Enjoy going barefoot

My favorite thing about Hawaii is the lifestyle. Partly because of the warm climate and natural beauty, the lifestyle is very casual and laid back. Outside Honolulu the pace of life is slow, and people take time to appreciate and enjoy the kind and beautiful nature that surrounds them, and attempt to be one with it. I'm a very casual person, and therefore, I really love the lifestyle here! Suit and tie are out. Most professional and businessmen wear aloha shirt which is a dress shirt with Hawaiian/tropical design. The women wear either regular dress or, if they prefer, muumuu which is a long dress also with Hawaiian/tropical design, supposedly very comfy. The most prevalent attire off work consists of T-shirt, shorts, and rubber slippers (flip flops). You can dress so casually just about anywhere, whether shopping, dining, or even flying! It is also customary to take off all footware before entering a home. Being so comfortable, sometimes you forget to put them on before go...

i have to admit when it's really hot outside, going barefoot can be kinda uncomfortable or even challenging at times. the pavement gets so hot an rough to a tenderfoot. you have to know your limit. a couple of tricks i hav learned is to walk in the shades and also when there's markings on the pavements (like on parking lots or crosswalks), stepping on the painted surfaces reduces the heat quite significantly. the upside is when you enter a cool building and step on the cool floor. aahhh... it's havenly! :)

going barefoot in the rain is one of the best things! while others walk carefully trying to avoid stepping in puddles in order not to ruin their shoes, i do just the opposite. it's really fun to splash on puddles :) the only drawback is that my soles get really clean (i happen to like dirty soles). but there's an exception. one time i was grocery shopping when it suddenly started to rain. i was like, oh s&#@, it's raining. there goes my dirty soles! oh well... but when i got home and walked through the covered parking area at my apartment, my soles actually got dirtier than before since the ground was really grimy and my wet soles attracted the dirt even more. yea! :)

4th of july is always a special time for me 'cos i get to watch the parade near my home in bare feet! :) there are plenty of other barefooters watching the parades. even some of the participants are barefoot. the last time i went to the parade it rained which actually added to the fun :) i didn't bother bringing an umbrella so i just stood there completely drenched. cool! :) there was a little girl standing nearby who was also barefoot and playing in the puddle. she looked at me and giggled. in the evening i went to the beach to watch the fireworks (barefoot of course). life is good! :)