I Thought I Was Just Showing Hawaii
July 24, 2026
Honolulu, Hawaii
Many of you may have seen me sharing the beauty of Hawaii and parts of my daily life with my mom.
On the morning of May 27, my mom and I were having coffee together when a thought came to me. Why not start a live stream and share more of Hawaii with people?
So I turned on TikTok Live.
One of my favorite moments with my mom in Hawaii.
I had no idea how most of the live-streaming features worked. I simply turned it on, greeted the people who joined, and started talking.
At first, only a few people watched, and no one left any comments. But beginning on June 1, I started going live in the afternoons and evenings too. Since I was spending time with my mom anyway, I thought I could share a little of our daily life, along with the places and views around us. Going live twice a day soon became part of my routine. Rain or shine, I kept doing it. Sometimes I went live more than twice a day, and I also began streaming the Friday night fireworks.
Gradually, viewers began leaving messages, and real conversations started to grow.
I often asked people where they were joining from. That simple question quickly became a challenge for me. I have traveled to many places, but I realized how much I still did not know.
When someone told me they were from Oklahoma, I first thought it might be somewhere in Japan. When I saw the letters PA, I did not know which state they meant. There were also countries whose names I had never heard before.
My viewers were very kind and patient. They explained where their states and countries were, and they shared small details about the places they called home.
Little by little, my live stream began to feel like a classroom.
Recently, I have also been learning the flags of different countries. I ask viewers to post their national flags in the comments, and I try to remember as many as I can.
I also ask them how to say simple words and greetings, such as “hello” or “friend,” in their languages. They patiently teach me, and I try to remember a few greetings in different languages.
Sometimes I pronounce the words incorrectly, and they help me try again. We laugh together, and I learn a little more each day.
Sometimes viewers leave comments in languages I do not understand. Once, when a viewer wrote in Japanese, I asked if anyone could help me. Another viewer, who was joining from Canada, translated the message for me and also showed me how to use the translation feature on TikTok.
Since then, I have encouraged viewers who are not comfortable writing in English to use their own languages. I can use the translation feature, and sometimes other viewers also help us understand one another.
I like that people do not have to speak perfect English to join the conversation.
Viewers also began asking me questions about Hawaii. I shared what I knew from my own experience, both as someone who once visited Hawaii and as someone who now lives here.
Sometimes I did not know the answer. When that happened, local friends in the live stream were often happy to help.
That became another kind of learning for me. I was sharing Hawaii, but I was also learning more about the place I call home.
What began as a simple idea to share Hawaii has become something much more meaningful to me.
Every day, I meet people from different places, hear new stories, answer questions, and learn something I did not know before.
I thought I was simply sharing Hawaii with the world. Instead, people from around the world began sharing their world with me. There is always something new to learn, and that makes me happy.
Thank you for reading.
If you’d like to receive Rebecca’s Letter each month, with stories from Hawaii, thoughtful reflections, and new journal posts, I’d love to stay connected.