so laid back. We're excited to make a life out here. I hope I can find some cool people to hang with. It does get kinda lonely here without my family and friends.

Thanks for taking the time out to read my post.

[Rumi in Hawaii]

Aloooha, Punatics! I am Katie A, aka "Rumi in Hawaii." I was conceived on the island of Kauai, and spent 1959-1963 on Oahu as an Air Force brat. When I was 13 years old, my family and I spent Christmas at Kilauea Military Camp, we walked across Kilauea crater, hiked through fern forests, saw crab spiders, stayed cool in the higher elevation of the volcano. I fell in love with the Big Island at age 13, and when we left Hawaii the next year, I swore to myself that I would return to live here. Well, as we all know, life intervenes, and besides, everyone "knew" that living in Hawaii was extraordinarily expensive. Then, about 6 years back, a friend had traded her timeshare for a week in Kona, and then couldn't make the trip...voila...what a good friend! Kona wasn't my cup of tea, and I spent quite a bit of time on Hilo side and up at the volcano, apologizing to Pele for that little vial of lava crumbles that I had bought at age 13 and carried around with me for the next 40 years! She must've forgiven me. "Affordable Paradise" and Konaweb and Punaweb gave me the wherewithal and the courage to keep the hope alive. My then-husband wasn't enamored with the prospect of living here, and due to many reasons, we separated in 2005, after he agreed to buy land in Eden Roc for me, bless his heart. We remain good friends, and co-parents. I later entered into a relationship with a man I've known since I was 16 years old...who was then living in Canada. We visited each other (I was living in Arizona), and eventually ended up RV'ing full-time together for over a year. It was with much trepidation that I brought him over to the Big Island, wondering what his reponse would be. Short story, we're living on the land now, the roof is about to be raised on our little hale in the rainforest of Eden Roc, and we're very content here. We'll still make trips to visit our families in the US and Canada, of course. I wrote a poem recently about finally being here, after waiting all these years:

'AINA

The cruise ship
that was my life
has sailed out to sea.
I am home.
Here.
In Hawaii.

I believe I have traveled all my life searching for Home. And it is here. And I am now home.

David, my sweetheart, and I read a lot, watch DVD's (we're currently hooked on "Lost" and "Six Feet Under", garden a lot, stargaze (have you seen Holmes' comet yet?), hike around the volcano, and generally relish feeling so incredibly lucky to be here, and with each other. The wait was worth it.

Mahalo to Punawebbers (and Rob) for continuing education/giggles. It's all good. If you're interested in our housebuilding, check out our blog www.moonoverhawaii.blogspot.com. Hope to meet some of you around the bend!



Wherever you go, there you are.