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Ok so I've read many of these post along with anything else I can on the net. I am a single dad with two kids (boy 14 & girl 10) I have always done residential air conditioning (HVAC). We would love to move to Hawaii! We have lived on the beaches at least for the most part of the kids lives. We currently live in Dallas Texas. It appears rent at least compared to our area can be relatively the same in most cases. We do not expect to live large since we never have but would at least like electric and water. I have been offered several air cond jobs once I arrive there. 2 of 3 offers were on Kauai. I would like to know how realistic it would be for us to move. Pay here and there seem about the same about $45k yr. I would like to know the best area to move based on this info if possible to say. It's a rat race here and I work till well after dark most times and feel like I pay people to raise my kids. I want to be able to enjoy life with them and make memories. I don't know anyone there either I might add but we've never had a problem meeting people. We have a lake here and that's about it so like now sitting at home is pretty boring. When we lived on the beach we was always there but divorce about 7 yrs ago changed all that and now we're able to do as we wish. I appreciate any and all feedback/info positive and negative. I expect reality. I'd love to say I'm moving to Hawaii and gonna shape boards and have umbrellas in my drinks and live off Spam....well I'll still eat spam here or there lol but reality is I bust my ass at work and would just like to enjoy my evenings and weekends with my kids on the beach!
I've read many contradicting reports as far as education goes there. I will say that since DOE changed testing there has been a huge decline here as well and hasn't got much better. That report said scores raised 36% in 2 yrs so now it's been another 2 yrs since that report I wonder how much has changed? I also believe education learned is based on the parents and the kids willingness and drive and anything can be achieved. Without stats in hand I would bet the schools there still teach some of the more valuable skills in life. The schools here could careless about the kids for the most part and treat them like prisoners. Here is all about money and how much the state can make off of you. Housing is a little higher there it seems but so was the pay I was offered so to me that seems about the same. If I'm gonna be broke and bored I might as well do it on the beach with my kids and enjoy life not hiding in the house concerned about the concrete jungle and all it's criminals right trying to harm my kids right? I don't discredit what you say about the education there but it's not any better here either.
What part of Dallas do you live in? I've had nothing but positive experiences with the schools in suburban Dallas. We also live in a very low-crime area. Have you considered moving to a nicer location in Dallas? There's definitely a lot of concrete and no one will ever accuse Dallas of being a beautiful place to live, but it does offer a good quality of life for an affordable cost. I'm not a huge Dallas cheerleader (we move to Oahu in 2 weeks) but it will be tough to make a move to Hawaii on that salary with 2 kids. Maybe Kauai is much more affordable than Oahu?
idk... to me, it seems like you're going from one bad situation into another, and expending considerable resources to do so. For Hawaii, you can't simply pick up and drive to move here. Nor drive and move back home. Making the move can be very expensive.
You know how single parents with 45k income jobs make it here? taking a second job, and working 60-80 hours/week and shacking up with their parents.
Please don't end up homeless on the beach with your kids. We have enough of that here. And it really does no favors for the kids.
I'm on the other side of Rockwall and my kids go to a charter school here because after attending Garland schools they fell behind and they get more one on one in order to get back on track which they have done. So I'm curious what the difference is in living here vs there if I'm going to be working all the time why not be able to enjoy life after work? Slow down the pace for us so we're not so high strung and caught up so to speak? Let's say life is identical here vs there as far as work, school and housing and you had to pick here or there where would you pick? I'd pick there and be able to say I showed my kids other parts and cultures of the world besides Texas and Florida. It's not just the beaches that draw us in it's the whole package. I'm not saying I will make $45k a yr there in fact I've been offered more but would like to keep things based lower and be safer. I posted here about 5 yrs ago wanting to move to Hawaii and still haven't done it. Then it was because of divorce courts but now there's nothing here stopping us. I would move back to Padre Island but after losing my father and wife and next girlfriend not too mention my Navy dream I just can't ever go back there. We came here because I was born here and had family here but time has proven I don't have that here and any friends I grew up with are gone dead or in prison. Needless to say I didn't have the greatest life in fact I've bee. Told I never had a chance but here I am still alive and still raising my kids so why not show them more of what's in the world than what I've seen? To me there's so much more to learn in Hawaii than here just based on languages, foods and other cultures in general. I have seen and heard alot of people complaining about work but I've never had a problem with finding it and keeping it. During the summer I am in the attics when it's over 100 degrees outside which easily keeps the attics over 140 average 10+ hrs a day then winter there's almost 3 months of nothing. To me it wouldn't be as hot and full time year round work there? I've lived in Florida but since the kids mother and all her family live there it's just not a good move for us. They leave us alone and we leave them alone sadly enough. I've already fought that battle too long and it's finally over.
I should add that even when I made far less I've never had to get govt assistance and still don't. It's been tough but I like to think because I bust my ass and work and help that it somehow makes it back to us. I will say that if it didn't work out I would never be stuck and homeless there
If I was an English major/teacher I wouldn't be asking about air cond work
I wouldn't be single and wanting to enjoy after work with my kids if I had other motives. You obviously failed to understand my after work time IS with and for my kids! When my kids grow up I'll worry about myself and my activities
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