Let’s be honest: the situation with the coronavirus sucks. With working from home and kids’ schools closed, everyone is cooped up in the house and going out to pursue what used to be normal, day-to-day activities is not an option any more. Our previous, ordinary life is suddenly … gone.
Yes, this is frustrating, disconcerting, and confusing. Cabin fever is setting in and we all suddenly miss the smallest things we used to take for granted. Time to get depressed or angry, sit on the couch, and watch endless TV while snacking on whatever comfort foods we still have?
What if we looked at this admittedly unpleasant situation as an opportunity? What if we didn’t only cope and made due, but actually got something positive out of it? Here are some ideas for … continue reading
A hike to the bottom of the Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific
I’ve been to Kauai many times and have always wondered what backpacking there would be like. Ever since seeing an article in Backpacker Magazine about the Kukui trail to Lonomea Camp (issue Jan 2019, p. 24f, “Paradise Found”), I’ve had an overnight trek down to the floor of the Waimea Canyon on my bucket list. (One day, I’ll attempt the Kalalau trail, but I’m not quite there yet.)
Preparations and Planning
In early July of 2019, I finally had the chance to make this dream come true. I was hoping the time of year would not only give me longer days, but also reduce the chance of heavier rains. (On the flip side, the heat could obviously be a concern.) Since this was my first foray into the canyon and I initially planned on doing this hike solo, I selected Kaluahaula Camp as my destination. This would allow me to make it further in than Wiliwili Camp (the first camp at the bottom), avoid potential crowds, and be easier than going all the way to Lonomea Camp (by myself).
I got camp site permits for a Monday (eliminating weekend crowds) and made it to the island with all the requisite gear, so I wouldn’t have to purchase anything and waste time finding things on the island. With one exception: It is not allowed to bring fuel for a camping stove on a plane, so I had emailed a local outfitter ahead of time. However, just a few days before of my trip, they let me know it wasn’t worth their time to sell me just stove fuel (they usually make their money renting equipment), so they referred me to the ACE Hardware store in Lihue, which carried the fuel I needed.
As the day for the hike approached, a hurricane was headed for the islands, but luckily it dissipated without ever reaching land, so the weather turned out warm and dry – as expected.
Heading Down
Fortunately, I was able to convince my hiking buddy to join me for my trip and hike and we started our decent down the Kukui trail via the Iliau Nature Loop around noon. The views of the Waimea Canyon were amazing and even though it was warm, the heat was not really a problem.
What to do when you just can’t figure out the big questions in your life
At some point in our lives, we all face important and daunting questions:
What career should I choose?
Should I change careers? I’m bored and I think I’d like field xyz….
Should I move to this exciting new city I’ve been dreaming about forever?
I have this great business idea. Should I go for it?
How can create passive income and not get stuck in the daily grind?
What am I going to do when I’m retired? I can’t sit around all day.
What is my greater purpose in life?
… and so on.
These are tough questions and many of us don’t have all the answers. A number of authors and “experts” have put forth a multitude of ways to “find your way and purpose”. After some brainstorming, mind maps, and soul searching, you’re supposed to head off to the newly found true north of your life. If you put all your efforts into it and put the right energy out into the universe, things will happen for you and you will – step by step – make it to your goal, … eventually. Happy ending – story closed.
But if you’re like me, this may not work for you. There are too many options, too many unknowns to even pick your destination. If you’ve never been there, never lived through what you’re hoping to experience, how do you even know it’s right for you? How do I know if I’ll like sailing around the world in a yacht visiting tropical locations with money to spend if I currently barely have enough in the bank to spend a long weekend at the local beach? Should I just have faith and hope that – with the right amount of effort, focus, and tenacity – things will fall into place and the universe will help get me there?
At one point I was told I had “too many irons” in the fire and that I should rather focus on “the one thing”. That advice rubbed me the wrong way, but I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time. I think I know why now….
As a big JJ Abrams fan, I couldn’t help but watch “The Cloverfield Paradox” on Netflix right after it came out. Despite some not-so-great reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Readers of this blog may also know that I’m an even bigger LOST fan and I couldn’t help but notice several similarities or even Easter eggs that may link the Cloverfield Paradox and LOST:
There is a scene in which a character is trapped in compartment on the space station that quickly fills with water. Before her miserable end, she appears – now fully submerged – at the hatch and puts her hand on the window in a gesture to say good bye to her friends, which is exactly what Charlie did (with “Not Penny’s boat” written on his palm) before he drowned.
One the alarm sounds in the space station seemed to be the same as one in the LOST hatch.
During an anomaly that occurred in the space station, one wall became highly magnetized and metal objects started flying there, getting “stuck” on the wall while putting a character at risk. LOST fans know that the same happened in the Swan station during “system failure”.
Talking of which, on the space station two keys have to be used to activate the Shephard (in LOST, Jack’s last name which is alluding to his role among the survivors), which appears somewhat similar to the failsafe key used by Desmond during system failure.
I might need to watch the movie again to see other similarities, but these are the main ones for now.
By the way, due to LOST, I became a huge fan of Michael Giacchino’s music as well. I was surprised that he was not involved in this movie’s soundtrack, but the music is nonetheless worthy of listening to on its own.
As a big JJ Abrams fan, I couldn’t help but watch “
