Kahili Streets

Jeans: Paige Denim; Top, shoes: TJ Maxx (similar top, similar sandal spend, similar sandal save); Sweater: Loft

Kahili ginger, the blossom I am holding in the photos above, is not native to the islands but blooms in abundance all throughout my neighborhood. It thrives in the rainforest and grows quickly, choking out native plants. When my brother and I were growing up, we used the kahili in many ways - the nectar can be sipped out of the flower once plucked from the tall stem, the ginger before it blossoms was always used as a weapon or makeshift food item, and other variations of ginger in the islands (and elsewhere) can be used as shampoos.

My childhood was localized in the boonies on the side of the volcano in the rainforest and my brother and I spent our time playing make-believe with the flora in the neighborhood. Fiddleheads from the native uluhe fern were used as magic wands, the kahili ginger as food, the lichen and moss as fodder for soups we invented in puddles in the yard. Wandering through the subdivision, I was recollecting our many adventures and introducing Ben to all of them. It's lovely to think of my childhood imagination run wild again!