Growing up, Kalopa state park was my backyard. Playing with my little friends, making houses out of mosses and ferns for the forest spirits, surrounded by the magic that blows through the air, runs deep through the lava tubes, and lives in the roots of the plants that grow here. Reading authors like Ursula K. Le Guin, Lord Dunsany, H.P, Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and watching Movies like The Dark Crystal, The Labyrinth, Wizards, and Willow shaped my strong respect for the old magic that exists in the natural world around us and the fantastic worlds that can be dreamt up in the minds of people. That's why I am so passionate about the work we do as The Honoka'a Renaissance Faire year after year. Helping to create a world where other fantasy nerds, history buffs, and imagination aficionados can come together- dressed up in style and character, with strangers and friends united under a common goal of stepping outside the "real world" for a day.