Hawaii will always hold a special place in my heart. I lived there as a child, and as you can imagine, it was a magical experience. Earlier this year I was able to share some new Hawaiian memories with my husband. When photographer Christine Clark sent us this family session, we knew we had to share these lovely photographs and words. Read more below from the mother, Sharlene, about their island living, move back to the mainland and advice for other families taking on a Hawaiian adventure.

Tell us about living in Hawaii and raising a family in the islands. What do you love about it and what can be difficult? Living in Hawaii is like living in summer all year around.  It is amazing to raise children and have the option everyday of  going to the beach, going to the zoo, or just playing outside.  The entire island was our backyard.  Our kids barely knew what socks were because they basically lived in flip flops everyday.  It is so convenient as a parent to not have to bundle them up and prepare them for cold weather!  Just grab the slippers and go.    

What is your favorite family memory thus far? The cost of living is rather high in Hawaii, therefore, we lived in a very little condo in Honolulu, but our best memories are of that little place where our environment fostered a close relationship with our children and them with each other .  As they say, "love grows in small spaces".   It was challenging, but at the same time, infinitely precious as we learned to grow together as a family and have fun in our little space.

What are you looking forward to in moving to the mainland? We are looking forward to road trips.  It only takes one hour to get from one side of the island to the other.  So, we are excited about exploring other states and cities on the mainland, since we have not been able to do that living in Hawaii. 
 
What advice would you give other families preparing for big moves? Our advice is to make a bucket list of favorite places you want to go and things you want to do for the last time.  For example, we went to all our favorite beaches, parks, the zoo, the aquarium, and restaurants.  
 

Photographs by Christine Clark