Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

These Legendary Surfers’ Converted School Bus Connects to a Three-Story Tree House on Hawaii

These Legendary Surfers’ Converted School Bus Connects to a Three-Story Tree House on Hawaii

Aamion and Daize Goodwin’s radical digs in Hanalei, Kauai, can best be described as “Peter Pan” meets “Swiss Family Robinson.”

The Goodwin family’s global nomadic surf lifestyle, brought to life in the film Given by Jess Bianchi, inspired many, showing parents that surf travel doesn’t have to end when kids enter the picture. Today their lives are just as inspiring. Between trips abroad, the family of five calls home a converted school bus and triple-decker tree house on the North Shore of Kauai. They’re pretty much living every surfer’s fantasy, including their own.



Who are you? Tell us a little about yourselves.


We are parents, business owners, and lovers of the Earth. Family comes first and surfing second. We are creators and builders of whatever we fall in love with; that has given us the sweetest life.



Where are you from? How long have you lived on Kauai?


Aamion: I have been living here on and off since before I was five, but this is more home than any other place. We’ve had this property for 13 years.

Daize: I moved here when I was 16 and fell completely in love with it. I knew I would end up here again one day.



What are your favorite parts about your home?


Our favorite part is the fact that nature is all around us and we can call it our own. We are outside people, so the yard captures our hearts most of the day, but the tree house and bus do the same for the evenings.



What are your favorite parts about Kauai?


We’re lucky enough to call this place home. The community has a small-town feel. The tropical environment, the ocean, and the mountains; it’s an amazing place to wake up every day.

When and how did you first get into surfing?


Aamion: I fell in love with surfing when I was about 10, and once I got the speed under my feet, it took the love to a whole new level. I’m over 40 years old now and I found a new love in surfing with our children. It’s like a whole new life, a rebirth and renewed love for the ocean.

Daize: I really fell in love with surfing when I was about 15, even though I had been bodyboarding for years. Nothing else gave me a greater sense of self-expression or a safe place to let go. I will never stop.



You both have traveled the world surfing professionally and for recreation. What are your top three favorite places in the world and why?


Daize: Fiji, Australia, and the outer islands here in the Hawaiian chain. Tropical places with waves are my favorites for sure.

Aamion: Hard to pick favorites. For me it’s somewhere remote with a simple life and a culture centered on the ocean. I like being out there far away from our fast-paced world.



How did having kids change your lives?


Aamion: For us, kids gave us a true sense of purpose. A desire to really be better, become better, do better, and ultimately start the path of becoming our true selves. Traveling with kids is amazing. When you land in a new place people are so welcoming. There is no judgment or fear accompanied by your presence. Kids make you feel joyful and have an easy flow. The travel in between can be tough at times though!



Any parting thoughts, words of wisdom, or sage advice?


Try your best not to allow fear to creep into your mind. Things don’t get done unless you get started. If you can dream it, you can live it.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×