Kaʻapuni Honua Series: My Summer in Chicago

Howzit, and welcome back to Kepa Aloha! My last post on this blog was back in June of 2015, so I decided to start off the new year by making a resolution to myself: write more often! 

I want to resume this neglected-blog by reflecting on my experience in the Windy City this past summer. Although it's been nearly 5 months since my return from Chicago, the memories and people I met through this experience are still very strong.

But before I begin, I am following my big sister Pili's example from her blog Happy Nathaniel (check um out!) by starting off my post with a disclaimer: 

I am not a doctor. I am not a psychologist. Honestly, I don't even have my college degree YET, and I just turned 20-years-old about a month ago. The views, ideas, and opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect any official organization in the health, business, or government agencies. You are reading this blog with the full knowledge that the author of Kepa Aloha is not authorized by any school, corporate company, non-profit, or government entity to provide professional advice on any legal, cultural, or spiritual opinions expressed in this blog. The views expressed are purely a reflection of Kepa's personal experiences and interpretations of events. If you follow any advice in this blog it is at your own discretion and at your own risk. If you read anything past this paragraph that means you have agreed to the terms expressed above.

Still reading? AWESOME!! 

Now for those of you who don't know, I lived and worked in the Windy City of Chicago for the summer, and I LOVED the experience! Unfortunately I was so busy immersing myself in incredible moments of exploration that I failed to post anything on my blog about it! The whole reason I had the opportunity to go to Chicago was because of a scholarship that I received through my college. This scholarship chose a group of 20 scholars from different Liberal Arts colleges around the country to participate in Chicago summer internships. I am grateful and HUMBLED to be one of those scholars.

Kemper Scholars - Class of 2017
(Missing: Emily, Matt, Tatum, & Edward)

Sunday, May 31, 2015 - Arrival in Chicago, O'Hare Airport, & Moving In!

ARRIVED AT LAST! Chicago O'Hare International Airport

After flying from Honolulu to Dallas airport with a 1-hour layover; then from Dallas to O'Hare; then from O'Hare to Downtown Chicago via the "L" (otherwise known as the Elevated Metro), for a grand total of 15 hours of traveling time, I am greeted by Chicago's biting gusts, soaring skyscrapers, and obnoxious pigeons (they really don't care if you're a tree or a human - they will fly directly at you and you WILL need to duck).

I can't believe I'm here...and why was I potogee enough to think that I would be okay wearing SHORTS straight off da plane! Auē nō hoʻi e...

Chicago Theater District. So awesome!

So what exactly did I experience in Chicago?
Well... here's a quick list of the places, festivities, and other events that I can remember attending (photos included when available):

-  Lincoln Park (Greek Festival)



- The Chicago "Loop" for an Architectural Tour
- Grant Park & the Buckingham Fountain
- Ohio State Beach
- Chicago Boat Tour
- Stop.Reset Play (The Goodman Theater)
- Meeting and spending time with nine Belarusian Delegates


- Co-coordinating activities with 12 London Youth delegates


- Putting on an event for 40 African Women Entrepreneurs


- Kemper Insurance Corporation
- Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds game)
- Chicago Diner

- Mid50mmarfest
- Chicago Blues Festival

- House of Blues Gospel Brunch
- Hubbard Street Dance
- Willis (Sears) Tower ~ Over the Edge


- U.S. Cellular Field 

- On Your Feet Play (The Oriental Theater)
-  Nuevo Leon Mexican Restaurant
- Pride festival with friends!
- The Who and the What Play (Victoria Gardens Theater)
- Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Pizza!
- Millenium Park free concert
- Blue Man Group (Briar Street Theater)

And of course...LOLLAPALOOZA WITH BAE!




The event featured artists like Kid Cudi:

And of course...braddah man SAM SMITH!!



It was a beautiful day of music, love, and spending quality time with my kāne!

Overall, my summer in Chicago was more than just an internship... It was a life-changing experience that foreshadowed the development for my desire to kaʻapuni honua - travel the world!

My next blog will feature details about my current travels beyond the shores of the Continental US. Stay tuned!

Until next time... I leave you all with this live performance of Sam Smith that I recorded at Lolla.
Enjoy! See you next time!

He Leo Mahalo kēia: This Is A Voice of Gratitude

Welina mai me ke aloha e nā ʻohana, nā hoapili, a me nā hoalauna mai ka pae ʻāina ʻo Hawaiʻi a i ka ʻae kai ʻo Nū ʻIeleke, a me nā wahi āpau, mai ʻō ā ʻō. ʻO Kepa Barrett koʻu inoa. ʻIwakālua oʻu makahiki a ʻo Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina kuʻu kulāiwi. Mahalo no ke kipa ʻana a me ka heluhelu ʻana aku i koʻu palapala mua ma kēia kahua kākau o ka pūnaewele, ʻoia hoʻi ʻo "Kepa Aloha."

Greetings with love to my family, friends, and acquaintances from the Islands of Hawaiʻi to the shores of New Jersey and everywhere beyond. My name is Kepa Barrett. I am 20 years old and the Hawaiian Islands are my homeland. Thank you for coming to read the first post on my new blog: Kepa Aloha.

Kepa's favorite S's: Sun, Surf, and Smiles! :D

The idea for this blog arose prematurely after my sister, Pilialoha Nathaniel, started writing her blog Happy Nathaniel (which you should all check out! http://happynathaniel.blogspot.com/). But this blog didn't come into full fruition until a loved one suggested that I start writing down stories that I normally tell in person on a public site for others to see. For those of you who know me, I prefer to speak to people face-to-face because there is so much more animation and excitement to experience in conversations where you can see peoples faces! It also has something to do with Aloha...but we'll talk about that another time ;)

You folks also know that I talk story CHOKE (a lot), and I can go on ranting foa days braddah! However, I tend to speak from my naʻau (soul/gut); therefore many of the stories I tell tend to have a lesson that I try to capture in the spoken word, but often these lessons are too abstract and mamao (far-out) for me to retain by sheer memory. That's why I often lose these spoken lessons because I didn't anchor them to anything tangible for me to recall later.

So Kepa Aloha is going to be a permanent pōhaku (rock) for which the memories, travels, and "mana moments" of Kepa Barrett will be stored. I hope this blog will offer you, dear reader, the inspiration you need to anchor your own memories, stories, and life lessons to something tangible. Otherwise, I hope you get something else out of my lōlō (crazy) rants.

Speaking of permanent pōhaku in my life: These are my kupuna (grandparents)!

For my family and friends who are confused by the first paragraph in this post - it is written entirely in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian Language), and the second paragraph is a (rough) translation into English. I did this because I consider ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi to be my first language, and I want to use this blog as a way for me to recall Hawaiian and use it in a written form. I haven't taken a Hawaiian language class since my senior year in high school nearly two years ago, so my kākau (written) form of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi has gotten a little outta wack. So, I will dedicate a portion of each of my blog posts to kākau Hawaiʻi in hopes of maintaining my ties to my mother language.

Now...on to the very first topic EVER to be shared on Kepa Aloha: GRATITUDE. Specifically, I want to encourage people to start VOICING their gratitude more often to themselves and to others, because it will truly make you feel better about the good things you got going for yourself!

I love my maddah-braddah-sistah-faddah SUPAH plenny!

I want to provide a VOICE of gratitude to my readers, because the words that I am about to write are things that I have said out-loud many times, but I didn't actually start writing them down until about a year ago in a personal journal that I carry around. And just so that I remembered, I recorded the dates that I wrote these thoughts down.  Many of these manaʻo mahalo (thoughts of gratitude) were written in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, so I provided a translation for them whenever necessary. I only provided SOME of these manaʻo mahalo for you folks today. The rest I will share when I feel the time is right...

Nā Manaʻo Mahalo - Thoughts of Gratitude

1) I am grateful for my ʻohana! - April 17, 2014
2) Hoʻomaikaʻi au no koʻu hoa aloha! (I am grateful for my friends!) - April 18, 2014
3) Aloha wau iā Grandma (I love Grandma) - April 19, 2014
4) I am grateful for the SUN - April 20, 2014
5) Hoʻomaikaʻi au no ka hanu ola. Mahalo Ke Akua!
(This one I won't translate cuz I no gotta if I no like!)

Anyways, I'll leave you folks with this cool video of me surfing with my dad and sister last week. Thanks for reading through my first moʻolelo on Kepa Aloha! See you next time!

P.S. More ʻohana pics:

Barrett Cousins - No mess!

Nathaniel Cousins - How come da camera always like follow us around?