Hilo

[KauaiHiker]

I think your biggest concerns are your budget and your shyness. You sound single and frugal, which means you'll be OK, but you have debt (sounds like you're still paying student loans), and you didn't factor in a car yet. You'll want a car to get around, see things, and meet people. Insurance and registration is generally cheap, but gas is expensive and it's a big island. You might also want a slightly better place to live. So don't count one saving lots of money.

For example, winkosmosis sounds like he's in a similar situation on Maui. Low-paying job, student debt, cheap housing was bad, moved to a nicer place which increased gas cost.

I'm also seriously suggesting you drive to Kona to join the synagogue there, even if you only go once or twice a month. It is a long drive, but for a shy person, having a religious congregation can help you meet people very easily. Plus you might meet others who live in Hilo, then you can carpool too.

The shyness can be a real issue, especially in your work. I'm shy, but I get to work from home and have always had a small circle of friends, even in Hawaii. But locals are very outgoing, and you'll get invitations to join them, as long as you participate. Plus, business gets done by connections, so if you can't make and maintain a lot of social connections, you might not be as effective in your job. But maybe your co-workers will be so welcoming and helpful, that you'll overcome your shyness.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Tiger Beer, Jews don't tell gentiles that they can't visit a temple or synagogue. Just go visit some Friday night or Saturday morning. They'll even give you a yarmulke to wear while you're there.

OP, I think you should get out of your comfort zone and go for it. I'm a little worried when you say "I would be very, very afraid to not have anyone nearby". Not sure what you're afraid of, but at 27 years old it's time to live a little and experience the world. You said that you are shy, but even shy people can meet other people just by smiling.

One fun place where we volunteer is the Volcanoes National Park. We are Friends of the Park, and there are interesting activities going on all the time. Good way to learn about the Hawaiian flora and fauna, and meet some interesting people.

[MMoon17]

Thanks Hotzcatz. The last time I went to Hilo I actually met some friendly locals. I ate at that burger joint where you sit outside (forgot the name) and these 3 natives (family members) sat with me and were talking to me awhile. The son was a little younger than me and moved back from Vegas where he went to college. I think the family was half native, half white. Nice people. They saw my star of David necklace and said that they had a neighbor who moved from Israel, but that she eventually moved back. They asked for my number so that they could put me in contact with her, but I never heard back (figured that). Then when I went to Ross, in the try on room this woman married to a biker came me her phone number saying I could stay with her and her boyfriend anytime that I come back to the Hilo area (she lived in Puna). Nice woman, super friendly, but the boyfriend gave me the creeps! I left her a message once, but never heard back. When I have gotten to know people that are very friendly. I just feel weird saying, "Hey. Let's exchange information so we can hang out sometime" when they were someone that I met for 10 minutes who was the waitress at my restaurant.

Thanks for all your ideas and invitation

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Oh, no worries, then. If there are older folks where you work, especially aunties, just explain to them that you are shy and aren't sure how to make friends with folks. The aunties will have advice for you. Be respectful of them and they will be a treasure to you.

Keep a smile on your face, or at least a pleasant expression and folks will smile back and chat with you as you go about your day. Hilo is pretty small town so folks like to talk story. If you were in a larger town, folks wouldn't have time to talk to everyone, but in the smaller towns, folks chat with each other a lot more. Shootz, if you can get Wednesdays off, you can come to our quilting group. The aunties there will have you fixed up with a lot of friends in no time. Unfortunately, we are 42 miles from Hilo so that would be long distance friends.

There is a big section in the newspaper each week about the goings on with all the clubs, meetings, events, etc. Pick at least one if not three of them to go to each week until you have so many friends you don't have time to read the newspaper anymore.

[MMoon17]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I just looked up synagogues on the Big Island.

Looks like there is one, but not near Hilo:
Kona Beth Shalom

I'm sure they'd know members in Hilo though. Might even be something in Hilo as well.

As an aside, can goys visit or attend services at synagogues? I've always been interested in learning more about the religion, in general.

(Hope 'goy' is the right term, picked it up by reading Philip Roth)

Yeah I spoke to the rabbi at that temple a few months ago about job contacts. Nice temple. Even if I drive there once a month I'm sure that would help me, so thanks for the suggestion.

LOL yeah goy is Yiddish for Gentile. I try not to say it too much in front of non Jews because some do take offense to it. We might say something like Honeybaked Ham is a goy store, or all the goys are at IHOP on Sundays after church.

Yeah in the temples I went to no one ever had a problem and they will probably tell you what the prayers are about.

[MMoon17]

I could pay off my loans nicely with this job. I make less than that now living with family so that is difficult. When I got paid around the same and lived on my own I was able to afford paying them off nicely. I don't really consider that debt because I always have paid my bills on time, paid my loans on time, and have never had to borrow money from anyone.

I did factor in the car. Figure to buy a car under $3500 and then resell it once I leave. This job isn't permanent. It's paid through grant money so it probably is less than a year. Might be more if they get funding, but no one knows. The situation I'm worried about (well not that worried since I haven't even interviewed yet!) is can I even register a car with an out of state license? I plan on moving back to CA within 2 years tops (the job in Hawaii really would open doors for me anywhere in the U.S.) and once we surrender our licenses, we have to take that damn written exam again and start the DMV process over again. I thought about renting a car, but that is wayyyyyyyyyyyy expensive. Would prefer just to buy a cheap car.

Maybe I will drink on the job to loosen up. JK!

Originally Posted by KauaiHiker

I think your biggest concerns are your budget and your shyness. You sound single and frugal, which means you'll be OK, but you have debt (sounds like you're still paying student loans), and you didn't factor in a car yet. You'll want a car to get around, see things, and meet people. Insurance and registration is generally cheap, but gas is expensive and it's a big island. You might also want a slightly better place to live. So don't count one saving lots of money.

For example, winkosmosis sounds like he's in a similar situation on Maui. Low-paying job, student debt, cheap housing was bad, moved to a nicer place which increased gas cost.

I'm also seriously suggesting you drive to Kona to join the synagogue there, even if you only go once or twice a month. It is a long drive, but for a shy person, having a religious congregation can help you meet people very easily. Plus you might meet others who live in Hilo, then you can carpool too.

The shyness can be a real issue, especially in your work. I'm shy, but I get to work from home and have always had a small circle of friends, even in Hawaii. But locals are very outgoing, and you'll get invitations to join them, as long as you participate. Plus, business gets done by connections, so if you can't make and maintain a lot of social connections, you might not be as effective in your job. But maybe your co-workers will be so welcoming and helpful, that you'll overcome your shyness.

[hotzcatz]

Yeah, just buy a car on island and then sell it when you leave. Nobody pays much attention to what other folks drive around here so a fancy car isn't necessary at all. It's about $1K each way to ship a car and then the bother of re-registering it, etc.

Will you need a car for work? Perhaps you'd be able to find an apartment near enough to work that you'd not need a car at all. There is a bus in Hilo, but it's still sort of rudimentary.

[MMoon17]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Yeah, just buy a car on island and then sell it when you leave. Nobody pays much attention to what other folks drive around here so a fancy car isn't necessary at all. It's about $1K each way to ship a car and then the bother of re-registering it, etc.

Will you need a car for work? Perhaps you'd be able to find an apartment near enough to work that you'd not need a car at all. There is a bus in Hilo, but it's still sort of rudimentary.

Yup plan is to buy a used car for under $3500 and then resell it. Just something good enough to make it through a year (figure it out from then) that doesn't need to go in and out of a shop that often. My family's friends's son moved to Maui a year ago and shipped the car. Like you said, doesn't seem worth it to ship IMO unless you plan on being in Hawaii for years.

I took the bus before and agree with what you said LOL. Depending on where in Hilo I live, I might not need a car, but because I plan on driving to Kona once a month, as well as to snorkeling spots within 2 hours of Hilo I want one. I hate relying on other people for rides.

I saw that I can rent a furnished studio for $900 on Banyan Drive which is basically the room I rented a year ago. It was in a apartment building/vacation rental building and the building itself just didn't feel secure. The location was great, but the building itself had some very seedy people hanging around it. It's a shame because I would have considered it if I felt secure.

[hotzcatz]

It might be cheaper to rent a car once a month to drive to Kona then to keep one around all the time. If you live in Hilo itself, a moped or electric bicycle might be enough to get you around. There aren't any side roads to get to the big "subdivisions" outside of Hilo town (they are so different than mainland subs that using the same nomenclature for them is deceptive) and no bike paths so it isn't very safe to ride into town from them. At least, IMHO, I'm sure folks do it all the time and survive.

I'm not sure where the issue stands now, but several years ago the leases were almost up on a lot of the buildings on Banyan Drive. In Hawaii it is possible to buy the building but not own the land it sits on. When the land leases come up for renewal - usually around every fifty years or so, the land owner usually tries to increase the rent by at least about three times so folks aren't sure if they will still want to pay the lease or not so they don't maintain the building for several years before the lease is up since they don't know if they will still be there after the lease is renegotiated. That's been Banyan Drive's problem for the past several years.

Perhaps a week or two in a hostel would be a good place to start? If you had a week's rental car as well, you'd be able to scoot around and look at rental places as well as use the car to get household stuff. Although, you can get a lot of stuff on Craig's List and getting folks to deliver it to Hilo shouldn't be too difficult since Hilo is somewhere most folks go all the time.

[whtviper1]

"If you live in Hilo itself, a moped or electric bicycle might be enough to get you around"

Keep in mind as you are on your moped/electric bicycle - it rains a lot, especially morning/late afternoon during commute times. Also, those can be a challenge for any kind of groceries.