Reply #77: I moved to Oahu when I was 16, and left when I was 20

[clyrc]

I was slim and pretty, then, and that made for a good enough time, but the place itself was so beautiful I just loved it. I moved there from South Carolina, and it was like coming out of a box to live. The lush plants, the smell in the air, the ocean, the people from all over the world, and just the laid back feel of the island were wonderful. After I left, I ached for years to go back, and swore I would. I left 16 years ago, and I've never been back, but sometimes still my sister and I talk about it and all the memories come back.

Even when I had problems with panic disorder and depression, there were places I could go, like the Japanese Garden behind the Architecture building at the the University of Hawaii, that could soothe me. I've never been to anywhere like that since. I've seen beautiful areas since, of course, but Hawaii reached in and grabbed my heart and never really let go.