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Return to Pō
You have come here to explore who you are and what you are here for. Your purpose as an individual and as a member of society is intertwined with your desire to reflect on the past but also move forward in life.
This is how you have found yourself before Return to Pō, a coming-of-age travel memoir combining mythology, environmental conservation, and self-improvement, written by your guide along this journey, Jon-Erik Jardine.
Prepare yourself for a true story that will have you gently bobbing through the ebbs and flows of various memories, emotions, and experiences. You’ll cheer when you envision the Albatross fledglings raising their wings to practice flying for the first time. Your heart will catch in your throat as you read about how adolescents in a wilderness therapy program realize the importance of their lives as they lie in a temporary symbolic grave in the ground. You’ll laugh when you read about the ship’s engineer who sits and stares at the clock every time he isn’t working. And afterwards, you’ll shut your eyes and remember your biggest loss and how you healed after grief.
This book is for those who are ready to face the unknown, question their upbringing and beliefs, and search their souls for areas of improvement. It is for those who have found themselves both running from and embracing death, connecting to nature and disconnecting from society. It is for those who seek truth within them—but also know the value of listening to the world around them.
If you are introspective, intrigued by the mysteries of life, and desire a stronger connection to nature, this book is for you. Perhaps you have been called to read it. Will you answer the call?
This is how you have found yourself before Return to Pō, a coming-of-age travel memoir combining mythology, environmental conservation, and self-improvement, written by your guide along this journey, Jon-Erik Jardine.
Prepare yourself for a true story that will have you gently bobbing through the ebbs and flows of various memories, emotions, and experiences. You’ll cheer when you envision the Albatross fledglings raising their wings to practice flying for the first time. Your heart will catch in your throat as you read about how adolescents in a wilderness therapy program realize the importance of their lives as they lie in a temporary symbolic grave in the ground. You’ll laugh when you read about the ship’s engineer who sits and stares at the clock every time he isn’t working. And afterwards, you’ll shut your eyes and remember your biggest loss and how you healed after grief.
This book is for those who are ready to face the unknown, question their upbringing and beliefs, and search their souls for areas of improvement. It is for those who have found themselves both running from and embracing death, connecting to nature and disconnecting from society. It is for those who seek truth within them—but also know the value of listening to the world around them.
If you are introspective, intrigued by the mysteries of life, and desire a stronger connection to nature, this book is for you. Perhaps you have been called to read it. Will you answer the call?
129 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2020
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 9, 2021
I was shocked by how much this small book could impact my way of thinking about life and death, the meaning of home, and what it means to find purpose in a life that we all know will end one day.
Jardine takes his environmental conservation journey in Hawaii and shares with us not only the inherent history, culture, and beautiful wildlife of this archipelago known first (unfortunately) for its mass tourism but also the idea that everything that comes into being also comes back to rest one day, usually in a spot not too far from home, whatever that means for us as humans and for the wildlife ecosystem he works hard to support.
We get pieces of family trauma, loss and grief, coming-of-age, euphoria and joy, uncertainty and control, and more in one of the most remote and uninhabited islands on earth, and all I wanted was to read more after I finished.
The cherry on top was the fact that Jardine has beautiful command of language. His metaphors, analogies, and descriptions of the nature around him are breath-taking. Bravo!
Jardine takes his environmental conservation journey in Hawaii and shares with us not only the inherent history, culture, and beautiful wildlife of this archipelago known first (unfortunately) for its mass tourism but also the idea that everything that comes into being also comes back to rest one day, usually in a spot not too far from home, whatever that means for us as humans and for the wildlife ecosystem he works hard to support.
We get pieces of family trauma, loss and grief, coming-of-age, euphoria and joy, uncertainty and control, and more in one of the most remote and uninhabited islands on earth, and all I wanted was to read more after I finished.
The cherry on top was the fact that Jardine has beautiful command of language. His metaphors, analogies, and descriptions of the nature around him are breath-taking. Bravo!
January 16, 2021
This book has changed my life for the better! Life is all about moving forward. Yes we have regrets of the past but we live and learn. Jardine provides an experience in his work and it’s a fun and inspiring book to keep around my room.
Every page motivates me to keep reading on and not put the book down. I takeaway from the book that this life is mysterious in so many ways and we can only discover ourselves by taking a shot at what we feel the universe wants us to do to contribute to society.
Jardine paints such an extraordinary picture of how to perceive life and our goals. Take this journey but with enthusiasm if you will!
Every page motivates me to keep reading on and not put the book down. I takeaway from the book that this life is mysterious in so many ways and we can only discover ourselves by taking a shot at what we feel the universe wants us to do to contribute to society.
Jardine paints such an extraordinary picture of how to perceive life and our goals. Take this journey but with enthusiasm if you will!
January 7, 2021
Brahma.
Return to Pō is a book with many themes and thought provoking sentiments. It was on the shorter side, but the author's effective writing style still allowed sufficient time to make a connection with his perspectives and struggles.
One thing that I appreciated throughout this book was Jardine's vulnerability. So many stories seem to conclude with an assuredness and a clear conclusion, but my takeaway from this was that there isn't one right answer to how to process feelings of grief and self-doubt, and the various paths we embark upon in life. By doing this, it allows us the opportunity to reach into ourselves through a new lens, similar to the lens that inspired Jon-Erik to return to an uninhabited island on two separate occasions.
My only critique of his story stems from the timeline of the essays within the book. After such a heart-wrenching introduction, it felt somewhat disconnecting to spend multiple chapters learning about the various fauna and flora of the island, which albeit very informative, felt detracting from the initial storyline.
That being said, this is a book that I hope reaches a wider audience, and I feel can be very relatable to younger generations. I look forward to future writings by this author.
Return to Pō is a book with many themes and thought provoking sentiments. It was on the shorter side, but the author's effective writing style still allowed sufficient time to make a connection with his perspectives and struggles.
One thing that I appreciated throughout this book was Jardine's vulnerability. So many stories seem to conclude with an assuredness and a clear conclusion, but my takeaway from this was that there isn't one right answer to how to process feelings of grief and self-doubt, and the various paths we embark upon in life. By doing this, it allows us the opportunity to reach into ourselves through a new lens, similar to the lens that inspired Jon-Erik to return to an uninhabited island on two separate occasions.
My only critique of his story stems from the timeline of the essays within the book. After such a heart-wrenching introduction, it felt somewhat disconnecting to spend multiple chapters learning about the various fauna and flora of the island, which albeit very informative, felt detracting from the initial storyline.
That being said, this is a book that I hope reaches a wider audience, and I feel can be very relatable to younger generations. I look forward to future writings by this author.
January 23, 2021
Wow. Full of poignantly and poetically written words exploring life and death and the renewal of self, I thoroughly enjoyed Jon’s exploration of our connection with nature and its creatures through his storytelling. I really appreciate how he weaves in Hawaiian culture, colloquial terms, and sayings throughout- having been to Hawaii- this further encouraged me to go back with a renewed sense of understanding for this place. A book that heals and inspires us through our toughest experiences to return back to where the magic first began.
February 13, 2021
Return to Pō is a coming of-age story that grapples with some of the most important topics of life including facing the unknown, dealing with loss, finding happiness, and overcoming adversity. The mysterious, remote islands of Hawaii provides the perfect setting for the author to take us on this spiritual journey.
My favorite aspect of the book was the way Jardine, thorough his expert storytelling, was able to take me on an introspective journey that went down so many interesting, unexpected paths. Jardine is an extremely thoughtful writer who has a special talent for analyzing a key question from many different angles. It was a treat to hear his measured viewpoints on important topics that we all face in our everyday lives, ranging from grief to environmentalism.
Reading this book opened me up to entirely new perspectives and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future. I'll be thinking about Return to Pō for a long time to come. I would recommend this book to anyone. Read Return to Pō! I promise, you’ll be hooked.
My favorite aspect of the book was the way Jardine, thorough his expert storytelling, was able to take me on an introspective journey that went down so many interesting, unexpected paths. Jardine is an extremely thoughtful writer who has a special talent for analyzing a key question from many different angles. It was a treat to hear his measured viewpoints on important topics that we all face in our everyday lives, ranging from grief to environmentalism.
Reading this book opened me up to entirely new perspectives and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future. I'll be thinking about Return to Pō for a long time to come. I would recommend this book to anyone. Read Return to Pō! I promise, you’ll be hooked.
June 25, 2021
This book takes you to the edge of normal consciousness, and asks you to look beyond. Inside yourself. Outside of time; before it. Modern life is organized completely around the masculine, solar, daytime, to the exclusion of the feminine, lunar, and night. That is pō.
Having lived in Hawaii myself during much of my formative years, I appreciate Jardine's perspective and his lucid and respectful handling of language and culture, deftly navigating between ancient and modern, sacred and profane, native and...other.
I think almost anyone will be very engaged by this book, as it touches on everything from society and rites of passage, conservation, ecology, botany, indigenous Hawaiian wisdom, language, and geology, as well as the simply human and emotional.
Having lived in Hawaii myself during much of my formative years, I appreciate Jardine's perspective and his lucid and respectful handling of language and culture, deftly navigating between ancient and modern, sacred and profane, native and...other.
I think almost anyone will be very engaged by this book, as it touches on everything from society and rites of passage, conservation, ecology, botany, indigenous Hawaiian wisdom, language, and geology, as well as the simply human and emotional.
February 6, 2021
This book is a meditation, a poem, and a memoir. It's a snippet of the author's life, a reflection on what keeps us alive, and what helps us move forward. It gave me something real to focus on while my mother was dying, a gentle dive into nature and healing. Jardine uses environmental science and botany as a base to explore his feelings and growth while isolated with few others during a habitat restoration project in Hawaii.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews