“Aloha. Welcome to Hawai’i,” the taxi driver said as he approached me with a warm smile at the airport, stretching out his right hand before gently placing his left over mine as if to solidify his sincerity. My phone battery died and as he slowly lifted my luggage into the trunk of the taxi at Lihue airport, I nervously tried to locate the airbnb apartment address that I had scribbled on a note and slipped into my wallet. “I’m sure you’ll find it,” he smiled, “no need to worry.” The word Aloha is visible everywhere, but it does not simply mean 'hello' or 'welcome' as most would think. It is deeply embedded in Hawaiian culture, the very spirit of how Hawaiians choose to live. It is an inherent respect for the eternal connection between the individual and nature, the fixed relationship between your soul with the fabric of the world. Compassion and empathy are weaved into every action and decision, into every word and emotion where the suffering of others would mean your own suffering. Nature, animals, the earth itself is a part of who you are. Aloha is a commitment to take care and protect the environment one lives in just as much as one would take care of themselves. There is no individual, but an individual consciousness as part of a collective whole. As globalisation begins to transform our world, the concept of individualism means that people identify themselves as separate from nature, where our priorities are to protect our own assets and whatever is of benefit to us and those important to us alone. This is why we are beginning to see the impact through global environmental degradation, where deforestation, pollution and urban sprawling oils the mechanics of globalisation that only strengthens this distance between us and nature. Aloha, the suffering we are supposed to feel for harming nature and failing to protect this cultural spirit is lost to the idea of buying the best things or looking attractive. I chose to remember that when I spent several weeks travelling between the islands with only a seven-kilo backpack that contained a few bits and pieces of old clothing that re-washed and re-used daily. Make-up? Not a chance. Hawai’i is not just Waikiki and surfing but offers the opportunity to really absorb oneself into nature and culture, each island conveying its own unique personality. Snorkelling with turtles, swimming near waterfalls, there is so much you can do! It was amazing driving through The Big Island and visually witnessing the sharp climate changes with significant differences in the landscape – from dry and arid to tropical rainforest – in only a few minutes that proves just how wonderful the eight climate zones that encompass such a small island can be. For those like myself who love to trek, Hawai’i has so many different trails, my favourite being Kalalau Trail (Kauai). The Kalalau Valley along the Nā Pali Coast offers the most stunning views that truly inspire a deep appreciation for the Hawai’ian landscape. There is the option of breaking up or extending the trail into a multi-day and the short but strenuous Kalepa Ridge Trail is dangerously close to the cliff edge that the adrenalin is thoroughly spectacular. Unlike Australia, you won’t find dangerous animals lurking about the bush, in fact, that only danger you have is either falling or something falling on you! Volcanoes National Park (The Big Island)through Kalapana road (12km) to the volcanoes is only the first leg of this amazing trail and the beginning is littered with bike stalls to help ease the hike into a short ride. Moving right when you reach the end of the road and hiking for another 8kms over the dried lava is absolutely monumental where you eventually reach very close to pockets of molten lava that oozes out of the ground. Leaving in the afternoon and taking along a torch, I was lucky enough to hike back as it became dark where I experienced the milky way and stars above me. It is easy to understand 'Aloha' when you visit Hawai'i. As said by Henry D. Thoreau: "We need the tonic of wildness... We can never have enough of nature."