Malinda Lo

The last Friday in August marked my last day as managing editor of AfterEllen.com, the website I’ve been writing for since 2003. I’ll still continue to write my column, Notes & Queeries, for AfterEllen.com, but I’m no longer wrangling lesbian entertainment five (plus) days a week. Although there are certainly aspects of that job that were frustrating (as is the case with any job), I was sad to say goodbye to it, since it has contributed so much to my life.

I decided to leave AfterEllen.com for a good reason — to focus full-time on writing fiction — but after all that work, I needed a little time off. So my girlfriend and I went to Kauai, Hawaii, for a glorious 10-day vacation where I was not allowed to do any work. Luckily, Kauai is such a gorgeous place that it wasn’t that hard to focus on, well, doing nothing but gazing slack-jawed at the natural beauty around me.

But the 10 days passed all too quickly, and I got back to San Francisco last week. Now, I love living in the City by the Bay, but can you guess where I wish I still was?

It was my first trip to Hawaii, and I had a marvelous time eating shave ice (oh how I wish I had some right now!), lots of fish (ahi poke in the Foodland deli, yum!), starfruit (we bought five for 50 cents at a farmer’s market) and other tropical delicacies (including the best mango I have ever tasted). Of course, Kauai is about more than amazing local food; it’s also about beaches.

Ke’e Beach

And rainbows.

Rainbow at Hanalei Bay Beach Park

And spectacular sunsets.

Hanalei Bay

More mouth-watering Kauai pics after the jump!

Poipu Beach

And waterfalls. Like the one you remember from Fantasy Island.

Wailua Falls

Plus there are roosters (and hens and chicks) all over the place. They were freed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and have now taken over the island, since they have no natural predators. I kept wondering why people don’t go chicken hunting, because those roosters crow all day.

I also went hiking in the amazing Waimea Canyon, and was constantly bombarded by breathtaking scenery. Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip.

A stone in Waimea Canyon

Hanalei Pier at sunset

Wildflowers on a trail in Waimea Canyon

Yinyang koi

As always, all good things must come to an end. So now I’m back at work on Ash. It’s comforting to know that sinking back into that world now feels as natural as sliding back into my own bed after 10 days away. I guess there’s no place like home.