Advice on Possible Job Relocation (Honolulu, Hilo: renting, homes, public schools)

[cwagner67]

My husband's job may be relocating us from Florida to Hawaii (either Hilo, Kahului or Lihue)

We have 3 kids 22, 17 and 11. What about public schools or about homeschooling?

I have read about bringing your dog but we also have a Macaw, can we bring her with us?

I have been reading the forums and have been trying to see which city (in case they give us a choice of which city) Right now he makes 45k yr and I am sure he would get a cost of living increase. What are some pros/cons of those cities? We would be renting a house.

One other concern we have is from reading some of the other threads is about the "racism" We have moved around the US quite a bit and have had no problems "fitting in" or "adapting" to the areas and love learning other cultures, we have never based an opinion on someone because of skin color or ethnicity and realize that if we move there we will be the minority. We are definately what the locals would call haloe! I have read positive things on here as well, so I am kind of trying to take what I read with a grain of salt

Please, any advice would be helpful, thanks!

[hotzcatz]

Hilo would possibly be the cheapest for living expenses, not as much for the kids to do since it is a pretty slow town - rains a lot, too. Hilo does have a college now, though and it's beginning to turn a bit more into a college town than it used to be. Can't tell you much about Lihue since I've not been there since just after Hurricane Iwa.

Just don't try to tell folks how things are done on the mainland or how to do things better, differently or more efficiently and they will probably not notice you are haole. (How-lee)

I'm not sure what the requirements are for macaws, but I know folks have them here.

If you have any interest in astronomy, then Hilo would be the hands down choice.

[cwagner67]

Thank you for the reply hotzcatz. My kids are nervous because it is far away from the "mainland" and making new friends ect. I think the more informed you are before a move the easier it will be to adjust. Well, my husband should know something soon, so until then I will keep reading the forums.

[whynot?]

Welcome! I noticed that all three destinations you mentioned are airport towns. Because of that, all have developed into significant commercial centers. None is really a "city," by the way. The only real city in the state is Honolulu.

I live on Maui. Kahului is home to both our main port and airport, so there are lots of warehouse facilities, business headquarters, our only "big box stores" (Costco, K-Mart, WalMart, Home Depot, etc.), and Queen Kaahumanu mall (Macy's, Sears, etc.). It's spread out over a fairly large area, and has edged right up to Wailuku, which is an older town that is our county seat. The hospital and community college are kind of in between the two.

There's a fair amount of information about schools on the forum that can be found using the search feature at the top of this page. It's really best to visit -- if you possibly can -- before your move. If you're willing to post where you're moving from on the mainland, we may be able to draw comparisons between towns here and towns that you're familiar with. Many people who post here have lived all over the U.S., and that may be more useful than your trying to imagine what it's like here if you've never been. It's certainly different than anywhere I've ever lived.

Here is the link to the Department of Agriculture's quarantine info page: Animal Quarantine Information — Hawaii Department of Agriculture There are links within the page to several FAQs, vet information, and forms that you will need to get your dog and bird here. Someone on another thread encouraged pet owners to book their animals' flights as early as possible, as there are fewer airlines flying here now, and each flight can accommodate only so many animals.

Good luck.

[cwagner67]

We would be moving here from Deltona, Florida which is not far from Daytona Beach. We are trying to gather information so if we do decide to make the move with his company we decide on an area that is good for our family. Those are the "towns" that his employer has stores in. What about living in nearby towns that would be close to his job? We love the beach and go there often so wherever we would decide we would like to be nearby a beach as well and not an hour or so drive and of course somewhere we could afford.