Learning to Play the Ukulele on a Hawaiian Beach​

The ukulele is small and light in my hands, and a local teaches me simple chords—C, G, Am—his fingers moving easily over the strings. I strum slowly, trying to play “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and the waves crash in time, their rhythm matching my strums. He laughs and says, “Don’t rush—let the music flow like the tide.” By the end of the afternoon, I can play the whole song, my fingers still sore but my heart light. This isn’t just learning an instrument—it’s joy, where the beach and music make every mistake feel like fun.​