Free «A Trip to Hawaii» Essay

Various events in life help to shape the character of the person and instill certain characteristics, especially those that relate to the cultural practices. People from different areas of the globe can be easily differentiated through the various practices that they engage in even when their skin color and accent are similar. Due to the urbanization, people embrace different cultures in cities that have nothing to do with their communities of origin. This happens because in the modern world, a society or community is defined by the surrounding in which people live rather than by blood ties. However, the older generations are still connected with their real selves. Parents sometimes shape the character of their children through family events and cultural practices. The most memorable activities in life are those that bring a new understanding of the person and his/her originality. People discover their likes and dislikes at a very young age through the interaction with different people and environments. Therefore, this paper will narrate a personal event involving a family trip to my grandparents’ place in Hawaii. Additionally, the paper will discuss how the trip changed my perception about life and shaped my character and my personality.

Hawaii is the place where every person wants to spend holidays, but that was not the case for my siblings and me. After living in different cities, the life in Hawaii seemed like a joke. People in Hawaii spent most of their time in the water and on the beaches. Additionally, the dress code in Hawaii makes it hard to differentiate a working day and a holiday. This is because people are often in casual clothes as opposed to most cities where people are always in suits, especially during the workday. The housing and neighborhoods in Hawaii re quite different from other major cities in the United States. The eating habits of the Hawaiians are also another mystery for a person from a different place. Seafood makes the largest percentage of meals in Hawaii both at home and in restaurants. Since most of our extended family members live in Hawaii, any family come-together would be held in Hawaii to avoid any inconvenience for the grandparents who do not enjoy travelling. The first trip was a remarkable one, although my siblings and I did not want to leave our friends in the city. This was one of the rare times when we could play with our friends since we were on a holiday, but my parents insisted on going to Hawaii.

At first, life seemed crazy with people hanging out along the beaches like there was nothing else to do in the city. Surfing events were held every week for the whole month we were in Honolulu. It was a bit difficult for us to comprehend, since we were used to the city life where interactions were quite limited. In the city, people stayed in their houses, and the only community we knew was the family and family’s friends. In Hawaii, every family was another family’s friend. Even though this is my original culture, the process of adaptation was a tough task, which completely changed my identity. The trip made me realize the vitality and fun of being surrounded by such a large community: a group of people who live as one big family. Additionally, I developed a desire for skirting something that has developed to become more than a hobby for me.

We stayed in Hawaii for a month as one big family with my grandparents. Every day we would go out to the beach and walk around the town to get shrimp. Seafood was not common back at home. Therefore, this was such an event for my siblings and me to enjoy rare food. Interacting with different people every day helped us develop communicative skills that are helpful in the society. Young people and children in Hawaii have a way of creating fun with their limited resources, especially with the sea. I joined a surfing team and within just a short period, I had learnt my way through the water. My skepticism about the lifestyle of the Hawaiians started fading away as I began enjoying the fun with the rest of the people. Going to the beach every day to surf, interacting with people, and learning from them about Hawaii became a habit.

Hawaiians have respect for the force of nature and attribute much honor to the supernaturalism. The sea has a way of communicating with the society, and the Hawaiians ensure that nothing degrades their surroundings. This is because of the belief that the beauty of the natural environment translates into the inner beauty of the individuals and the community at large. Living with this community helped me to appreciate the force of nature and even become more careful with the natural environment that I live in. Many communities have the same facilities as those in Hawaii, but such resources die because people do not respect the environment enough to care for it.

Another remarkable thing that seemed different from normal back at home was the family setup and how duties were carried out. Parents here did not impose much pressure on their children. Back at home, the neighbors claimed that our parents allowed us too much freedom. During the entire vacation, issues of labor division did not exist. Meals were prepared by the entire family rather than by mothers, which is the case in most homes in other states. This allowed the young people to learn certain cooking and food preparation processes. Carrying out family duties with older people helped me develop the right skills for certain activities in life. In most cases, children are given directions on how to carry out various chores like cooking food without practice, which makes most city kids lazy. In Hawaii, I learned how to do some of these things faster than I would have learned them back at home by watching the adults do them.