Aloha ~ Family of 5 moving to Maui really soon!! (Volcano: appliances, how much)

[kalenalea]

Aloha!! My husband has accepted a job in Maui and we are relocating from Indiana all the way to Maui! WOW - huh? Yeah that is what I thought! We have 3 boys- ages 10-7-and 2! I'm excited for the adventure and think it is going to be a great move for our family! I was just curious if there is anyone out there that could offer some advice on things I am concerned about and possibly when we get there would like to have dinner! Kind of looking for a friendly face when we get situated! I worry about the loneliness of no family or friends! Thanks so much for reading this and hoping to hear from a friendly soul - looking to make some great friends!

[MitchTempo]

I'm suprised OpenD or the other regulars haven't gotten here yet, but like they'll probably tell you, the search feature can answer alot of your questions. From shipping/moving/cost of living/areas to live/rental advise etc etc.

If you can find what you need, then just post your questions and someone will get to it

[TwoByFour]

I am guessing that 95% of what you want to know has been discussed here in the past, and probably more than once. Best shipping company, how to get your car here, will it get damaged, importing a dog, where to live, who sells the best tomatoes, Maui schools, Maui traffic, and my favorite, how much underwear to bring over (I am serious, this was discussed at one time).

Anyway, lots of experience here to draw from.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by TwoByFour

I am guessing that 95% of what you want to know has been discussed here in the past, and probably more than once. Best shipping company, how to get your car here, will it get damaged, importing a dog, where to live, who sells the best tomatoes, Maui schools, Maui traffic, and my favorite, how much underwear to bring over (I am serious, this was discussed at one time).

And rice. We like to talk about rice a lot.

Anyway, lots of experience here to draw from.

Aloha Kalenalea, and welcome.

As MitchTempo and TwoByFour have already said, there is a wealth of information already posted here, and I recommend you spend as much time as you possibly can reading the material in the archives, and using the Search feature to zero in on specifics that match your wants and needs. Feel free to ask questions at any time, but keep in mind, since life in Hawai'i is different in at least 1,022 ways (at last count) from almost anyplace else you might ever have lived, you don't (I mean, nobody really does) know the right questions to ask until you've actually done some homework.

Don't forget to read the TOS (Terms of Service), conveniently found in the "Sticky thread" at the top of each forum. Once you've read that, you'll probably be able to figure out how I know you haven't read it yet.

Anyway, the adventure is coming at you fast, from what you said, so dig in to the research and let us know what you need help understanding. Most of us here are pretty friendly and fairly helpful. Especially if you have questions about rice.

[davephan]

Have you ever been to Maui before? Hawaii is very different than Indiana in many ways. The cost of living, especially for a family of five will be pretty high there compared to Indiana.

You should set up Skype on your extended family, friends, and your computers before you move. Video chatting on Skype is so much better than just talking on the telephone. We kept in contact with my wife's extended family while they were in Vietnam for years with Skype. We also tried a couple of Skype's competitors, but we found the Skype worked the best. The Skype computer to computer video calls are free with no time limits.

People in Hawaii really like to eat rice there, as OpenD mentioned. I brought my 14 cup rice cooker with me on my recent visit. Although two places we stayed at had small rice cookers as standard kitchen appliances. We didn't eat at restrauants very often there on the Big Island or Maui, but I did have rice at McDonald's in Waikiki; it was one of their breakfast items, along with spam!

[Sherwoody]

Originally Posted by davephan

Have you ever been to Maui before? Hawaii is very different than Indiana in many ways. The cost of living, especially for a family of five will be pretty high there compared to Indiana.

You should set up Skype on your extended family, friends, and your computers before you move. Video chatting on Skype is so much better than just talking on the telephone. We kept in contact with my wife's extended family while they were in Vietnam for years with Skype. We also tried a couple of Skype's competitors, but we found the Skype worked the best. The Skype computer to computer video calls are free with no time limits.

People in Hawaii really like to eat rice there, as OpenD mentioned. I brought my 14 cup rice cooker with me on my recent visit. Although two places we stayed at had small rice cookers as standard kitchen appliances. We didn't eat at restaurants very often there on the Big Island or Maui, but I did have rice at McDonald's in Waikiki; it was one of their breakfast items, along with spam!

Do they still have Saimin on the menu?

[kiliki]

Wow! How exciting for you!!
We are a family of 5 in Indiana, too! We've been discussing a move to a tropical location, Maui appeals in theory, but we've never been there. Have you been? Where are you from in IN? What are you most excited and most worried about?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by davephan

but I did have rice at McDonald's in Waikiki;

You realize that rice increases your risk of diabetes substantially? Stay away.

White rice increases diabetes risk, scientists say | Fox News

[Jungjohann]

Originally Posted by davephan

Hawaii is very different than Indiana in many ways.

I've never been to Indiana, so I'll have to take your word for it

(But it is friggin cold here this morning)

[davephan]

I occasionally eat white rice. Usually I eat Minnesota wild rice. I switched to wild rice several years ago. I don't remember seeing salmon on the menu at McDonalds (I think that is what you meant). The McDonald's menu did look a lot different than the menu in the mainland. When I got home, it was 40 degrees. That felt very cold to me because I was starting to get used to the weather in Hawaii. For Minnesota, this time of the year, 40 degrees is considered a heat wave. It's been colder more recently and there's already a thin layer of ice on our lake. I'm already hunkering down, staying inside whenever possible, with the heat cranked up to 73 degrees.

I've been through Indiana many times while traveling around the midwest. The winters there aren't as bad as Minnesota. One of my co-workers grew up in Indiana.

The only place I thought it was cold in Hawaii was at the Volcano National Park on the Big Island. I did not have my coat and long pants there at the time. There was a nasty cold wind blowing through the area. The summit on Maui was about 59, very little wind, and didn't feel very cold in the sunshine. Although I was wearing jeans and a hoodie that day.