 and welcome to Holistic Wellness Revealed. I'm Latisha Sharpe and I'll be your host today as we discuss Aloha culture. Today I have with us as a guest, Christiana Joyce. She's, and I may have butchered that name. She's a student and also a teacher as well as an adventurer of this planet Earth. Welcome, Christiana. Hello, thank you for having me. How are you? I'm good, how are you? I'm beautiful. It's a bit of a different experience where I am. You're in Germany, correct? Yes, I am. I'm in Bochum and it's freezing down here. So I thought that it would be great to be able to have your perspective on Aloha culture and Aloha spirit because I know that you were here last year and I think it's been a year, gosh, a little over, right? And I know that you've also visited other places in the United States. So I felt like it would be a really good representation of how the Aloha spirit and the Aloha culture translates to other places in the world. And you have a young perspective, so you're not super ingrained in any ways of things. And so when were you, how old are you actually? I'm 21 and yes. Okay, so you're 21 and you were here in, tell us a little bit about how long you were here and why you were here in Hawaii. Yes, so I did a semester abroad from August 2022 to December 2022, so for like five months. And I did my semester abroad for my English studies. Yeah, we have to go abroad for like three months and I just came up to the idea to go to Hawaii because it's always been a dream of mine to go there. And I felt like, okay, let's just live there. That's great. So in Germany, so I guess speaking about cultures, then in Germany, it's your culture that you go abroad for three months. Everybody does that. Is that just like natural? No, it's not. So basically only the students who are studying English have to do it, but many people who want to do like a semester abroad after school or just while they are studying, they take the chance to go somewhere, but it's not typical to go to Hawaii. Like many people are just going to the mainland or to Australia, New Zealand, but Hawaii is not so typical. Okay, but it is typical to do a semester abroad. More or less, it depends on the family and how wealthy they are actually. Oh, okay, got it. Because yeah, money is a factor. Okay, so you are here for five months and I'm curious what you experienced as far as aloha. And so if you could define aloha, just a short definition and then how would you define aloha? Love, family and being together, just standing up for each other. So that integrity, that family togetherness and being able to know that you're supported then is what I'm hearing, is that? Yes, something about right? Okay, good. And so what were some of the experience of aloha that you had when you were here? Actually, I started right away when I landed at the airport. I met my host mom and it was just like a warm welcome. You know, you were loved and just loved from the very beginning on. And then like coming up to the people I met in college, like all of the teachers and the students I met there, they were all just so warming and loving and they were just like open to meet new cultures and new people. And they were just like, hey, I wanna get to know you. I wanna get to know about Germany. I wanna get to know why you're here, what you're doing. And they were just like, yeah, let's just spend the time together that you're here and make your time great and unforgettable. So it was, and it feels like what I'm hearing you say is that it was an investment. It was like an investment in each other as people. Yes. Yeah. So as far as that goes here, is that very, how does that differ from maybe the other countries that you've visited or even your home country where you live right now? I mean, surely you have great family bonds and friends and love and laughter in Germany. How is that different or the same even? I would say it's different because in Germany, it's more like kind of playing against each other. Like you wanna have, okay, one person has a good job. You need a better job. It's like playing each other out. And it's not like, okay, you're getting a good job. I'm happy for you. I think it's different on Hawaii because everybody is like, okay, I'm living in the moment. I know somebody is having a good time. Somebody's having a bad time, but we're all here together. And in Germany, it's like, okay, I have to be better. It's always like you have one half in life that you need to achieve, that you have a good job, that you have family. And on Hawaii, the people are just like, okay, let's just live in the moment, celebrate it, live with the people we are, love the people and just being one big family. It's in Germany, it's like you have your family, of course, and you have like some close friends, but not on Hawaii, it's like you have everybody. You know, you can go to anyone and just say, hey, let's just, I don't know, go to the beach together. Let's do something. And nobody cares who you are and what you are doing. It's just, let's just do it together. So you have these experiences of Aloha within your family unit and your close friends, but on the whole as like a community, you're not seeing it as much. No, because it's like, it's a typical saying of Germans, like they're not friendly. I heard that a lot when I've been to the mainland, so let's like, oh, you're a German, but you're very nice. Why are you smiling? It's just like when you're on Hawaii, you're on the street and everybody smiles at you. It's like they have this friendly smile and it's not just on the surface, they just mean it. They just want to spread some friendliness and be nice to each other. So that's, I love that. So you can actually feel, because you know the show is all about holistic integration, right? And being able to access and be an active part of all parts of ourself, our body, our mind, our spirit, our emotions. And what I love, what I'm hearing you say right now is that you can feel the love and you can feel the authenticity. And that is such a beautiful sense that you get when you're here on the islands. And I think that that truly does define a lot of our Aloha culture. What about other places on the mainland? Because I know that you visited other places. I mean, do you find that, what are some other friendly places on the mainland, maybe that have like an Aloha-ish culture? I think I would compare it to Chicago, maybe just because I lived there for two weeks, but it's just the family I've been to, they were just so friendly and nice. And I got a connection to them, but it's still like they live in this big city and they have all of these people around and they're just like, okay, I know I have a student over here for two weeks and it's nice to be with them and learn something from them, but it's different. They're just like more, okay, we have only those two weeks and that's enough. We don't need more time. It's like with all the people I met there, I think I'm only still in contact with my host family, actually, with my host sister, but it's different, it's just different. I don't know, maybe it's the connection they have with each other, like that they have the bond together and they do not feel like, okay, if somebody's new is coming in, we need this. And on Hawaii, it's like, okay, there's so many different cultures. We want to get them all here, like connect all of them. And so would you say that if you feel like you could reach out to some of the other people, other than your host family that you connected with here in Hawaii and they would be open-hearted and accept you back and you'd be able to pick up and talk to them? Yes, I know that, because I already did it. So I know that I just can call them or text them and be like, hey, do you have some time? Do you want to talk? That's great, I love that. So, okay, so how do you, it sounds like this Hawaii culture and everything is super dear to your heart. How have you taken that and spread the aloha to Germany? What are there some ways that you've taken this back to your home or your country and been able to sort of, yeah, just spread that aloha culture? Yes, I actually try to be like more of this friendly smiley girl that I've been there to just spread like, look, I'm smiling. It's a good time, just feel this moment, enjoy it and just be here together. And I just try to spend more time with my family and my friends and teach them about how to be together and how easy it is to connect with the smallest things. It doesn't need to be something big, like a vacation or something. It's just like spending a night together and talking and chatting and something like this. It's just spending time together and living in the moment. Like, I don't want to look too much in the future to see, okay, where am I going? I just want to be where I am right now and what I want to do now. That's great. So a lot of times I ask my guests to get a little vulnerable and I'm gonna do that now with you, with your permission. I know that everybody has struggles in their life and I know that when I was 20, I had struggles that I went through with growing into the different stages of my life. And did you have any kind of specific struggles if you would be open to sharing them with us that maybe this Aloha culture helped you to be able to embrace or to be able to find peace with or make a lifelong connection with somebody? It's kind of a lot of it. I had a bad time before I came to Hawaii because I had to work a lot and I wanted to study and I just wanted to be one of the best in my studies. And it was just like so much stress on me that I couldn't even feel any connection to anybody or anything. It was just like, okay, I woke up, I started studying or working and when I came to Hawaii, all of this end, like I just came there and I know, okay, I have to study now, but it's just like you have the nature, the people around you that support you and my host family, actually my host mom was one of my greatest persons I met there because she was like, okay, just do what you want, be who you are and don't care what others think about you. And I was like, okay, yeah, I don't need others in my life who push me down. I need myself, my life, I need to love myself and I need to be who I am and why I want to be. And that's actually one thing that I learned while living on Hawaii. And I'm very grateful for my host mom that she teach me this and that I could keep on being myself and now back in Germany. I am way more happier than I've been before because I just know, okay, I am myself. I am completed with myself, I know what I want to do. I know what I have to do when I'm feeling bad and just maybe, a lot of times I've been on a walk on Hawaii when I just needed to clear my head. And that's what I'm doing now in Germany too because I know, okay, when I'm out in nature feeling the air and just hearing the wind or the rain, actually anything, I just know, okay, going outside, I can clear my head and just think about everything I need to think about. I really thank you so much for opening up and being vulnerable about that because I don't feel like you're alone in any of that. I feel like these are things that all of us have struggled with in at least one part if not many parts of our lives. And I feel like what you brought up that is ringing super loud in my energy right now is the nature aspect. How did you notice how the people in Hawaii whether it was actual Hawaiians who were doing maybe some kind of chanting or ceremony or maybe it was just everyday people who have lived here for a while or maybe even a short time? Did you notice how that was different? How they regarded nature? It was completely different. So the people in Hawaii, they respect nature. They can feel the energy coming from nature. Like it doesn't matter if it's coming from the mountains, from the sea, from the sand, from the stones, like nature is just giving so much energy and people in Germany do not realize how much energy you can get from nature. Like just being outside of your flat or your room, it just can bring you so much good energy and being close to mother nature. It's like this connection to nature is not here in Germany. It's not as widespread then as what you're saying. Like, so like here in Hawaii, it feels like that's just natural for people to be like that. Yeah. In Germany, maybe you have to find those people who are like that, right? Yeah. I mean, there are a lot of people who care for the nature, but it's just different. It's not like, okay, we're just climbing up a mountain and looking down and seeing what nature gives us and what we can see from nature, but yeah. Speaking of mountains, did you have any experiences with mountains here? I know you're an avid hiker. What were some of your favorite hikes that you did on Island? Free peaks. I mean, I only made a first peak, but the view is breathtaking. Like you can see so much from the Island. It's amazing. And what I really enjoyed doing was Cocoa Head Crater Trail, because there was like a community and this community just picked me up and was like, hey, come and join us. And I just know on Christmas day, no Christmas Eve, sorry, on Christmas Eve, we just did this hike together and all of the people celebrated Christmas on the top of the mountain. And it was just like beautiful, just looking down and seeing all the people going up this mountain. I mean, it's a pretty rough hike. It's short, but it's rough, but I just enjoyed every second. And the sunrise from Cocoa Head is just amazing. Just seeing how the sun comes up, bringing you the energy for the day. It's amazing. Again, with the community, it feels like that's a common theme. Community and nature and that openness and that heart. So, were you completely well and healthy the entire time you were in Hawaii? No. Did you get sick? I got sick and had some knee injuries, so I've been through so much ice, but I made it. So, the reason why I asked that question is because I want to know if there's any different types of injuries I want to know if there's any differences with how maybe things were addressed in Hawaii than how things are typically addressed in Germany. And, you know, how did you deal with that? So, for example, I got a cold one day, one time. And I know in Germany, most of the doctors just give you some nose spray, some antibiotics, or something else. But my host only actually lived with herbal medical treatment. And that was pretty interesting and very good actually for me, because just using all of those herbs were just like, okay, you were using nature to get better and to heal and you don't need to use anything with chemicals or something. And it was just, it was very different because they were just looking for what nature gives us to heal. That's nice. And so, do you kind of, do you take that with you back to Germany or? I did. You kind of got me burnt. I'm still trying not to use too many, too much medicine because I know it's not the best for the body and I'm trying to do a lot of herbal medical treatments, but I'm also trying just to, when I'm getting sick, just to lay down and rest my body. I love that because that's talking to, listening to yourself first, right? And listening to your own rhythm and really getting in touch with yourself first. And that's, I feel like that's always the first step to our greatest healing and being able to then know how maybe nature can find its way into our bodies to help us out. So did you notice anything? Here's what I really wanna know is because I love chanting and I love dancing and I love hula and I love all of these things. And I wanna know how you felt Aloha and Aloha culture translate through those very cultural practices. I actually had a hula class in college. So I did the whole hula dances for five months straight and I loved it. Just like all of this chanting for the hula dances. I mean, they're all referring to Hawaii and the nature and how other people are connected and dancing to this love of Hawaii is just amazing. And I had a special moment on Maui with my host mom where we were sitting in a river and she was chanting. And after that, we were just listening to the nature to the river and we picked up some stones and we actually also got some water just to feel the energy and always have some of this energy with us. And yeah, it was just like the chanting just made all this moment complete. Like, you know, you have this nature and then just chanting and all of this just connected to each other and you could just feel all of this going through your body and feeling relieved. So it's a full body experience and it's not just the nature being outside of you but being able to feel that nature in and around you. Yeah. This is what I'm hearing you say. Correct? That's actually what I mean. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like that's what I heard you saying but I just wanted to make sure. So I feel like as far as Aloha culture goes the common themes that it keep coming up in your stories and in like your smiles and everything are this, is this feeling of oneness really? Oneness not just with nature but with each other and even with ourselves. And I feel like that also leads to us being one with our spirit as well. And that is such a gift that you were able to really hear that from your experience in Hawaii. And I just love that you came on today to share all of your experiences. And I love also that you're taking that back home and across the country. And I really feel like you're the type of person that will take that with you wherever you go around the world because you travel quite a bit like all over, I mean, in Europe you travel to many countries, right? Yes. Right. And it's almost like I feel like that's what is needed is for this sense of Aloha for people to really embody it and bring it into their hearts and then be able to share it around the world. So that's what I really wanted to bring you on for is because I know that that's what you do around the world. And I just wanna give a big mahalo to you for spreading that Aloha and really accepting the call of that oneness that we are all part of a one collective being and space and so mahalo, Christiana mahalo, mahalo. Thank you. Yeah. So with that, I'm just gonna say thank you, keep doing the great Aloha work out there. And I hope to see you soon back on the islands and we'll go up, we'll go up Coco Crater and go visit all your old friends and then some. So keep on creating more of the Aloha culture and more experiences that help us and others embody that sense of Aloha. So mahalo so much. Mahalo. And thank you to Think Tech Kauai for providing us a platform for being able to have these conversations and being able to bring what everybody is feeling and thinking and maybe wanting to discuss forward so that we can all have these topics together. And if you like Think Tech Kauai and this episode and this show, then please subscribe and like us so that you can get updates. And so for now, go with this Aloha in your hearts and knowing that we really are all one. Until next time, mahalo.