Hello, I’m Kook Aunty

Kook Aunty is the attitude/persona I’ve adopted when I want to shove fear aside and approach life with joy, excitement, and openness.

I’ve spent so much of my life worried about looking silly or stupid (like a kook), especially when trying something new. This has stopped me from doing things that are actually a lot of fun!

Surfing, for example. This is actually where I first heard the word kook. It’s a derogatory term for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing in the water. As a teenager, I was determined to never be seen as a kook. This resulted in me putting away my board after a few failed surf attempts.

Now, I’m ready to embrace the fact that I don’t look like Sanoe Lake in “Blue Crush” but rather like a wet dog thrashing in waves—because that means that I get out there and enjoy an hour or two in the water rather than at home on my couch (though that activity definitely has its time and place).

To be clear, the word kook is often synonymous with careless. That is not something I’m trying to embody. Just because I’m not afraid to look foolish or inexperienced does not mean I’m recklessly throwing myself at something that could potentially be dangerous to myself and/or others.

That’s where Aunty comes in. Back home in Hawaii, Aunties are all of the women in my close circle. My mom’s friends, the “beach chair Aunties,” may be a bit quirky in their own ways, but they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to everything they do—and have taught me what they know.

And that’s where we get Kook Aunty!

This blog is a place where I can chronicle my attempts at bringing the Kook Aunty spirit into my life. Try new things. Keep trying even if you’re bad at it. Be curious. Discover joy in nearby and faraway places. Put the earth first and yourself second.