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I'm trying to understand the situation you wish for, in order of importance (non-negociability):
Jobs
Ocean culture (beaches, activities)
Warm climate
English-speaking
Fitting in socially
Not-too-big, not-too-small city
Space (for your big home, motorsports, etc.)
I think that's why a lot of people suggested Australia. I've never been, but from my reading, it hits on all of these. You dismissed it for the size of the cities, but it seems like Brisbane or a suburb of Syndney near the coast would work. What I don't know is how similar or different from San Diego those areas are, in the ways that you care about. Same thing for NZ: with the cooler weather, I wonder how different it is from Northern California for the things you care about (lots of surfers in SF and Santa Cruz, but they all wear wetsuits). And I agree with everyone who says that AUS and NZ are far, far away from "home" and your mainland families.
Honolulu hits on the first ones (except for perhaps the jobs), but the it seems like you are apprehensive about the different culture--and rightly so. Hawaii is a small houses/condos and community-minded living. There are plenty of wide open spaces, but not so much for motorsports and sprawling properties (at least cheap ones)--which is precisely why I enjoy it for hiking. So I wonder how flexible you are on those things. Also, for the kids and you fitting in, it's mostly about how you can adapt and embrace the local culture.
With jobs being that unspoken #1, there is no paradise on earth. If you can change a factor such as that one (the best way being self-employed on the internet), other locations are possible. It may be as simple as telecommuting from your current (or similar jobs) and living somewhere else on the TX coast.
Maybe I didn't read your posts right, so please feel free to correct me. One thing that wasn't entirely clear: just what is it you are looking for? It sounds like you want a place where your children can grow up near a warm beach (swim and surf, maybe). But there were lots of other qualifiers. If you haven't already, I suggest you and your wife think about, talk about, then write down a page or two describing the life you'd like. Write it all down, with as much detail as possible, including all the ideas you put in these posts. Nor is it set in stone, you can always change your mind. But it will help you focus and understand what's important and what's not.
I think you read the posts very well. In regards to motorsports, that is just a hobby of mine, racing cars...I grew up 100% skateboarding until I got into cars. It is rather far down the list of wants in the grand scheme of things, just something that I enjoy, so if I can have a race track even remotely near by, all the better, but if not, it's not a huge deal. I feel I can work remotely no matter where I end up and if my wife can work online then our problems would be solved. She is remote based now, but part of her job requirement is getting to meetings in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, etc...and I would for sure not do that from Hawaii....plus the rest of her company would operate on a different time zone than her so I doubt it would work out. But she has her Master's in Healthcare Administration and has worked for Universities, Hospitals, and global healthcare companies throughout her career and could possibly find work for a large medical group handling their financials, but again, she would have to locate that job to figure it out. I'm not opposed to island hopping for work if we can work remote. I work in telecommunications management, but could start my own business in telecom if I knew what the needs were on the various islands from telephony, satellite, uplink, downlink, etc...even if it is just selling, installing, and servicing Dish Network or DirecTV systems for the local communities. This is actual what I am thinking would be the simplest transition for both work, income, and community involvement within the smaller areas. I just need to do more research to see exactly where the demand or need may be if any.
We want our kids to be outdoor children, preferably ocean babies, and grow up in a safe community...you know, that generic cliche postcard snapshot. lol
Have you and your wife recently (i.e., in the past few years) spent time on Oahu really looking around? I can relate to you, in that I'm a city boy who probably would get bored in a small-town or rural environment, but I don't enjoy living in really big cities, because of the crowds, traffic, and stress. I realize that what constitutes "too much" depends on one's personal preference. Atlanta (where I used to live) was too big for me, but Portland, Oregon (where I currently live) is just right. It's big enough to have all the culture and diversity I need, but small enough that it lacks most of the big-city hassles I hate. My wife is from Hilo, and has also lived in Honolulu and San Francisco. We both love Hawaii, and we'd move there if we could, but we're middle-aged, and we have great jobs that we couldn't hope to replicate in Hawaii, so it doesn't make financial sense for us to consider moving before we retire. Every time we visit, though, we start thinking "What if?," and we try to see if there's a way to make it happen. The result is that we've done a lot of research over the years into places in Hawaii where we'd enjoy living, where (and whether) we could afford to buy a house, where we might be able to find jobs, and what kinds of trade-offs we'd be willing to make, including commute times and reduced standard of living.
At our current income level, we could live very comfortably on the Big Island, and we easily could afford to buy a house. We'd be happy in Hilo or Kailua-Kona, both of which are laid back but have enough going on that we wouldn't be bored, when we take into account all the other things we love about Hawaii (the beach, outdoor activities, getting together with our friends and my wife's family). When we needed a city fix, we could hop over to Honolulu for a couple days. We lean toward Kailua-Kona, because the sandy beaches are on that side of the island, and there arguably are more things to do, but Hilo is very charming. Unfortunately, my wife would be lucky to find any job on the BI, and certainly not one that would pay anywhere near what she makes now. I could work remotely at my current job, but if I were ever downsized (which is a risk when you're "out of sight, out of mind" and business is slow), I couldn't find work in my field. So moving to the BI would be very risky now.
Kaua'i, which we also love, would be an even greater risk, because it's more expensive than the BI, and my wife doesn't have friends or relatives there with whom we could network. It's also very slow-paced -- probably too much so for us.
When I first visited Honolulu and the rest of Oahu, I didn't expect to like it, because my image of Hawaii was what I found on the BI and Kaua'i. Oahu seemed too developed for me, and Honolulu seemed like just another big city that happened to be in a tropical location. My wife loves Oahu, though, and I discovered that I do, too. Honolulu feels about like Portland, size-wise: yeah, there's noise and traffic, but not on the scale of what I used to deal with in Atlanta. It has a distinctive vibe, and there's plenty to do. Once you get outside of Honululu, it feels like getting outside of Portland: a lot of suburbs, but very green. And, much to my initial surprise, there are rural areas. Unless you totally want to get away from it all (which it sounds like your wife does, but you don't), Oahu has it all. As another poster said, Kailua is a very cool beach town, and it's not that far from Honolulu. I might be able to find work in my field in Honolulu. My wife might be able to find a job doing what she does, but probably at a much lower salary. And therein lies the rub: even at our current Portland salaries, we couldn't afford to buy a house in Honolulu. We might be able to afford a small condo, but we haven't seen anything in our price range that looks like a place we'd enjoy living in. We might be able to afford a small house in Ewa Beach or Mililani, but it would be at the top of our budget, and the trade-off would be what I've heard is a long commute during rush hour. Since Portland is a beautiful place, and we have stable jobs and a good lifestyle, and we're closing in on our retirement years, it makes sense for us to stay put for now. You're obviously younger, but you'd face the same trade-offs and choices that we have. I think you'd really like Oahu, whereas your wife would prefer one of the outer islands -- but if you can't find jobs that would support your family, it's a moot point. If money weren't an issue, my wife and I would live in Honolulu -- probably in a house tucked up in the Manoa Valley.
As for how well you'd fit in in Hawaii, you won't find the answer on this forum. What you'll find is one group of people who swear that, no matter how kind and respectful you are, you're going to encounter lots of prejudice as a mainland haole -- and another group that swears that it's all a matter of how you behave and treat the locals, and that haoles who claim to have been victims of prejudice must have done something to provoke it. My own experience has been overwhelmingly positive, and there have been only two minor negative incidents that I know were due to my being a mainland haole. On the other hand, my wife is a local girl, so I had instant acceptance into her circle of friends and family, and she was able to explain all the cultural nuances to me, so I didn't make the faux pas I undoubtedly would have without her guidance. From your postings, you sound like you have the right attitude and temperament for Hawaii, but there will be a cultural learning curve. Another thing that people often forget is that there are jerks everywhere. When you encounter rude behavior in Houston, you probably think, "What a jerk!," not "That person must be prejudiced against me because I'm from San Diego." In Hawaii, because you're an outsider, you'd be more likely to go to "It must be because I'm a mainland haole" than to "What a jerk!"
As for your children, well, do you know of any kids, anywhere, who don't get teased or bullied for one reason or another at some point during their childhood? Maybe yours would catch some gas in Hawaii for being mainland haoles -- but they'd catch gas for something else in Houston or San Diego. It's just part of growing up. Of greater concern is the Hawaiian school system, which overall gets low marks. You need to research the educational options in whatever areas you're looking at. I imagine that some schools are better than others, and of course there's private school, assuming you can afford it.
I can't speak to New Zealand. Years ago, I looked into emigrating there, because I've been fascinated by its natural beauty ever since I saw a documentary on the country when I was 12. Emigration was a long, involved process, and the economy was in bad shape. I finally realized that I was romanticizing the place. The Pacific Northwest is just as beautiful. If we had a warm ocean here, it would be perfect to me -- but it probably would be much more crowded and expensive.
I don't mean to come off as preachy, but it sounds like you're looking for a place that fits a very narrow set of criteria, made even more so by your and your wife's differing wishes, and such a place might not exist. I say that because I spent most of my life in search of my "perfect place," and I did what you're doing: "This place sounds really good, but it doesn't have x, and I want x. This other place has x, but it doesn't have y, and I want y." I finally realized that any place is going to involve compromises. Portland doesn't have Hawaii's weather or a warm ocean, but it ticks off most of the other boxes on my wish list, and I doubt I'd find a better place for me. Hawaii also ticks off most of the boxes, and would be just as good, but I'd miss some of the things I love about Portland.
What are the must-haves for you and your wife? What are the nice-to-haves that aren't essential? What are things that might be great for you two, but not so great for your kids? Where are you willing to compromise? Good luck on your search!
The thing is i know people who moved from the US to NZ and it's really not just something you can up and do. It takes a lot of careful planning. There are things you can buy here in the US that I'm sure you take for granted, that you apparently can't get there, or if you can, they cost a lot more money. The cost of living is high--although if you are from SoCal i'm sure you're used to that. if you want though, feel free to message me more specific questions and I will ask them for you.
The other thing is--if all your family and friends are here in the US--it's going to be hard to see them on a regular basis if you move to new zealand. if you stay in the states, even in hawaii, it will be easier. i'm going to NZ to visit soon and my plane ticket was like $1300. imagine buying tickets for you, your wife, and your children. That will make it really hard to see your family. I already live across the country from mine, make it back home about once a year, and wish i lived closer so I could see them more. There is no way I could move even farther away, no matter how much I may love the country (and i'll find out just how much soon! ) If i was to move to another country, it'd be canada
Those are all good points. I live in Japan, and I only get a chance to visit the States once every couple years. Now that I have a wife and kid, it's around $4,000 for all the tickets to get back to my part of the Mainland. Maybe more figuring revenue you lose to be on vacation and other miscellenaous expenses.
Obviously, I'd rather buy a used car or something, than go visit family anymore than once every few years.
You probably also made a solid point about lack of purchasing options in NZ. I know an Australian who married an American. The first major shocker to him was seeing the immense amount of choices he saw when he went to an AMerican supermarket. It's on a whole other level.
I'm worried that New Zealand may be too cold to truly feel right to us.
NZ is not a place I think of when I think of 'beach culture'.
Maybe I don't have a proper perception of it, but I always equate it with the Pacific Northwest in climate, appearance, and weather.
For some reason, I just imagine going to beach in NZ would be like going to one in Oregon. Beautiful to look at, but I'll be viewing it with a lot of warm clothes on.
Maybe I'm wrong though....I always imagined that Kiwis would fly to OZ to enjoy true beach culture adequately - the kind with volleyballs, bikinis, suntans, sandcastles, etc.
Lane_change. I am a little perplexed by your inquiries. Unless you say what you do not like in FL, I don't think I can help you. I have travelled all over the place, including Hawaii and Tahiti, so I know quite a lot. I am also an avid Ocean dweller and competitive sport fisherman and sailsman.
The absolute one thing I can tell you, is that you do not want to be an immigrant in a foreign country. Australia is one of the worst place. Even places like India will make it impossible for you to be the equivalent of a permanent Resident in the U.S. Do your own research.
So, basically, you want a place IN THE U.S., next to the Ocean, with warm water, and beautiful endless sandy beaches. Well paid, abundant job opportunities, so that a young family can trust to find jobs easily if they lose their current one. Fun exciting places for the kids, plus good schools and Universities, so that they do not feel like moving away when they get older. A rural feeling, with nature to explore, but close to a big town.
What about dirt cheap housing? Won't it be nice too?
So, considering that it is certain you are not going to immigrate, trust me on this, the only place that satisfy all of the above, in the U.S., is Florida.
I live in Cocoa Beach with my family: 2 kids, 7 and 9. Cocoa Beach is the East Coast surf capital. There is always something exciting going on, from world class surf competition events, to air shows. RonJon Surf shop. A mecca for young people at spring break. Now we won't have shuttle launches any more.... sigh. Any teen in Orlando dreams to live in Cocoa Beach. My 9yo boy is part of a local surf club, and started to learn how to sail. We fish together every Friday evening. Weekends are like being on vacation.
Orlando is 45mn away, with countless attractions, and jobs. My wife works in Orlando. We do have yearly passes to Universal Studios, Sea World and Disney. Now Legoland too. And visit other amusement parks occasionally too. We take a trip there about once a month. Besides the beach, Cocoa beach is on a barrier island. The river between the Island and the mainland is a wonderful, safe water playland, to fish, canoe, sail, wind-surf, ski-jet, watch dolphins and manatees... birds.... The wild life here is amazing. My neighbor goes alligator hunting!
If we take a 3 hour drive South to the Keys, there are the most wonderful snorkeling and diving sites in the world. 1 hour North-West, Ocala has a dense jungle type forest with kayak trips down the rivers.
We are still a 2 hours to 3 hours cheap flight from Washington or New York. 9 hours to London or Paris, 5 hours to LA.
The weather is about 10 degrees cooler than Houston in summer, and 10 degrees warmer in winter. The ocean gets about 85 degrees from May to October. And similarly, a pool with a solar heater is usable from April to November. Clean air, and no severe draught like in CA, where people ends up painting their dead lawns green.
Add to this that housing is dirt cheap. You can get a 3000sf newer pool home on 1/2 acre for 200K. What else can you possibly wish for?
It is true that job wise, with the end of the shuttle, things are not bright right now. But Jacksonville, Miami, WestPalmBeach and Orlando are as good as anywhere else in the U.S. to get a job. I won't consider Tampa, since it is on the Gulf, like Houston. It is not truly Ocean shore. Feels dead like the TX shore to me.
So, the fact is that you do not have many choices, if any at all. CA is super expensive. I was in San Diego 3 years ago, visiting my brother. PB is the only decent beach with sand. It is so overcrowded in summer, people litterally fist fight for parking spots. Del Mar is just rock and pebbles, and the cliff is crumbling. La Jolla Cove is reseved to the Sea Lions, ****ting in there all day. The only place I could have a decent beach experience was San Onofre, at the feet of the nuclear plant. This is no joke. And I had to wear a full wet suit even in August. Did I mention that the pollution is getting almost as bad as L.A. ? My brother spends 1 hour commute each way to get to his job 25 miles away.
Now, I don't mind hurricanes, since we have good warnings. But earthquakes at any time? No, thanks. After Chili, N.Z., Japan, the next spot on the ring of fire is CA! Did I mention a nuclear plant in San Onofre? Run.....
Hawaii? Surprisingly, very few usable beaches there. Each Island has 2 or 3 "good" beaches, with white sand and a decently gentle slope in the Ocean, to be safe for kids. Lots of beaches are black blistering lava instead of sand. Most beaches are inaccessible by road, or reserved to hotels, or are mostly cliffs or too dangerous for family use. Because some of the beaches are famous, and because you would think that around an island, it is all beaches, people have those fancy ideas about Hawaii? Tell me how many miles of USABLE, safe, white-sand beaches you find in Hawaii and CA combined, and I assure you it won't be even 10% of what you find in FL.
Lane_change. I am a little perplexed by your inquiries. Unless you say what you do not like in FL, I don't think I can help you. I have travelled all over the place, including Hawaii and Tahiti, so I know quite a lot. I am also an avid Ocean dweller and competitive sport fisherman and sailsman.
The absolute one thing I can tell you, is that you do not want to be an immigrant in a foreign country. Australia is one of the worst place. Even places like India will make it impossible for you to be the equivalent of a permanent Resident in the U.S. Do your own research.
So, basically, you want a place IN THE U.S., next to the Ocean, with warm water, and beautiful endless sandy beaches. Well paid, abundant job opportunities, so that a young family can trust to find jobs easily if they lose their current one. Fun exciting places for the kids, plus good schools and Universities, so that they do not feel like moving away when they get older. A rural feeling, with nature to explore, but close to a big town.
What about dirt cheap housing? Won't it be nice too?
So, considering that it is certain you are not going to immigrate, trust me on this, the only place that satisfy all of the above, in the U.S., is Florida.
Some good points here. Moving to NZ isn't as easy as buying a plane ticket. Changing countries has a whole other large amount of factors to consider. I also agree that the U.S. has everything for most people's requirements.
Florida. I think the OP wanted mountains, so declined on flat Florida. However, he also likes cheap real estate, and was interested in car racing and motorcross and all that stuff, plus the warm beaches, it seems Florida would be great. Also, maybe I'm confusing posts, but didn't the OP also have a wife who needed access to mainland cities for her work. Seems like a close enough fix for that.
Having read a lot of the Texas vs Florida types of posts online, it seems that Texas beaches are a pale comparison to Florida beaches, almost no comparison. If the OP likes most things about Texas except the lack of good beaches, it seems like Florida would be a pretty ideal transition.
Some good points here. Moving to NZ isn't as easy as buying a plane ticket. Changing countries has a whole other large amount of factors to consider. I also agree that the U.S. has everything for most people's requirements.
Florida. I think the OP wanted mountains, so declined on flat Florida. However, he also likes cheap real estate, and was interested in car racing and motorcross and all that stuff, plus the warm beaches, it seems Florida would be great. Also, maybe I'm confusing posts, but didn't the OP also have a wife who needed access to mainland cities for her work. Seems like a close enough fix for that.
Having read a lot of the Texas vs Florida types of posts online, it seems that Texas beaches are a pale comparison to Florida beaches, almost no comparison. If the OP likes most things about Texas except the lack of good beaches, it seems like Florida would be a pretty ideal transition.
Florida beaches are better than Hawaii beaches. Warmer in the summer, white sand. Well unless you're a surfer.
Florida beaches are better than Hawaii beaches. Warmer in the summer, white sand. Well unless you're a surfer.
Florida has a huge number of advantages over Hawaii especially in terms of cost of living - but beaches? In the summer, you have to deal with ultra-high humidity, the ocean in S. Florida in summer is more like bath water where you actually can be more uncomfortable in the water than out - you deal with bugs, alligators, and a constant threat of hurricanes each summer. I'll take Hawaii beaches - except for Waikiki they aren't as crowded, have a comfortable all year round temperature, and a much more scenic topography around them.
You mentioned Costa Rica- get a copy of Christopher Howard's book updated yearly-"The New Golden Door to Retirement and living" - not a promo here, just good source as he lives there. BUT, be aware in recent times as all over, crime has made life different and cheap not so much anymore. Belize speaks English, but same story and not great health care too. Costa Rica and Panama have visa requirements and Panama City is built up like Honolulu; David in the mountains is a long drive - less service,. many America expatriates all those places. research well. Even USVI islands are expensive and anywhere -an island is an island . LONG resource pipelines add to costs.
Hawaii is very beautiful and finite land and resources - jobs as well, I gather reading here, and other places. Suggestion: Look at Charleston SC, more resources than Myrtle Beach. Boeing is there for the "Dreamliner", good medical and housing reasonable; much less than other spots, especially Oahu.
Roper Hospital and Trident. Near ocean by living just 5-12 miles inland, less dense and out of literal down "town" and port area. Historical, and good year round weather; meaning warm and 2 months chilly, nothing drastic . rare hurricanes and can drive OUT if need to do so. Jobs are like all over, and a profession , or skill in demand, in health care or IT is good. There are a few cruise ships to Bahamas and Bermuda, and people friendly. A mixture of many ethnic folks and things to do. Worth a look. In addition to above, the cost alone for food/housing is well below Oahu. Other islands are a balance it seems between resources and individual "wants" and job "needs".Good luck !!
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) If i was to move to another country, it'd be canada 
You have no choice
