Chapter 1

SUNSET


CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME TO HONOLULU



I hummed softly as a gentle breeze came in through the half-open window. Just a 22-year-old.



"I'm almost there..." I said to myself. I was doing this all on my own now. How could it be true? I remember when I was a child. I wanted to stay in New York.



This was definitely not New York.



"We're here." I snapped out of my daydream as the car began to slow. 



"Already?" I asked. We had been in the car less than 5 minutes.



"Yes, miss. I told you the airport isn't too far away from here." I rubbed my eyes as sunlight shone in through the window. We had stopped just where I needed to be. I looked out the window. The scenery was immense.



"How much do I owe you?" I asked the driver. He shrugged.



"Whatever you have, ma'am. It doesn't matter. You've been a pleasure," he replied, tipping his navy hat. I laughed. He was certainly the nicest person I had met on my way here.



"Here's 50, keep the change," I told him earnestly, pulling a note out of my purse and putting it into his little money box between the two front seats. "You've been so nice." The driver looked slightly taken aback, after all it was quite a short journey, but too it anyway and tipped his hat again and again.



As I stepped out of the car, I had an awareness of the beautiful scenery around me. One foot clad in a flip flop hit the sidewalk and, picking up my camera bag, guitar case and  other luggage, the other foot made it's way out of the car. To be honest I was pretty afraid.



This was my new home, and I had to accept it. I was a photographer.



This was my life now.



So, I finally looked up from the paving and stared out ahead, past the rows of houses and across the island, and called out a greeting.



"Hello, Honolulu."