Have you ever felt like you just “belonged” somewhere? My first trip to Hawaii was unlike any I’ve had anywhere in the world for two specific reasons. As a Filipino Canadian, I look and sound like the Hawaiian locals. Geographically, Filipinos aren’t considered Pacific Islanders but we do have the look. In Canada, English is our official language as it is in Hawaii (along with Hawaiian). I would think that for Filipinos born in Canada or the U.S., this makes for a uniquely comfortable environment that we can’t get anywhere else in the world, including where we were born and raised. In the Philippines, I’d look like a local, but wouldn’t be able to communicate, and in Canada, where my speech may be indistinguishable, I still don’t look like the majority. In Hawaii, I can wear flip-flops everywhere. I can eat eggs and rice in diners where I can chat with locals and never feel like a visible minority. I can’t stress how good this made me feel.

I really wish I had my good gear with me in Hawaii. These were essentially vacation shots using a compact Sony A6300 with 2 prime lenses. I assert that no compact camera/lens combo can rival my Canon L lenses, but I can’t put a trinity of zooms in my pocket.

It’s very easy to get beautiful photos here. They’re tropical islands. It’s hard to screw that up. So far I’ve only made it to Oahu and Kauai. The sun always keeps colours saturated and the golden hours here are to die for. It’s mountainous. The vegetation is lush. There’s beautiful water everywhere including some amazing surf. There's everything from jungles to metropolises. There’s a rich history and photogenic culture. They shot Jurassic Park here so geologically, that should tell you that it's interesting to say the least. My only regret was not getting aerials… but I’m far from done with this place. It could very well be my future last home.