So happy to hear it! Go ahead, rub it in that YOU DID IT! I apologize in advance for being long winded, your story has struck a nerve with me - in a good way. It is rare to find another large family that has done this...
I too would love to hear "the rest of the story"...how you pulled it off, what happened as soon as you arrived, what you like/dislike so far, if your relocation expenses ended up being close to what you budgeted, etc.
We are planning to move over to Kona in late June or early July and have been researching it for the past year in detail. I am incredibly excited and incredibly scared, simultaneously.
Please don't take it personally (the old comments on your post) - I think we all get a hazing/initiation of sorts upon our first posting here with preliminary relocation questions. It's the regulars' way of vetting out the serious folks from the daydreamers I suppose.
The very first time I posted, I asked if there were any association type neighborhoods along the Kona coast where my children could ride their bikes (there are, in fact, in Waikoloa) and I was told absolutely not, there is no such thing on the entire island and basically, I must be nuts or stupid
I asked if there were any affordable places to live and was treated like an idiot. Someone told me that any decent (not roach infested, etc.) housing on the BI was near a half million. After researching it further, I quickly found out that a nice house could be found for $300,000, middle class pricing....and that nice furnished condos in gated communities were available for a reasonable rent of $1,500-$2,000 per month.
I was also told by fellow CD members that there were no banks to speak of anywhere that my husband could get a job at, yet a quick search of our own brought up hundreds of banks on the island.
Some people were downright cruel and insulting. (I now know that many of the people responding don't even live in Hawaii.) I ignored their criticisms/misinformation and did my own research for months on end.
Remember, too, that misery loves company and that everyone sees an area of the country differently. Some think where I live is the greatest place on the planet. I have considered joining a forum for my own local community to "warn" potential relocators how much it really sucks here and to ignore all the tourists & wannabe retirees that think it's Mayberry
But I haven't, because I can't offer an objective opinion to them. I am too biased from being born/raised here.
I also asked in my very first BI Hawaii posting if there were any places to celebrate seasonal holidays with my kids, like Halloween, for example. (There is a pumpkin patch in Kohala, in fact.) Once again, I was told, absoslutely not, I must be delusional to even ask such a question
These are just a few examples, but essentially every question I originally posed was met with hostility and sarcasm, or I was accused of being some sort of scam artist/poser that was making up phony queries. There were, however, a small handful of polite responses offering up legitimate advice/suggestions. Those were the ones I really listened to.
When I mentioned having a bunch of kids and budgeting $15K in moving expenses ($4K in airfare for our large family, $3K initial deposit on a short term rental, $3K on an old vehicle purchase or vehicle shipping fee and $5K in living expenses until our first paychecks rolled in within 30 days) I was told how irresponsible/immature I was for even considering bankrupting us and ruining my childrens' futures on my pipe dreams
So I am very curious if you were able to stick to your plan of moving 4 kids over on $12K. (I don't think people realize that more kids doesn't mean more money. Hand-me-downs and a big pot of spaghetti means you can spend less on clothing/feeding many kids than friends that have the "acceptable" amount of children, i.e. 2.5
I was informed that my children would never get a decent education given the school situation in the islands. How broke/poor/miserable we would be moving there, how leaving our family with kids was foolish. (Our extended family is not even a part of our lives on the mainland.) This was WITH the plan of having jobs lined up in advance, mind you. For all I know, they could be right - perhaps we will only last a year and come running back to the mainland.
Basically, they made me feel like a horrible/selfish mother and a total moron for even considering such a long distance move. That being said, it did give me pause to consider some of the constructive criticisms thrown my way by the people who expressed genuine concern or brought up good points. So I would like to know how bad the bullying & schooling really is in your opinion so far?
Please stick around and update us throughout your new chapter, as long as you can. Many people post on here lots before leaving, but then we never hear how it turns out for them. So we have to assume they hated it, left penniless and were too embarassed to admit it, or they are so happy they don't have time to come on here anymore
Remember, folks on an internet forum know nothing about your way of life, or how you survive financially, or how well you can stretch a dollar, or what kind of parent you are, whether you have your childrens' best interests at heart or not, whether you are determined/hard working, adventurous/open minded/adaptable, or a weak/emotional trainwreck that will fall apart at the first sign of trouble on the islands.
My husband and I have six children and there have been instances where, even on only one modest income (if one of us was a SAH parent at the time), we have still managed to provide private schools, private music lessons, private golf lessons, karate lessons, pay for a $40K international adoption, invest in the stock market, etc. etc- without ever going into debt. Our children do not go without just because we have a lot of them. I'm sure yours don't either. How are they adapting socially/emotionally to the big move? Are they homesick? Have they made friends easily?
I absolutely hate the ignorant comments from people about family sizes being a factor in anything, even in relocating or finances. My brood of children sit quietly in the front pew behind our pastor in church on Sundays. They are straight A students. We do meal planning and our grocery bill for 8 people is smaller than most 2 person households. We are creative/out of the box thinkers and do not accept failure as an option. At times where money has been tight, we have always figured it out on our own, never accepting government handouts or help from family. We always pull it off somehow, even little getaways/trips. You guys will do just fine...obviously you have already, or you wouldn't be there and writing about it. I would love to hear your tips...it has been so hard to find any families that have done it and lived to tell about it...most the people you talk to that have moved over are retirement age, of course.
Off subject, but my girlfriend brought her ONE (only) child over the other day and he was a horrible spoiled brat. Made a scene (embarassing tantrum unlike anything I have ever witnessed) that all 6 of mine couldn't pull off combined. It's not about how many children you have, or how much money you have, or how good their school is, or if they have all the latest/greatest material things that the mainland consumerism teaches us we should buy for them. It's about HOW you raise them. So go ahead and have as many children as you have enough love for! Throw the "condoms" out and let it be
Ugh. Whoever said that needs to apologize, I'm very sorry.
I tend to think that swimming with sea turtles and making memories with your children (read: quality time spent as a family enjoying nature on the Big Island) is what they will remember about their childhood, not whether or not they had new Nike's or the latest iPhone that perhaps a lower cost of living on the mainland could provide. Has your lifestyle changed quite a bit? I'm hoping you will say that you do more outdoor activities with the kids....although it concerns me that it gets dark early there...or that money will be too tight to go and do anything fun/touristy once in awhile.
So if you have to make some adjustments/sacrifices (financially) in your lifestyle when raising your family in Hawaii (versus the mainland), I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. Perhaps your family watched a lot of tv on the mainland and when you moved, you gave it up to save on costs. Then you discovered what a great thing it was anyway - more time spent reading, playing games together, talking, etc. That's just one example of how tightening your belt for the relocation could actually be a good thing for your kids
Of course I don't live there yet, so I'm just hoping I'm right about this stuff
Contrary to popluar belief, money does not buy happiness. Being content with what you have, even if it is meager, brings much more peace than climbing the corporate ladder. I have lived both ways and it was a huge, life changing, eye opener for me. I digress. Point being, I honestly believe my family and I WILL be happier in Hawaii, even if it means we don't have the lifestyle we were able to maintain on the mainland. (We're not there yet though, so time will tell
) I would be curious to hear if you feel you guys are happier overall (in your general state of mind) than you were in Ohio...perhaps a more patient parent, not as short tempered, more relaxed?
I was also told (on here) that there was no way any employers from the island would even consider our resumes if they had a mainland address on them, that there were too many island residents that would be vying for the positions and we wouldn't stand a chance. This is also partially untrue. My husband and I have both been in regular contact with several employers, doing phone interviews and Skype interviews, job testing, etc. for many months now. They have been eager to speak with us and kept in touch via the phone and email since last year. We were told (on here) that we would have a huge pay decrease as well, yet two of the positions my hubby is being considered for would be promotions for him. What was your job situation coming over?
Before you write this forum off entirely as negative naysayers only, you should know that there are approximately 5 posters on here that are incredibly helpful and are honestly trying to protect the dreamers from making a huge mistake they will later regret; trying to get people with stars in their eyes to get a grip on reality. That Hawaii living is not a vacation, it's real life and it's hard. Then there are others who seemingly have nothing else to do but make personal attacks and form inaccurate assumptions/judgments against strangers that they know absolutely nothing about. Or make insensitive jokes at your expense.
So please, when you have time, fill us in on your grand adventure
Keep in touch - there really ARE some nice people on here who truly want the best for you! And it is extremely helpful for those of us that haven't pulled the trigger yet, to hear how it went for you and what the experience has been like for your family.
P.S. Where, may I ask, did you find such a great deal on airfare? I realize it's been quite awhile since you booked. I have been watching Kayak and it's hard to find any deals at all for this upcoming summer
Although, my family takes up half the plane, so we pay a lot more anyway whenever we fly
P.S.S. Did the moped thing work out? I too have been wondering if we only brought one car over, if we could go the first six months with just one vehicle and have my hubby ride a moped or the bus to work until we had time to find a dependable/quality 2nd vehicle later on...sorry to overwhelm you/attack you with questions and my own personal stories...it's just hard to find other families with young children on here
Probably because they aren't as crazy as we are!
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