Day 181: Brought Someone A Souvenir

After a week in Hawaii, I was able to learn so much about their beautiful culture! The one thing that I truly enjoyed about the Hawaiian people is their love for others and their land. They are always giving praise and encouragement to each other and pray to the heavens in chants. They gift each other often and their unique gifts always have meaning. One gift that I found very interesting is the kukui (coo-coo-y) nut lei. These nuts were thought to bring light to the Hawaiian islands back in the day and today represent good luck and respect.

To preface, I always loved receiving presents and souvenirs as a child from far off places. It seemed as though they always captured the magic of a vacation or always came with a story. Knowing how much I loved souvenirs, I wanted to make sure that my friends and family felt the same and experienced just a bit of the magical trip I have just encountered. For my family and Austin, I brought a tiki (meaning luck & peace) and chocolate macadamia nuts (YUM) and for my Miss Washington roommate, I brought  a kukui lei! I hope this lei brings her so much luck and I look forward to this week with her and the 20 other incredible contestants!

God bless,

Kailee