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Old 07-04-2017, 02:09 PM
 
13 posts, read 21,120 times
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I've replied to other people’s messages in the past on the site, but this is the first time I've created a "thread." As the title indicates, I'm debating a move to Hawaii. A little background about me: I do have a job lined up in HI with the Navy (though I'm civilian) for roughly around 90k a year. I am in my early 40's, single and not particularly tied to material possessions. I have some experience moving and starting anew in the past. I'm originally from WI, but living in the high cost DC area now, so perhaps HI wouldn't be as much of a sticker shock for me. DC definitely isn't my favorite place to live - too hectic, fairly high crime, too gritty, overly crowded and of course very expensive. On the plus side, jobs are plentiful in DC (especially jobs related to gov’t), I also live inside the city and am able to bicycle everywhere so traffic is rarely an issue; and perhaps most importantly I currently have a great job set-up with a great boss, extremely flexible hours, and a high job growth potential. I would take somewhat of a pay cut moving to HI, but I realize that one chooses HI more for quality of life reasons rather than solely career and financial rewards.

I recognize that every decision carries some risk, but I retain an adventurous side. When I debate potential moving options, part of me wouldn't mind moving back to the Midwest and letting that dollar stretch way further. However, part of me is of course intrigued by Hawaii and the “fantasy” of island life. I do realize that every place one lives has its ups and downs though…life is a balance. I remember years ago as a college student in the mid-90s I spent a semester in Australia (Perth). When I first arrived in Australia, I didn't even realize such gorgeous beaches and beauty could exist, and could barely contain my excitement. However, by the end of the trip I mostly could had cared less about the beach. After several months of living there, I rarely visited the beach and wasn't particularly "wowed" by it any more. I was definitely ready to come back to a city in the US. A lesson I took away from it, was that one's surroundings and a beach only go so far compared to other aspects - quality of the city, culture around, social life, etc.. I realize HI is likely much more civilized and cultured than Australia though.

I would love to hear back from those who have experienced HI, made the plunge and moved from the mainland, or simply already live there. Here are a few questions I have, or would like some feedback about: Those who have made that initial plunge and moved to HI from the mainland, I'm curious about some of the unexpected experiences you might have had, what surprises (good and bad) you may have encountered? And perhaps some of the frustrations or hurdles that arose? What are things one might recommend or do differently if you were moving to HI for the first time again? And for those who once lived in HI but left for various reasons, what were the primary reasons for leaving - work and money reasons perhaps? And if you no longer live there, are you dying to try and move back again, or mostly content having enjoyed your time while you were there? What are you some of things you now miss about it?

As you can tell I'm weighing options, but trying not to excessively over analyze things either. The only true way to experience something sometimes is jump in head first and hope for the best.
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Old 07-04-2017, 02:16 PM
 
13 posts, read 21,120 times
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Another added question. How’s the racial tension or perhaps lack of it in HI? I read varying reports about how white (Haole) people experience the culture and people in HI, and how successfully one adapts to it. Here in DC there remains a huge tension between the large black population and the (mostly wealthier) white population – as it does in most large American cities.
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Old 07-04-2017, 05:08 PM
 
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you single? 90k? I say go for it. most of the people that get talked down from doing it are ones - low/no job, low/no career skills, family, medical disability, etc and still want to make the move.

You really need to weigh the cost benefits and see if it's worth it to you. If the financial benefit of staying where you are is much much higher, then you may be better off staying put and taking a 2 week hawaiian vacation yearly. All that extra money you make can be saved, leading to an early retirement, that could very well be in hawaii. MANY mainland people do this.

racial tension - in interacting with you, 99% of people are not going to care about your race. it's dumb bs you bring and attitude that will get you in trouble. And many mainland cultures tend to be a bit "mouthier" than the predominant hawaii culture.

You also bring up a good point, your experience visiting in a location can be very different from actually making a living there. Unless you're a pretty hardcore beach goer, a surfer or swimmer maybe, just having the beach available to you 365 days a week may mean it's not a high priority to get as much beach time as possible.

Last edited by rya96797; 07-04-2017 at 05:17 PM..
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Old 07-04-2017, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Puna, Hawaii
4,378 posts, read 4,806,320 times
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From what I've witnessed, those who move here and fail are the ones who try and bring the mainland with them. That includes the racial problems. Some areas are worse than others, but generally I've discovered that those who are looking for racial problems are the only ones who find them.

Coming from the midwest and DC, you will eventually yearn for a change in seasons. "Summer forever" is great but it really makes one lose track of time and the years just fly by. Oddly enough what has helped for me is farming / gardening. Planting things and watching them grow and mature to harvest grounds me as far as the seasons go. Having 4 growing seasons is great and there are some things that do better during the winter months (like potatoes). You can grow an amazing amount of food on a tiny patio in the tropics.

Your question reminds me of when I was considering taking the plunge from the mainland to moving to Alaska. I dove into that adventure, originally planning to return after 2 years. 15 years later the mainland was the last place I wanted to be, so we moved to Hawaii.
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Old 07-04-2017, 05:54 PM
 
Location: Kahala
12,120 posts, read 17,768,888 times
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They say a good rule of thumb is by 40 you should be relatively debt free and about triple your annual salary in retirement savings (or at least $270K in your case)

If that fits you then why not. Otherwise you may want to consider rethinking your priorities
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Old 07-04-2017, 09:44 PM
 
13 posts, read 21,120 times
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Thanks for the feedback so far. I don't anticipate ethnic/racial tension being a huge deal, but thought I'd ask since I've seen it mentioned before. And I wish I could say I had all my retirement prepared for, and even all my student loans gone, but not there yet. Hell, I'm not sure I'll ever be there, but that's probably the case whether I make it to Hawaii or not.

I know it's probably a cliche about the pace of life in the islands, but my main goal is to somehow lower my overall life stress over the long haul, and I think Hawaii might help in that regard. And I realize there are lots of other posts regarding costs, but as far as an apartment goes, I'd Ideally I'd like to keep it around 1500 or so a month, and I know that's not easy in Hawaii. I still have a couple months left to work out logistics beforehand.
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Old 07-04-2017, 10:16 PM
 
2,095 posts, read 1,542,188 times
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1500/mo is doable for a 1br/studio, depending on location, property, etc.

In my opinion, you hear about problems because those people will complain the loudest. You wont hear anything from people without issues. Like mentioned, most of the people with problems are the ones that brought it down upon themselves. That isnt' to say that there aren't bigots that exist here, just like anywhere else.
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Old 07-05-2017, 12:04 PM
 
Location: Eureka CA
9,519 posts, read 14,668,755 times
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I moved over with a Navy job in 1986, moved back to California in 1993. Good experience. I suggest you go for it.
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Old 07-06-2017, 08:25 PM
 
Location: Hawaii Kai
206 posts, read 184,600 times
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If you've made it in DC you can make it here financially. As far as the perceived racism the issue is silly. You're not going to encounter people in your everyday life who will treat you badly because you're white (or whatever you are). If you do, they're few and far between. Just follow the Golden Rule.
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Old 07-06-2017, 08:40 PM
 
9,446 posts, read 6,530,815 times
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The beach is the usual draw to Hawaii. Since that isn't your thing, you might be happier somewhere else. There isn't the same kind of Anglo cultural attractions, which you may or may not miss. Hawaii is special in it's own way, but it doesn't suit a lot of mainlanders after a while.
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