Water Is Awesome

Water.

In my entire life, in all my days, I never thought I would spend the time and effort to tell people just how awesome WATER is.

But, here I am, doing just that.

Planning my trip to Hawaii, I contemplated doing a post-a-day series called "Notes from Paradise", and I'm still considering that. But after coming here, going to my hotel right on the shore, and staring at the magnificent Pacific Ocean from the cost of Oahu... my priority changed.

The water here is AMAZING. It is wonderful! It's clear, fresh, refreshing to swim in...

Water as Water should be.

Growing up in Philly, the idea of swimming in the water anywhere other than a pool was not an appetizing idea. The Delaware River is dark, murky, and reminds you more of a mud puddle than a river. Whenever I've gone to Atlantic City, the water was not much better. Yes, it's the Atlantic Ocean, but the idea of swimming or even coming close to a beach covered in broken shells and the occasional bit of trash... it was not very enjoyable.

Yet Hawaii is different in every way. Fresh water, beautiful water, blue as the sky above... It's wonderful, and it's amazing.

Everyone on this planet MUST have access to fresh water.

In many parts of the world, people must go without fresh water and simply settle for whatever they can find. People are getting sick due to dirty water, and people are dying without access to any water at all. More and more we need to clean up our water ways... and it's something I've only truly understood after coming here.

In Hawaii, the water is everywhere and is true to the poem; "Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink." It takes 25 years to take the water from the ocean and make it drinkable. In the end, maybe that's why they take such great care of it.