Living a Life of Luxury | What Luxury Means to Me
Luxury is often portrayed as a collection of high-end, unattainable experiences and possessions. In fact, my whole life I dreamed of living a life of luxury filled with fancy things, as that is what I thought true luxury meant – a big beautiful house, a fancy car with air conditioning, pretty dresses with lace and frills, and vacations to places with beautiful old buildings like you see in the movies. However, many of my life experiences since have led me to redefine what luxury means to me. It isn’t something that can be defined by society, as true luxury is subjective and deeply personal, varying greatly from one person to another. What one person dreams of may be the very life another wishes to leave behind.
Luxury In Unexpected Places
Reflecting on my own upbringing, I realize that luxury can be found in the most unexpected places. I grew up on O’ahu's North Shore in Hawaii, a place many surfers and beach lovers consider paradise. My family was far from wealthy; we lived off hand-me-downs and the generosity of our close-knit community. The Irons family, who were our neighbors and dear friends, often looked after us, providing support in times of need. Despite their modest means, they offered us holiday meals and were the closest thing I had to grandparents, as my own were far away in San Diego.
While my childhood was not filled with the traditional markers of luxury, it was rich with experiences that many would envy. I was born into a simple but beautiful life on the North Shore that centered around surfing. Today, people spend tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars a year for memberships that give them access to a community centered around the lifestyle they want to live – golfing, boating, swimming, cycling, entrepreneurship, and just about every other interest you could think of. However, I was able to live this amazing life next to gorgeous beaches where there was no membership fee, but it gave me a priceless experience that shaped my upbringing, and that I would grow up to cherish. I came to realize that these were real-life daily luxuries.
Living on the North Shore
As a result of living steps away from world-class beaches, I enjoyed an abundance of fresh tropical fruits, (freshly picked guavas, papayas, and apple-bananas were some of my favorites that grew everywhere on the North Shore), fell asleep to the soothing sounds of the ocean, and was surrounded by a loving community and friends who shared a passion for surfing.
If I tried to recreate these things now, it would cost me more money than I’m prepared to pay. Farm-to-table tropical fruits for breakfast everyday would be astronomically expensive. Renting a house across the street from a world-famous beach would probably cost 6-figures a year. Luxury, as I’ve come to understand, is not solely about material wealth, but moreso about perspective.
Growing up, I didn’t realize the privilege of my surroundings. When I was little living at a beach called V-land, Jack Johnson would sit outside playing his guitar before anyone knew who he was. My brother and I would tag along with Andy and Bruce Irons as they’d compete in skateboarding competitions in the IGA parking lot in Haleiwa. We’d run around the dirt parking lot of the North Shore Christian Fellowship with friends like Mark Healy. My girlfriends and I would sit at Sunset Beach watching Kelly Slater paddle out into the break. I was surrounded by people who were world class in their art – something it took me many years to appreciate. My childhood friends and I lived a simple, yet profoundly rich life, immersed in a community that valued passion and simplicity over wealth and status.
Focus on the Magic of Life
As I recount these memories, I’m aware that some might see my portrayal as overly romantic. But life’s narrative is ours to shape. We can choose to focus on the hardships of life, the mundane, or the ordinary, but where does that leave us? Instead, we can choose to focus on the magical side of things – because there’s magic in every story. I believe that focusing on the magic enriches our lives and leads us to see even more luxuries in life that might have gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
In today’s world, conversations about luxury have evolved. A recent poll on Reddit, highlighted in a BuzzFeed article, asked readers to share things they once considered luxuries. Responses varied from having a nicely decorated home to enjoying a meal at a restaurant, or even renting a movie from Blockbuster. (We’ve come a long way since Blockbuster!) These are simple pleasures that many of us still cherish. Even having unlimited access to movies on streaming platforms like Netflix is a modern luxury we often take for granted.
The mission of this blog and my upcoming wedding magazine is to celebrate and showcase the diverse forms of luxury that life offers. Luxury is not about meeting society’s expectations, it’s about recognizing and appreciating the beauty and richness that surrounds us every day. I want to inspire you to see the luxuries in your life, to dream big, and to create your own magic. Life is a series of extraordinary moments waiting to be seen and cherished.
Let’s celebrate the magic, embrace our dreams, and live life luxuriously—whatever that means to each of us.
