The Hasawaga General Store :: Life

I like love hearing people's stories. If you and I were to grab a cup of coffee I'd sit awkwardly close to you, lean in even more awkwardly close, and listen intently as you told me everything. I'd want to hear about your kindergarten crush, your best friend forever, and what you want to be when you grow up. I liken myself to a four year old who cannot help but ask why. And why. And why and why and why. The initial response will never be enough because I always want to know more. On our last day on the island we decided to take a drive up the road to Hana. We had heard of the infamous fifty mile drive complete with endless hairpin turns, mile high waterfalls, bamboo forests, and black sand beaches. Three hours into our adventure we stopped at the Hasawaga General Store and my world {and my heart} were rocked. Hasawaga has been in business for over one hundred years proudly serving the community of Hana on the island of Maui. The moment I walked through the rusted corrugated metal entry way, I knew this grocer had more than few good stories to tell. From the aged produce bins to the aisle of dried mango and fishing supply, something, somewhere, was begging me to stay. To walk awhile and explore the beauty that only a hundred year old general store could hold.

So naturally, I did. I'll admit that I'm probably the only person to ever get excited about taking pictures in a grocery store. And to the crowd of locals I most likely stood out like an Eskimo in Mexico. But with every aisle walked, another discovery was made and a new story told. While the waterfalls were stunning and the black sand beaches impressive, what really stole my heart on our Thursday afternoon drive was the Hasawaga general store. It is my hope that you are able to enjoy these pictures just as much as I enjoyed taking them. Our day was most certainly one to be remembered and our short but painfully sweet stop in Hana will be dear to my heart for quite some time. I can't help but think there is something truly wonderful about a company that keeps people coming back for over a century.

Enjoy!

I'm in awe of how much this image captures. Within a six foot radius we have dog food {both canned and dry}, milk, frozen chicken, Theraflu, and Windex. Amazing.

Happy Thursday!

Michelle

Learning to Encourage :: Photography

If there is one noticeable difference between Colton and I it is most certainly the way in which we approach life's roadbumps. Say we both stand in front of the same bathroom mirror and realize our midsections are significantly thicker than they were a few weeks ago. Colton will immediately stop whatever he is doing and b-line it for the beach where he'll run - er, sprint, until he's burned off an entire month's worth of calories. In a word, it’s impressive. I, however, will immediately stop whatever I am doing and b-line it for the freezer where I'll take solace in mint chocolate chip ice cream. Or five handfuls of white chocolate chips. Or anything I find that promises a lifetime of {bad} health issues. It is also, in a word, impressive.

While Colton can master life’s obstacles by being intrinsically motivated, I must be held by the hand and told a hundred times over that my legs don’t look like freight trains in gym shorts and that I don’t, as I thought I did, waddle like a lame duck while trying to run on a treadmill. If Cole thrives on bettering himself, I thrive on being encouraged by others.

So Saturday, during our two-hour drive home from the airport when I couldn’t for the life of me stop talking about how excited I was to implement some much needed change in my life and my business, Colton was happy for me. He understood that I was returning from a week with like-minded people who were able to support one another in a way that encouraged us to become both better photographers and better people.

To be completely honest, I spent a few solid days trying to piece together what I had hoped to get out of this workshop. Yet as hard as I tried I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that I wanted to learn. I walked into the conference room last Tuesday morning to group full of beautiful, kind hearted individuals who were willing to open their souls in order to encourage one another. What I left with were 20 incredible new friends who I am blessed to know and proud to call my peers.

And this amazing gift is more than I have gained from all of the other workshops I have ever been a part of.

- M.

Before I Board :: Personal

I'm feeling a hundred different emotions right now. Some excited. Some scared. Some I'm just entirely unsure about. But the one consistency amidst all of these feelings is gratitude. This whole thing is surreal. Hawaii, photography, Making Things Happen. In addition I cannot even begin to express how much change five short days could bring about in my life. I'm so thankful for, and so undeserving of, everything.

I know I'm being vague, and I'm sorry. I'm about to board a plane back to Colton and I could not possibly be any more ready. While I knew this post would be short, I felt it was important to write down what this moment in time was like. The emotion, the sense of being overwhelmed by thankfulness, and the eager anticipation for the future.

I cannot wait to be home.

Michelle