As of yesterday, I've been in HI 1 yr...woohoo! (to rent, how much)

[husky422]

Wow, time seriously flies!!! I still remember getting my cats ready for the quarantine, my house ready to rent in Seattle and the daunting task of downsizing and moving over here

I used these forums religously, didn't post much but definitely read a ton. One year later, my job is doing great, my husband finally landed an awesome job (after almost a year...sheesh). I started the MBA program at UH Manoa. This definitely feels like home!

For those of you thinking about making the move...yes, it is expensive but very doable. We were looking for a change in lifestyle and that we did indeed receive....we are the ultimate bargain shoppers now...haha. We do a lot of shopping at Costco, Sam's, farmer's markets, Chinatown. We rarely drive our cars. I ride my bike to work. On the weekends we take our surfboards out, if there is no surf we still paddle out and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Every morning I look out the window and have the most amazing view of Diamond Head and the water...great reason to wake up every morning and reiterates our decision to move here

We told ourselves, we'd give it a year and we made it and have no intentions of leaving anytime soon!

Aloha

Tanya

[tortoise31]

Great to hear!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Congratulations, Tanya. Thanks for checking in after a year and giving all of us hopefuls some hope!

[cynmkolohe]

Great post, Tanya! And awesome that you have a view of Diamond Head.

[ntlih11]

Happy Hawaiian anniversary!

I'm looking to move there too but at this point I'd need to have a job beforehand. I started applying to jobs online a couple weeks ago, but being from MN, I'm not sure how much of a chance I'd have. I'm interested in pursuing the MBA or Public Policy program (undergrad business admin major) as well so I'd like to find an employer that pays tuition reimbursement.

Did you land a job before making the move? Was it in your chosen career field? Do employers there ever interview and hire over the phone? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

[FLGirl13]

Congrats Husky on your move - and a successful year! Sound like you are adjusted and enjoying the Hawaii the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

We are still trying to make the move, and have been applying for the last couple of months - but not much luck so far. Like others, we will not move without at least one of us (me or my husband) having a job. So we are patiently waiting for the right time.

Thank you for the updated post with the positive status. After reading this forum for so many years, it's nice to see feedback from those who have moved over the years!

Mahalo!

[MauiBowman]

Awsome Husky!! Thank you soooo much for the positive post. I have pretty much accepted that we will have to make the move without a job, and then start the applying process. It is reasuring to hear a success story!
Congrats on the year, and best wishes on the many to come :-)

[from nv]

Congrats Husky! Glad you made it a positive experience and stuck it out!! We lived there for ONLY a year, and HAD to transfer back to the mainland due to my hubby's job...but now he's with a different company and I am already making plans to move back to Oahu!
Best wishes!!

[husky422]

Originally Posted by ntlih11

Happy Hawaiian anniversary!

I'm looking to move there too but at this point I'd need to have a job beforehand. I started applying to jobs online a couple weeks ago, but being from MN, I'm not sure how much of a chance I'd have. I'm interested in pursuing the MBA or Public Policy program (undergrad business admin major) as well so I'd like to find an employer that pays tuition reimbursement.

Did you land a job before making the move? Was it in your chosen career field? Do employers there ever interview and hire over the phone? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

I was going to relocate with my employer at the time...the offer fell through but we were still determined to come. I started scouring all the job sites and industry specific sites ( I work in investments). I applied to 3 places. Applied on a Wednesday (7/27 I believe), had a phone interview that Friday, Monday was with the regional manager and a few days later a formal offer. 3 weeks later I was in Hawaii...Labor Day weekend.

So long story short, yes some employers will hire over the phone. I work for a mainland company so I actually interviewed at a Seattle location so they could make sure I didn't have 3 eyes or something like that. I'm going to say that the local companies would probably not hire over the phone. A lot of employers will not consider you if you do not already live here. Jobs are very hard to come by...like I mentioned in my original post, my husband landed a job after almost a year!

But with a positive attitude and determination, it can definitely be done!

Good luck! Let me know if I can help in any way

[sevenofsix]

I'm glad your move worked out for you, have fun.