the opposite of when things fall apart

There I was waiting in line for about an hour to get a grilled cheese sandwich for eight bucks from a food truck with a couple hundred other people surrounding me all laughing, talking, yelping, texting, updating and posting to facebook and their blogs and I thought to myself "this is exactly where I should be."

It was my first time at a food/yelp event and I have to say it was a really good experience; I actually felt as though I was around my peers for once. A group of people who share the same interests that I have. It felt like Hawaii actually had something to offer twenty-somethings who were looking to experience something cool and different for once.

Maybe it's just because I don't usually venture out of my comfort zone all too often. I don't really check out the cool downtown/chinatown hot spots... but I wonder if I should try. Maybe I do belong here in Hawaii but in a different scene then I usually check out. I still feel that there are a lot of things that Hawaii needs if it wants to keep talented young people here. We need to build a network and culture where start-ups and innovation can actually find a community to serve. Yes, I've been snarky and judgmental about Hawaii kids who go to the mainland for college and then move back and try to re-create their LA "scenes" here. I think I might be beginning to understand what the motivation was behind those decisions.

Why can't Hawaii be a metropolitan city? Why can't we have a diverse and varied nightlife scene? We need more museums and exhibits to explore. More botanical gardens and more of the unexpected. We need to prove to Generation ME that Hawaii offers them all types of career, recreational, and social opportunities if we expect them to stay here.

I love Hawaii. It's where I grew up and I can't imagine a better place to live. But I always thought I'd have to leave it someday in order to be a success and "to find myself/happiness". But maybe it's possible that Hawaii is changing and growing right along side me and that I'll be able to make a place for myself here after all.