I was born and lived in Hawaii until I graduated from high school. Like many adventure-seeking Hawaiian kids, I moved to the Mainland to attend college. At the University of Arkansas, I worked my way to a degree delivering pizzas, fixing burgers and tacos, even working at a chicken processing plant. And, of course, I wrote and edited and engaged in every part of a news reporting life while studying journalism and political science. I eventually moved to the East Coast to begin my career. It didn’t take me long, about two years, to realize that I was most at home near the tall mountains and cool, blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. I arrived in Seattle in 2000, and have not had any inclination to leave. I live in South Seattle with my husband and two children. Here, I’ve found community in other Hawaiian transplants, as well as new friends from all backgrounds. In many ways, Seattle — the land, heritage, attitudes — is as close to Hawaii as any place on the West Coast. And that is why it’s home.