Over Hill, Over Dale

Upon the suggestion of my co-worker and friend, I decided to alter my walking route today. So, instead of going to Kapiolani Park I went to Kakaako Waterfront Park. I did about three laps of the place, which may have been shorter in distance but was definitely a lot hillier.

So here's the evaluation of the new route:

Plus
1. Always a nice breeze coming off the water
2. Not too crowded
3. Nice view of surfers when the waves are up
4. Close to work
5. Hills are probably giving me a better workout than the flat route at Kapiolani

Minus
1. Homeless/scary-looking people hanging about
2. Not too crowded
3. Stray cats (and their fleas no doubt) wandering around
4. Temptation to stop each time I get to the end and watch the surfers at Kewalos (at least I think that's what that surf spot is called)

I guess the pluses outweigh the minuses. For future walks, I'm considering leaving my car at work and walking there instead. It felt weird to leave all my stuff in my trunk because I had forgotten to bring a backpack. I'm not too sure how safe it is there. Still, that would mean adding an extra 15 minutes each way probably. Hmm, I'm not sure what I'll do.

One thing I noticed during one of the stops I made to watch the surfers was that I haven't been to the beach, or even near it, for a really long time. The movement of the water as the waves came in was actually really relaxing. The rocking nature of it all, the smell of the ocean and the feel of the sun beating down on me brought back happy childhood memories. Why didn't I come here (or any beach on the south shore) earlier since moving into town?

And where did all the time go? Today brought back memories of high school when my friends and I would lounge at the beach the entire summer. It also reminded me of when my dad used to take me fishing with him. (Today I saw some guys with their poles up just waiting for a bite. Not sure if they caught anything though.)

But times like today also remind me that I am different than I was. And sometimes that might not be a bad thing. Still, in honor of the past, I found this YouTube video by slgeebrr surfing Kewalos in 1964.