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My husband and I are considering relocating to the Seattle area, and I am terrified! Both of us are from Hawaii, and have lived here most of our lives, but it is so difficult to establish ourselves as a young family, which is our primary motivation to move.
I have a wonderful job, which is not comparable in any other location of the US, but my husband is in the labor industry and has been laid off three times in the past two years.
I know the move will be a positive step in the right direction for us, but I am scared to leave and be miserable somewhere else, especially with the cost of moving so far- coming back to hawaii quickly would not be an option.
Can anyone with a similar story provide me with any positive feedback/information/encouragement??
Mahalo Nui!!!
Hmmm...if you have a wonderful job that is not comparable in any other location in the US - then I think you should STAY!
If your husband is in the labor industry...and laid off 3 times...then he's probably getting unemployment and you can ride anything out.
Personally, it sounds like you aren't sold on Seattle anyways...and if you move there...you lose your job that you really like...and then what if your husband has more 'labor industry' problems and issues in the workplace just the same?
Seems like you'd be in a much worse case scenario. At the VERY minimum, you should both VISIT Seattle...and if you BOTH don't love it, then I wouldn't bother picking up and moving there - as you won't last there...and will have to start again back in Hawaii without the job that you like now.
I can understand the 'starting out as a young family'...but being in a place that you like and comfortable in is KEY. If you move to Seattle and don't like it, you'll be spending A LOT more time and money trying to find somewhere else to 'start life' and be delaying it significantly in the process.
We spend two months in HI every year. As much as we love HI, the climate, the people, and island living, two months is our limit before we get island fever.
Moving away from HI to the mainland is understandable very scarey for you. Fear of the unknown is always difficult and the "what ifs" that come with it. Life on the mainland is very different than HI, with many things that are better and other things that are not.
Cost of living in Seattle is about 8% lower than HI. People who have moved to the mainland find they are better able to afford housing, vacations, new cars, etc. and educational opportunities for the children are more abundant and an improvement over HI.
You will be going from island living to land locked living, climate will be considerably different too. Yet I think if you keep an open, positive mind and consider it an adventure things will work out for you. Good luck.
My husband and I are considering relocating to the Seattle area, and I am terrified! Both of us are from Hawaii, and have lived here most of our lives, but it is so difficult to establish ourselves as a young family, which is our primary motivation to move.
I have a wonderful job, which is not comparable in any other location of the US, but my husband is in the labor industry and has been laid off three times in the past two years.
I know the move will be a positive step in the right direction for us, but I am scared to leave and be miserable somewhere else, especially with the cost of moving so far- coming back to hawaii quickly would not be an option.
Can anyone with a similar story provide me with any positive feedback/information/encouragement??
Mahalo Nui!!!
my wife and I moved to Virginia from Honolulu last November. I am from Virginia (lived in Honolulu for 7 years), she is from Honolulu (born and raised). The reasons we moved were mostly for financial security, better job market, and MUCH better public schools (I was not enamored with "local" culture either but that was only a contributing factor)... so it sounds like we are similar in our motivations.
What I can honestly say from our experience is that there are both positives and negatives in leaving. Some of them will be relevant for your situation, but some may not since I am not from the islands and the "local" culture is not my culture.
On the positive side... We love the proximity to other cities, the changing seasons, and overall the move has been a tremendous growing opportunity for my wife. Just getting on the interstate by herself was a big deal when we first moved, now she has no problem driving all over the place. We have enjoyed about 75% of the seasons out here (august was a little muggy and Jan/Feb was kind of cold and nasty last year). Aside from that, the variety in weather is a welcome change of pace from the "hot all the time" weather of Honolulu. We have a new pastime of sitting on our lanai and watching thunderstorms pass by and LOVE the spring and fall when temps are in the 60's/70's and you can do activities out in the sun without sweating or needing to scurry under a canopy for shade. We have taken numerous road trips (D.C., Pittsburgh, Outer Banks, Boston) and are currently planning a trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway to stay at a bed and breakfast and watch the fall foliage. Making the same amount of money we made in Honolulu, our standard of living has increased greatly. Instead of a 600sq-ft 1br apartment for 1500 a month, we have a 1100 sq=ft 2br apartment for $975 a month. The people have also been very friendly. Because of the huge military population down here we meet people from all over the country and world. Aside from some of the smaller towns, nobody is really concerned where you are from or if you are local to the area. It has been refreshing. Finally, there are great public schools, nice parks, numerous beaches, and single family homes in excellent neighborhoods for under 250k.
On the negative side... things are much more spread out here and we have to drive more than we would otherwise. Having the mountains and ocean so close together is a blessing that we really took for granted. The numerous restaurants and shops right downtown is a plus as well. My wife does not like winter. The short days and cold weather were really tough on here. To be honest... I could do without January/February myself. Also, planning for the weather takes some getting used to. You actually have to think about what you wear. Utility costs have gone up for us. Although the cost per KwH is lower here, the fact that we use heat in the winter and A/C in the summer makes our electric/gas bills higher. Violent crime is also a little higher (but petty theft is lower) so the evening news was a little intimidating for my wife. The beaches here are great but the water is only warm enough to swim in for about 4 months out of the year. The rest of the year you need a wetsuit. And obviously, the water and scenery is a lot different. The water is not the crystal clear blue that you get used to in the islands and the backdrop of sand dunes and trees is not as spectacular as diamond head and the koolau's.
I think a huge consideration one is about your personality, family, and your personal relationships. Since you are both from the islands, you will be leaving your entire support system behind and that can be tough. My wife had a hard time finding work in here field... so she had no friends of her own, no family, and a new culture to adapt to. It can be a bit overwhelming. You may become your spouses ENTIRE social circle and that can put a strain on the relationship. You take for granted how important it is to have your own friends and activities outside of the relationship, when they are gone you tend to run out of things to talk about and can grow tired of each other sometimes. It is important to communicate and be supportive during this.
Finally, and I think this may be the most important thing, is how comfortable you will be not being "local". Most people that I know that grew up in Hawaii and moved (and I probably know more than most) DO NOT LIKE BEING THE HAOLE!! It is obvious even from the posts on here. When people move to Hawaii nobody on the forum tells them to seek out "Mainland" support groups and try to find other people from your hometown... they tell them to embrace the local culture, leave their "mainland" attitudes on the mainland, and so forth. But as soon as people from Hawaii move away, the first thing they tell you to do is find the community with "Hawaii ties" in their new area. The mentality is just different for some reason (I have my theories but I am not trying to start a pissing match on here so I will keep them to myself). So you gotta ask yourself, are you OK with being the Haole? Do you look forward to the prospect of immersing yourself in a new culture, meeting new people, and doing things a new way or are you gonna be pining for the islands and going to Hawaii transplant functions all the time? If you are the latter, I suggest you just stay put and try to make it work because you don't want to spend the rest of your life missing home. If you are the former, then it might work out for you and your family.
That is my 2cents. Hope it is of some help. Good luck either way!
The entire situation presents several considerations that neither of us have encountered before, and I enjoy the growth that is coming from that.
There is more to our story, as to why we are choosing Seattle over another location. I have quite a bit of family in the greater Seattle area, and my husband and I have mentors that moved to that area about six months ago. Also, my husband is considering an apprenticeship program at the Naval Shipyard.
As far as becoming the Haole- that is an important point! While I look racially ambiguous- and therefore, have grown up here too white for the locals and too brown for the Haoles- my husband, while appearing racially ambiguous to anyone in the continental US, is most definitely Hawaiian while in Hawaii... and therefore, I am curious about how he'll take 'becoming the Haole'. He spent several years in Texas, while he was in the military, and most people just thought he was Latino. I think he did fine with that, and being more mature now, will appreciate the new blend of cultures.
Luckily we are both rather adventurous, and would enjoy being dependent solely on one another, at least for a period of time.
A HUGE motivation for leaving is the public school system. I have been blessed with an old soul, and always felt very enticed by new information, paired with high self motivation, I 'survived' the Hawaii public school system. My husband, on the other hand, was thrown into the schooling world with the all-to-common local mentality that being smart isn't cool... now he is scraping by, trying to play catch-up for the years he spent being 'too cool for school'. The WA state school system is wonderful, and I would love for our daughter to be blessed with an education that wont put us on the streets while we try to finance it (i.e. Kamehameha schools).
All of you bring up so many relevant observations- and I am so very grateful. It is so important to remember how fleeting life can be, and how we can all make a home wherever we fall.
Most importantly, home is where the heart is. With family and mentors you will do great. Take each day as it comes, and remember everyday is a gift. Aloha.
There is a fairly large Pacific Islander community in Seattle, Samoan, Hawaiian, etc. They can ease your transition and become your Seattle ohana, I'd look for them on the web. It will definitely be a different experience living in Seattle, but it's an accepting, tolerant culture up here. Becoming acclimated to the differences in daylight from winter to summer is a big challenge for newcomers. Best of luck and I hope you can return to the Islands some day, if that's your heart's desire.
I second this notion here. The Pacific Islander in Community in Seattle is large and quite active. You will have no problem finding island brethren.
I moved to Seattle from Hawaii and loved it. I am a rain lover though, so Hilo to Seattle was not a big weather transition. There is so much to do in the Seattle region- single oriented, family oriented, all ages oriented. It's a lovely part of the country, and if you can see the climate and landscape as invigorating, you are off for a good adventure of living.
So you gotta ask yourself, are you OK with being the Haole? Do you look forward to the prospect of immersing yourself in a new culture, meeting new people, and doing things a new way or are you gonna be pining for the islands and going to Hawaii transplant functions all the time? If you are the latter, I suggest you just stay put and try to make it work because you don't want to spend the rest of your life missing home. If you are the former, then it might work out for you and your family.
As far as becoming the Haole- that is an important point! While I look racially ambiguous- and therefore, have grown up here too white for the locals and too brown for the Haoles- my husband, while appearing racially ambiguous to anyone in the continental US, is most definitely Hawaiian while in Hawaii... and therefore, I am curious about how he'll take 'becoming the Haole'. He spent several years in Texas, while he was in the military, and most people just thought he was Latino. I think he did fine with that, and being more mature now, will appreciate the new blend of cultures.
I am racially ambiguous too which has often been interesting for me. When I worked in Puna schools the kids often thought I was local until I opened my mouth, at which point I was alien (as my accent is ambiguous too).
Seattle is a great place to be ambiguous, imo. It's not an issue. To be frank, yes, much of Seattle is a racially "white" community. But compared to other US cities with similar demographics, I do feel Seattle has something special and interesting going on. A bit more of an international mindset. Just my subjective input. I'm married to military but would consider retiring there in a heartbeat. And I have seen a lot of geographies. The Big Island is also on our list for retiring but its in severe competition with Seattle region, imo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by amamama
A HUGE motivation for leaving is the public school system. I have been blessed with an old soul, and always felt very enticed by new information, paired with high self motivation, I 'survived' the Hawaii public school system. My husband, on the other hand, was thrown into the schooling world with the all-to-common local mentality that being smart isn't cool... now he is scraping by, trying to play catch-up for the years he spent being 'too cool for school'. The WA state school system is wonderful, and I would love for our daughter to be blessed with an education that wont put us on the streets while we try to finance it (i.e. Kamehameha schools).
I worked in HI public school system. I see where you are coming from. I always like to give 2000 percent in a job but man it was rough. I also have my own values with schooling. I like lots of provisions for special ed, I like "alternative," I like charter schools. I like any education movement that allows a child to hone their intelligence and does not just test for standards OR does not just "socially grade" students to the point where you have 9th graders who can barely read or write but have been accelerated for merely not being a disruption. I pray for all states to improve their education but yes, WA has a lot of good movements going on. Worked in that school system too. Feel I can attest to that.
You will have a lovely relocation. Lots of interesting things going on and no doubt, shifting from HI island life to Seattle offerings will pick up the pace in a good way.
I had the "reverse" experience as I came to Hawaii from Whidbey Island (just north of Seattle) 26 years ago with no regrets. In Seattle, you will have to get used to the cloudy days (does not rain as much you hear it does) but it can be depressing coming from an environment where it's Summer year round. As everyone says, there are plenty of "locals" in Seattle. Half of HPD has transferred to the area's law enforcement agencies (well, not half but a bunch). A lot more employment opportunities in Puget Sound area than HNL but truth be told, Seattle housing isn't much cheaper than HNL. Seattle and HNL are both very liberal cities. You will have more options all around as far as things to do and see. You also have Vancouver, BC right up I-5 with all it has to offer to consider too. Instead of surfing, learn to ski as there are plenty of slopes within a day's drive. You also have NFL and MLB that HNL doesn't have. If you get homesick, just go down to SEATAC and hop on Hawaiian Airlines and come back, you're only 5 hours away.......
like you iam at the point in one life where iam looking at retirement and wondering if the desicion makeing at this point is right or wrong in one life and wondering if the move to the big island will be right for me ..since iam going to starting fresh all over again with no support group or friends or family members to help out if something happens to me plus other factors also are in play at the time....
since my kids are gone out of the house and moved on with there lifes for now they have childern of there own and they working hard to do good for there own familys and it just me in the house for my wife passed away about 16 years ago and i have not remarried .. my mom and dad have passed away now for a few years and it only leave my older brother and a sister in my family that are around and liveing in northern utah area where they have there familys ..
so i like you i am thinking beening afraid to leave behind something i know for something i do not know ..
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