Gabriela Taylor is an adventurer. A traveler. A person with heart who can’t help but care about what’s happening in this world around her and, in particular, right here on Kauai, which she calls home.
She is also the creator, designer and builder of the Keapana Center Bed and Breakfast that once thrived on Kauai and was host to many crazy characters who introduced Taylor to unforgettable moments — some good, some bad, some simply nutty — on this island she loves.
She shares those stories in her book, “Geckos and Other Guests,” that was published in 2006.
It is fitting that the foreword of the book includes this quote: “Unless life is a daring adventure, it is worth nothing.” — Helen Keller.
That is Gabriela Taylor. Never a dull moment.
“It was Nancy Drew who inspired my life more than anyone during an era when women were relegated to the kitchen. Always in charge, she outsmarted the cops, the robbers, and even her own father. Glued to the Nancy Drew mystery books as a preteen, I pictured myself leading a glamorous, exciting life; living on Kauai and running the Keapana Center fulfilled part of that fantasy.”
This book of wonderful short stories is full of laughs and smiles, but also includes some tears, heartache and despair, too. They smack of someone who lives for adventure, whether it comes to her doorstep or she travels thousands of miles to find it.
You know these are going to be compelling-read tales with titles like, “Lazarus: The Dog Who Came Back from the Dead,” “From Avatars to Zealots: The Usual Suspects,” and “Closed: For Arts Sake.”
She introduces the reader to a cast of characters that certainly has you shaking your head and, yet, wishing you could have been there. Not every guest is what you would call normal, and Taylor deals with all of them as evenly as one possibly could. They were surfers, models, airline flight attendants, writers and those Taylor calls “burlap people.” They lived under Taylor’s roof and brought their lives along with them.
Operating a bed and breakfast comes with daily challenges — perhaps even more so on Kauai — and Taylor shares them with humor. Her clear and concise writing styles get right to the point. As in life, she is not one to waste words or time.
She summarizes her journey this way:
“In looking back at this rich experience, a main focus in my life for twelve years, I ask myself: would I do it again? The answer is, unequivocally, ‘Yes!’ It was a great adventure, a creative endeavor that often challenged me to improvise in the moment.”
She goes on to write:
“One main ingredient for happiness is a basic love of life and probably the most important trait is a sense of humor coupled with gratefulness. When I look back at the evolution of the B&B and see myself in all those absurd and wonderful situations, I have to laugh. At the same time, I am humbled and give thanks.”
This book will brighten your day and give you insight as to life on Kauai.
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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
