Maui (Hawaii) - The mysterious disappearance of 31-year-old Hannah Kobayashi caused quite a stir last year. Six months after her disappearance and the tragic death of her father, the Hawaiian woman is now speaking out after a long silence.

The 31-year-old had actually planned a trip to New York - but instead of taking her connecting flight, she suddenly disappeared and traveled to Mexico alone . No one knew where she was. Her family was puzzled and very worried.

A dramatic search operation ensued in which her father, Ryan Kobayashi, did everything he could to find his daughter. However, driven by despair and fear, he eventually took his own life.

In December, Hannah was finally found safe and sound in Mexico and returned to the USA . By her own account, she had no idea of the huge media fuss surrounding her disappearance.

Months later, the Hawaiian woman spoke out in her Instagram story and thanked "every single person who invested time and energy in finding me".

She did not address her father's death directly - but her words showed how much the past few months have shaped her: "Every day is a gift, especially after so much loss, pain and suffering. We should all learn to be kind to each other."

Hannah Kobayashi posted a black and white photo of herself at the foot of a sequoia tree at the beginning of the month, accompanied by poetic words about love and steadfastness.

However, many commenters accused her of not addressing the death of her father.

When asked by one user why she had not attended her father's funeral, the 31-year-old replied curtly: "You don't know the whole story."

In an interview with SFGATE on Monday, she also stated that she would be sharing more about her disappearance soon. "Given my particular situation, I understand that some people put me in a bad light, but I know who I am, I know my truth, and one day I will share it," Hannah said.

So it remains to be seen when the Hawaiian will comment on the still unexplained reasons for her disappearance.

TAG24 does not normally report on suicides. However, as the incident took place in a public space, the editorial team decided to make it a topic of discussion after all.

If you are affected by suicidal thoughts yourself, you can contact the telephone counseling service around the clock, anonymously of course. Telephone counseling: 08001110111 or 08001110222 or 08001110116123.