The Ho’ea Initiative camp is a survival camp, as in teaching you skills to survive off the land. But really it was much more — it was a spiritually deep 3 days. The skills they taught us were just as much about self empowerment and respect for the land and all things on it, as they were about hunting or making fires or catching fish.  Sure we learned to track animals, but we also learned to track ourselves and loved ones, to pay attention to the story, and to act to change our stories and redirect them when needed.

It was a trip we were all nervous for — survivial, camping, heavy rain forecast for all 3 days.  But what we found instead was a trip bracketed by rainbows (our only sign of rain), leaders full of caring and aloha (love), relaxation away from electronics, and a deep grounding to the land and within ourselves.

The kids may just say the trip was a lot of fun, hanging out and kidding around with their classmates and it was that too.

My approach was to shoot what I felt, what grabbed me and what spoke to me.

Part 2 of the trip is here.

Part 2 of the trip is here.