The thing is - I miss Hawaii. Maybe it's the grey that has persisted for the past six months, or the fact that I have to put my feet in shoes every day. I can't go swim laps without paying to belong to a gym. There is no pho here. People undoubtedly take themselves too seriously here. And, no, I can't paddle out to anywhere in the Upper Valley.

But my family is here. And (maybe someday) a much better doctoral program than the University of Hawaii could ever offer. S seems to think the ice hockey is okay. And real maple syrup comes from the trees in my parents yard. People understand sustainability much better in New England, and they adhere to it. O gets to see his cousin almost every weekend. And we never once have to sit in traffic.

But I still miss Hawaii. My toes in the sand at Sherwoods, my hands in the water at Cliffs. The tangerine tree in Waianae. All things Kaimuki. Is it too early to be thinking about retirement?