should have never moved to the mainland (Hilo, Lihue: fit in, to rent)

[Chylin]

Maholo!
I am so glad to join a forum of others excited about the prospect or process of moving to the BI. My husband and our family are considering the move. We live in Alaska and just can't take the weather anymore. We want to be able to go outside to play or garden more than two months out of the year, without freezing. It boils down to wanting a simplified lifestyle. We are not adverse to working but believe that you should work to live not live to work. We want to raise our children ourselves, with a live off the land approach, with a respect for nature. People these days put too much value on what you have and yet most of them could not survive without the grocery store.Alaska is beautiful and our cost of living here is comparibleto Hawaii, but in Hawaii I won't have a $609.00 a month propane bill, twelve months out of the year. (Levelized) Here you pay for it or freeze to death. Now that is not to say eveyone here pays that but if you aren't on the gas line, than it is propane or fuel oil. I guess the beauty has a price but I would take the warm beauty there over the cold beauty here. We will be over to visit the island in the next couple of months and reseach things in person. We are thoroughly reseaching things on the internet as well, so if anyone has any knows of any really helpful sites they want to pass on, we would appreciate it immensely. Until then I am dreaming about the warm breeze and the Aloha spirit of the island. Hey, where else in the US does water fall from the heavens, the land provide the perfect temperature for life and growth and the people really respect it all....... Aloha

[kittiealoha]

I hear all of you!! we lived on the big island for 2 yrs and beyond our control had to return to california to settle some things. We have hated it ever since we came back. the islands are our home. we are now looking for a house on the big island and cannot hardly stand waiting. once hawaii grabs onto your soul you cannot live without her. it is a constant thought with me. i am coming home and i will never leave the islands again. My spirit will not rest until i return.

[pipercub]

I lived on the Big Island what a waste of my life a whole 2 years I feel sorry for mainlanders moving there. humid rainy and not very pretty!! the weather is like having Michigan summers all year and I am from there and you don't want that kind of weather!
I love he mainland more then ever!!!!!! Will never leave!!!

[JULANI]

Originally Posted by pipercub

I lived on the Big Island what a waste of my life a whole 2 years I feel sorry for mainlanders moving there. humid rainy and not very pretty!! the weather is like having Michigan summers all year and I am from there and you don't want that kind of weather!
I love he mainland more then ever!!!!!! Will never leave!!!

To each .. his/her own . Hawaii is not for everyone , I guess .

[Twinster]

I thought I should post an update here since this thread is still active. Since my previous post we've decided to stay on the mainland. With the current financial problems we are very glad we are not in Hawaii. Prices for food and everything else shipped in was very high already and now they are feeling the increases even more! Airlines are also cutting flights to and from the islands. I felt a little trapped when we lived there (1998 to 2006). I know it's even harder to get a flight now.

Chylin, your comment, "Hey, where else in the US does water fall from the heavens, the land provide the perfect temperature for life and growth and the people really respect it all." is only partially true. Many people in Hawaii DO NOT respect the land. Even the land they are living on. Their houses are run down, there are junk heaps in their over-grown yards, and they don't respect their animals, (dogs are mostly pit bull type, poi dogs and the cats are breeding like rabbits!). You might think they live that way because they can't afford better, but it doesn't take money to have a clean well-kept yard. The dump/transfer station is FREE in Hawaii! And, don't ever leave your car if it breaks down on the side of the road. You will come back to smashed windows or a stipped down car. Yes, the water falls from the sky in some areas of the islands, we had over 7 feet (yes, FEET!) on the hilo side in 8 months when I was tracking it. In Waikoloa we had to have irrigation hooked up for our plants to grow. Water is not cheap in Hawaii if you have to buy it. On the Hilo side the water helps your plants to grow and also mosquitoes, mold and coqui frogs. If you love it, you love it. I liked the coqui frogs but I wanted to turn them down a notch now and then (you know it's bad when you want to close the window so you can hear the TV). LOL You actually get to the point where you don't react to mosquito bites anymore. They still bite you but you don't get the big bump reaction from them. The mold is another problem. Make sure you buy a lot/house with lots of air-flow. We did not have mold problems in Waikoloa (also called 'Waikoblowa' or 'Waicofornia') but the Hilo side is really bad. We had to wash-down the house with bleach twice in a year. It's the price you pay for growing orchids, bananas, guava and mango in your yard! You will exchange your high gas bill for a high electric bill. Our friends said their electricity has doubled since we moved (the electricity on the big island comes from the diesel plant over in Kona). We were paying over $150 a month just to run our fans, lights, and hot water heater. When people came to visit our electric bill went up $50 during their visit. Go Solar for your hot water heater and you will save a bunch!

Pipercub, "...not very pretty"? The Big Island is BEAUTIFUL! Where were you? Obviously not on the same planet as the rest of us! LOL Hawaii is not for everyone and I obviously have mixed emotions about it.

[cynthia007]

This thread came out shortly after we decided to move to the mainland after 17 years of being on the BI. We loved living on the BI, but for a variety of reasons, felt the desire to move.

However, I worried so much about the possibility of regretting the move after we had made it. This thread only intensified this. I wonder how many other people feel the desire to move but never do because you wonder if you will regret it. And Hawaii, because of the cost of moving, is not easy to just "move back" to.

In any case, I haven't been on the aina since May 29, 2008. And guess what? We're OK! I do miss my friends, the music, and the culture. But so many new experiences have taken over the emptiness that I feared. So no, no regrets. I am blessed to have had the experiences I did on the BI, but now there is something new to experience. So many wonderful places on the mainland too.

[nickels]

So, for those of you who moved to the mainland and don't regret it, where are some nice places you can recommend? Other than, say, San Francisco, where it's just as expensive, if not moreso, than Hawaii....

[HawaiiboundNelli]

It's so nice to read about everyone who is excited about moving/moving back to Hawaii. I have never been there...yet. I am moving to the Big Island in January, and already have a place lined up and airline tickets bought. My boyfriend already lives there (we met online 6 years ago, but we meet in the middle when we see each other) and I will be joining him soon! My daughter and I are getting our own place though for now. I was very surprised to find affordable housing in Hilo, especially after all I have read. I am going to be renting a fully furnished, all utilities included, 3 bedroom/2bath home for only $1050 a month. I have seen pictures and my boyfriend has check it out..its a very nice place. I don't have a giant income, but I know how to live modestly, as I have done for a very long time, and I am so excited to be moving to such a beautiful place full of aloha! I can't explain it, especially since I have never actually been there.........but I can feel the pull..the islands calling to me. It's so hard to wait. I have to graduate first though (getting my Masters Degree in December), so I don't have a choice. If I did, we would be there now for sure! I find myself constantly researching Hawaii, and I absolutely love the music. My boyfriend has been teaching me words I need to know, as well as correct pronunciation of them. I am just eating it up! I love it! See you all there!
Aloha~
HawaiiboundNelli

[cynthia007]

Originally Posted by nickels

So, for those of you who moved to the mainland and don't regret it, where are some nice places you can recommend? Other than, say, San Francisco, where it's just as expensive, if not moreso, than Hawaii....

We did our research and picked Lexington, Kentucky. We wanted a not too big, not too small college town in a beautiful setting. Somwehere relatively inexpensive to live, with good public schools and easy access to a lot of major cities. We wanted to be close to our family, at least close enough so that we could get there within a few hours and a tank or two of gas instead of a five to ten hour flight and $4000.00 dollars. We wanted a lot of diversity too. Believe it or not, Lexington fits it all.

No, there are no beaches, but I do love being back on the Mainland. I love taking a long drive, or a weekend road trip. Right now I'm watching the yellow and red leaves drift from the trees. It's sunny and the temperature is about 60. Cool enough for a sweatshirt, but not for the heater! People are friendly here, and it's a very family oriented town. It takes me about 5-15 minutes to get anywhere I want in town. AND, last night I had the most delicious, fresh Mahi Mahi. I had some of the best Sashimi ever too.

This is the town that is right for us at this point in our life, and I think doing our research was the key to our success. I won't say that I never want to be back in Hawaii, but in all honesty, I feel such a sense of relief being here now. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to live in Hawaii for as long as I did, but I feel equally as blessed to have the opportunity to try something new.

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by Brav989

Well, I think the biggest mistake you made was moving to Texas. I've been a mainlander all my life and would never think of moving there

Amen! Texas scares me. I lived there for a bit when I was a kid.