Aloha Abroad: Sheila Beal

Aloha Abroad

Hawaii Traditions seeks to acknowledge the ever-evolving local traditions, values, and culture of all of Hawaii. In our quest to learn more we’ve discovered that our traditions, values, and culture are appreciated and practiced all over the world. In our Aloha Abroad series, we acknowledge the people and organizations who help to perpetuate the affinity for Hawaii.

Sheila Beal

In March 2007, Sheila Beal launched GoVisitHawaii and today is one of the most popular and informative blogs for Hawaii travelers. She was gracious enough to take time out of her busy schedule to share the story of her path to her affinity for Hawaii. It’s one that will surprise you, but one that can be appreciated by all. Learn about the similarities between her home state of North Carolina and Hawaii and after more than a thousand blog posts, what’s the future for GoVisitHawaii.

QUESTION: I read your post Beware: Hawaii is Addictive! and was shocked to learn that you didn’t really want to make that first trip, your research and mind was set on Italy. How do you think your life would be different had you not compromised and traveled to Italy instead? Did you eventually make it to Italy?

ANSWER: I have to smile every time I think of that vacation decision back in 2003 and how Hawaii was not even on my desired list of destinations.  I had been to several Caribbean islands and I thought Hawaii was just more of the same, but with a much longer plane ride. I was wrong!

If I had put my foot down and never visited Hawaii, I would have been missing out on some of the most amazing scenery on this earth.  I feel like every visit to Hawaii is a blessing and I’m so glad I didn’t miss experiencing that blessing for the first time.

We’ve not made it back to Italy, yet. (We did spend a weekend in Venice once when we lived in England.) It is still on our list, but we don’t have any specific plans to go there anytime soon.  As the US economy has struggled in recent years, we’ve emphasized spending our vacation dollars in America. That’s part of the reason we’ve not gone to Italy again. Well, that and the fact that Hawaii keeps calling us back.

QUESTION: There are obvious contrasts, but share some things that North Carolina and Hawaii culture have in common?

ANSWER:  Great question! Though the two states are thousands of miles apart, there are definitely some similarities. First off, the people of North Carolina and Hawaii are both very friendly and anxious to be hospitable. We may not have the Aloha Spirit like Hawaii, but we certainly have our good Southern manners and a willingness to be a friend to strangers.

Both states love and make excellent shredded or pulled pork dishes. Hawaii’s kalua pork is traditionally cooked for hours in an underground oven while North Carolina’s pulled pork is also slow cooked, but on giant grills called “pig cookers”.  Hawaii’s luaus usually feature kalua pork, while North Carolina’s outdoor parties will typically feature a “pig picking”.

Both Hawaii and North Carolina have the mountains and the coast and all the fascinating subcultures that result from that.

QUESTION: Share with our readers how you became inspired to launch GoVisitHawaii.

ANSWER:  I had actually started writing a more generic travel blog several months before GoVisitHawaii and after about a half dozen posts, I got bored with it. One night over dinner, Andy and I were discussing our passion for travel and how it would be good for me to blog again. Then, it dawned on me that it was Hawaii that kept calling us to return, unlike any other destination. I started reeling off dozens of post ideas and a blog was born. Blogging experts say that a blogger must have a passion for their topic and I knew I had a passion for Hawaii.

I think planning a trip to Hawaii can be daunting. I felt like we had learned so much from our experiences of planning trips to Hawaii that surely we’d have many tips and insights to share with others planning their visits. So, I wanted to provide advice to help people navigate some of the biggest issues, misunderstandings, and confusions that come along with planning a Hawaii vacation.

Another big impetus for the blog was that I wanted to provide unbiased advice. (I believe I was one of the first in that space, if not the first.)  I wanted to provide real, practical advice without a guise of trying to sell a tour or hotel package.

As I write my blog posts, I often picture that I’m writing to good friends that have dreamed of going to Hawaii and perhaps saved money for years for this dream vacation. I want my friends to have the very best time possible. I want them to help them stretch their vacation dollar. I also want my friends to be polite visitors — respecting Hawaii’s rich culture and fragile environment.

QUESTION: What’s your creative biography?

ANSWER: I grew up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, but now make my home in central NC in Raleigh with my wonderful husband Andy. I do love living in North Carolina.

My degree is in Industrial Engineering.  I worked as an engineer and project manager for about 15 years, mostly in the pharmaceutical industry. I’ve managed million dollar projects and even had an assignment in London, England for a year.

Now, let’s recap. I’m a North Carolina native who has never lived in Hawaii. I’m an engineer by degree and we all know that engineers are notoriously horrible writers and communicators. So, naturally you see my progression to becoming a Hawaii travel blogger. I wanted to share that because I think it speaks to my sincere passion for Hawaii.

I do love traveling and occasionally I cheat on Hawaii, but only a little bit. I feel like travel has significantly enriched my life and opened my mind to new ideas. I’m always looking for my next travel-fix to satisfy this travelholic.

QUESTION: You describe your affinity for Hawaii as an addiction, what’s the most addicting thing about Hawaii?

ANSWER: Oh my! Where do I start?  I think with each visit to Hawaii, we discover how rich Hawaii’s culture and scenery is. With each visit, we leave with a mental list of what we want to do the next time.  Hawaii offers so much to see and do that you can’t possibly do it all in one vacation. We haven’t really experienced that same effect from any other vacation destination.

There’s something about the colors and contrasts of Hawaii that are truly amazing. (Actually, I’ve created a photo series for both colors and contrasts of Hawaii.) I’ll give you an example of what I mean — the depth of colors at a black sand beach in contrast with luminous green shrubs, and the intensely blue Pacific are a luau for your eyes.  Another example is the incredible shades of orange and red lava actively flowing.  I would love to have a nickel for every time I’ve said wow when I’ve been to Hawaii. Hawaii is filled with many wow moments!

QUESTION: Despite being bred, born, and raised in Hawaii; having lived on Oahu, Maui, and Kona — I learn something new about my home everyday. Share something that we can learn from a visitors perspective.

ANSWER: It’s so difficult to be a tourist in your own backyard. There are places in North Carolina that I’ve never seen, but visitors have. I just saw Hatteras Lighthouse, one of North Carolina’s top landmarks, for the very first time last week. Usually, the challenge is to find the time to explore your own area. So, my advice would be to set aside a weekend or week to see the treasures of Hawaii and play tourist for a while.

QUESTION: Congratulations on your Lonely Planet award for GoVisitHawaii, tell us how much time you invest in your site and how it felt to be acknowledged by a notable travel company like Lonely Planet.

ANSWER: Thank you! It was such an honor to be recognized by one of the top travel guides in the world! Lonely Planet is doing quite a bit to elevate and recognize the passion and efforts of travel bloggers.  So, kudos to them!

I think winning the award is really a testament to what a great destination Hawaii is. Hawaii was really the winner and I was only the conduit for sharing the message.

One of the challenges with a blog is that there’s something you could be doing around the clock to improve your blog. I’ve had to battle the urge to spend so much time on the blog. I’d estimate that I spend anywhere from 3 to 6 hours per day writing posts, responding to comments and emails, networking, and contributing to the community as a whole.  It’s been a real labor of aloha.

QUESTION: What’s the future for GoVisitHawaii?

ANSWER: At the moment, I’ll continue the course. I’ve written over 1000 posts since launching the site in March of 2007 and my inspiration and passion hasn’t gone dry.

QUESTION:What is your favorite sound, sight, taste, and touch of Hawaii?

ANSWER: Ah, now that’s an easy one to answer. Without a doubt, my favorite sound and touch are the trade winds. I sometimes joke that there’s something in the air in Hawaii that captures your heart. Well, there’s actually some truth to that. I love the sound of the trade winds blowing through the palm fronds. Not only do they sound good, but they feel so good, too.

QUESTION: Any last thoughts?

ANSWER: One funny observation I’d like to share is that folks in Hawaii have a shorter perception of distance. For example, sometimes I hear folks from Honolulu talking about going to the North Shore like it’s a long journey. Another example is that once we were sightseeing on Oahu when  a friend in Laie called us to see where we were. We were near Kahana Beach Bay, probably only about 15 minutes down the road from Laie, but our friend said, “Oh! You’re way over there!” It came across to us as if we were hours away. When we took my parents to Maui, we took a day trip to Oahu and created our own circle island tour. We saw everything from Pearl Harbor to the Pali Lookout to Lanikai Beach to the North Shore and Dole Plantation. At the airport, my Dad was chatting with a fellow passenger who lives in Hawaii. That fellow passenger couldn’t believe we drove all that distance in a day. For us on the mainland a 30-minute drive is nothing, but to island residents, that might seem like a much longer journey. It’s all about the perception. 

It’s obvious that the spirit of Aloha dwells within Sheila as she continues to share all that Hawaii has is to her readers. Many of you may not know, but the first few years of my life I lived in North Carolina and I hope to return one day with my family to experience the blue crabbing season. But, when I think about how far it is from Hawaii, I may have to take the space shuttle.

Follow @govisithawaii on Twitter and subscribe to GoVisitHawaii.