Vanessa Lachey is taking some time to bask in the sun, while paying homage to the island of Hawaii.
The NCIS: Hawai’i star took to Instagram on Monday, Feb. 12 to share footage of herself taking in warm rays of sunshine from what looked to be an outdoor balcony, palm trees and sparkling ocean water making for a picturesque backdrop.
Lachey, who was in the island location where the police procedural is filmed, penned a heartfelt caption along with the upload.
“Taking a moment to Love on our Island and Her Beauty. Mahalo for letting us share in your Aina. Mahalo for showing us your respect. Mahalo for connecting us in more ways than we can ever realize,” she wrote.
Related: Say Aloha to Season 3 of ‘NCIS: Hawaii’ and Its Newest Cast Member
In Hawaiian culture, Mahalo is a famously-used word which means “thank you,” or to express gratitude, according to the Polynesian Culture Center . Meanwhile, Aina is a word used for “land,” translating to “that which feeds.” It is said to encompass the “Hawaiian worldview of a reciprocal and familial relationship between people and land. Connection to ʻāina is essential to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of Native Hawaiians,” per the Trust for Public Land .