When change came to America in 2008, the man at the center of it was one of us.

Forget, for a moment, that Barack Obama was actually the junior U.S. senator from Illinois.

That didn't matter to many in the islands who claimed him as their own.

He was a self-proclaimed “;local boy,”; born in Honolulu and raised by grandparents who had Midwestern roots, but an island sensibility.

He was Punahou and plate lunches, shave ice and shakas, bodysurfing and board shorts.

And when his journey to the White House began with an unexpected victory in Iowa, we went along for the historic ride.

“;Yes, we can,”; became a mantra that permeated the islands as Obama won an astounding 72 percent of the state's vote in the general election.

“;It's not just that he is from Hawaii, although that's part of it,”; said Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Brian Schatz, who was among the throng of local Democrats who actively encouraged Obama's presidential run back in December 2006. “;What gives us all a special thrill is to see his message - which is heavily influenced by Hawaii's values - get carried to the most powerful position on the planet.”;

To U.S. Rep Neil Abercrombie, it's more than just familiarity.

“;When Obama gets on television, the national pulse goes down about 10 points,”; Abercrombie recently told the New York Times. “;He has this incredibly calming effect. There's no question in my mind it comes from Hawaii.

“;He gives off a little oasis of calm. ... He is peaceful water in the maelstrom, which will serve him very well in these circumstances when there happens to be a crisis.”;

As Obama vacations in Hawaii, the photo ops occur wherever he happens to be. What those who come in contact with him gush about most is how down-to-earth he seems.

Obama hasn't let the home folks down, taking at least a few minutes to meet with those who turn up whenever word spreads of his whereabouts.

He has taken particular interest in meeting with the small crowds that gather in the parking lot of the Semper Fit Center health club at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, where he has started off most mornings since arriving in Hawaii on Dec. 20 for his third trip to the islands this year.

It's the aloha spirit that he soon will take with him to his new address on Pennsylvania Avenue.

“;For the first time, we are seeing the aloha spirit taken seriously on an international level. People are asking what it is, and how it informs the president-elect's worldview,”; said Schatz. “;His belief in civility, cooperation, and searching for common ground are a representation of how we live in Hawaii.”;