Have you ever been punched in the face?

I have...not just figuratively, but literally too. No, seriously. And it happened the other night in Maui at bar in Paia. If there was a sign I shouldn't move to Maui this summer, that was my sign. I joke about it, but it's true. No, I wasn't trying to start trouble. I was making an attempt to stop trouble from occurring. Yes, it was two local girls. For anyone who knows me well, you probably know two things about me: 1) I am crazy, in a fun way, and 2) I am extremely culturally aware.

In my travels, I've been a lot of places where I'm the minority. Always careful with my words and actions, and always ultra-aware. I've been a part of a company where we've worked with villages to source their traditional handcraft an incorporate them into our product. Cultural sensitivity is one of the biggest personal values for which I stand.

That said, the story shall go on...so, the short short story is that two local girls were not happy with us, and thought we had cut them in a very long line outside of Charley's. Not wanting the situation to escalate, and understanding they were clearly upset, I apologized and offered for them to go in front of us. Things spiraled out of control relatively quickly and as I was trying to diffuse the situation, I was the innocent peacemaker who got in the way and was punched in the face a few times. No, I didn't punch back. The girls ran off before they could get in trouble. And I was just confused at what the hell happened.

“Lesson for all: Of course if I lived on the island I wouldn’t be going to Charley’s for a drink. But, one can’t deny the fact that it was a very clear sign. Never, I repeat, NEVER fuck with the locals. Always, I repeat, ALWAYS practice cultural mindfulness and sensitivity. ”

There's a special energy down here. The island spirit is big and the island life is the good life, but I've been thinking a lot lately...I guess getting punched in the face will do that to you. I've always lived my life organically, open and seeking. I set intentions, and take mindful steps towards living out those intentions. Things tend to work out if you approach life in this manner. For sure they don't work out the way I expect them to work out, but they work out and it's always more beautiful than I had expected for it to be.

The point I'm trying to make is that I'm a seeker. At this point, I feel like relocating to Maui without a clear intention is running. I am not a runner. There's a big difference. I can thank Maui for the wake up call...for punching me in the face and teaching me a lesson.

Ouch, my face hurts.

Mahalo for the teachings, Maui.

Megan