Your story: Was it worth it to move to Hawaii? (Honolulu: house, construction)

[Aulani]

[quote=Jungjohann;2571919]There's something about the Islands, they either love you or they don't.

You are so very right. I have lived in 7 states & 1 foreign country in my 45 years - Hawaii & her people were very good to me. It is the only state that continues to tug at my spirit & call me back.
Downsides? Yes, there were plenty, but they were outweighed by the sheer joy of being there.
(in case you wonder why, with my love for the place, I left - I couldn't resist the next adventure, which was 2 years in Alaska. I don't regret it)

[Twinster]

Oh boy...I'm exhausted after reading through these posts! Here is my long reply. I didn't read all of the posts on this thread and I keep going back to the original question to try to stay on topic.

We lived on the Big Island for over 7 years. We lived in Kona, Waikoloa and Keaau. In Hawaiian Paradise Park (Kea'au) I was home alone all day (and late at night while hubby was working) and always kept my doors and windows open. I felt very safe and our house was not cleaned out while I was gone shopping. We lived on an acre so neighbors were far apart and we didn't know any of them. (That was our fault.) I know there is crime & drugs there but we were not close to it. Someone else mentioned the "pride of ownership" issues. There were lots of neighborhoods that had nice houses and rundown houses right next door. Lots of people didn't take care of their houses. Houses also age quicker in that humid environment. When we worked in Waimea (Kamuela) a guy we worked with had his car stolen from the company parking lot. When they found the car a few hours later it had already been re-sold and re-painted. This was a drug-related crime. Meth was a big problem on the Big Island a few years ago, I'm not sure how it it now.

When we lived in Waikoloa, we lived in a neighborhood with other haoles and locals. We still have lots of friends there. Calling someone a "haoles" is not always a bad thing. We call ourselves haoles. It's just a description, like saying, "I'm white". It's only taken as a racial slur if you say it that way. We were never told to "go home" but sometimes I felt like an outsider. When I worked on the Kona side I felt some prejudice because I was considered a "Type A" personality. I was just trying to make things more efficient and teach people how to use the computer. I felt much better when I didn't have to work and deal with other people's insecurities. On the Hilo side I was always greeted nicely at the grocery store even though I was sometimes the only "Caucasian looking" person there (and this was a large store). People (perfect strangers) love to stop you in the store and "talk story". We've found that to be true in New Mexico too. People know when you are a "nice person" and approachable.

So, was it worth it to move to Hawaii? Yes! I do agree with what other people have said though. There are many downsides to moving to Hawaii but the bottom line is you live where you want to live. We create our own paradise. And, in the United States we get to choose WHERE we want to do it. We moved away from Hawaii almost two years ago. We still have property on the Big Island and we plan on going back to retire. I would not want to move back and have to find a job. We've looked at other places to live but feel that Hawaii meets our needs...mold, vog, coqui, high prices and all. LOL I was measuring the rainfall in Keaau. In a six month period we had over 7 feet. Yes, that's right, 7 (seven!) FEET! No wonder we had mold growing inside and outside of our new house!

Hawaii is expensive and that's why we are waiting to move back. Groceries were over twice as much as we pay here in New Mexico. We were in Hawaii at the time of 911. The store shelves cleaned off quicker than a 10 for $10 sale! Hawaii only has a few days of supplies. You have to stock up all of the time in case of emergency. Many part-time residents moved to Hawaii after 911 because they felt safer there.

Coqui frogs! You can go to youtube.com and search for "big island coqui" to watch some videos. I miss the sound of the coqui frogs!

[kani-lehua]

good post, twinster!

drugs and frogs continue to be problems on all islands. you might be one of a select few who misses the sound of the coqui. it's considered an invasive species. there was an article a couple of months ago about a land transaction on the big island whereby the purchaser is trying/tried to renig on the deal due to the noise. can't remember which paper had the article, but i think there is/was a lawsuit.

[Twinster]

Kani-Lehua,
I know, the coqui have invaded many areas of the Big Island. Most of my friends like the coqui sounds too. These are people that live with them. I have also heard of real estate deals not happening because there were too many coqui on the property. We started noticing more coqui in our neighborhood after a few lots down the street were cleared. They need trees and moisture to hide in! LOL

The problem on the Big Island was that most people didn't do what was needed to contain them once they found out they were there. Believe it or not, in some areas the land owners sprayed their lands but the county/state was not doing their part. The coqui quickly spread and now I think they are in Hawaii for good.

[cynmkolohe]

Great post, Twinster! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by Twinster

Kani-Lehua,
I know, the coqui have invaded many areas of the Big Island. Most of my friends like the coqui sounds too. These are people that live with them. I have also heard of real estate deals not happening because there were too many coqui on the property. We started noticing more coqui in our neighborhood after a few lots down the street were cleared. They need trees and moisture to hide in! LOL

The problem on the Big Island was that most people didn't do what was needed to contain them once they found out they were there. Believe it or not, in some areas the land owners sprayed their lands but the county/state was not doing their part. The coqui quickly spread and now I think they are in Hawaii for good.

wow! interesting! they're on all islands.

[Kcsride]

I cannot understand this "thing" about crime, stealing, bad people, or any of the negative. Anywhere you go you have to take care of yourself by looking around and if something doesn't seem right then take action. Nobody else will do it for you. Stand up for yourself and don't let others intimidate you.

If you are not looking for trouble you will not find it. If you smoke pot, yes you can find it.
Life is what you ,make it and my husband and I are going to retire in Kauai and live out our dream life.

[rainsweptkayla]

i moved to oahu a few years ago. i had worked for a company for about fourteen years on the mainland and asked for a transfer. i was a good worker with a good reputation. when i got to oahu, my coworkers started trashing me and trying to get me fired. i couldn't understand it. i didn't know about the white racism thing in hawaii. but then i started talking to other whites who had been fired, beaten up, mocked, assaulted, etc. for being white. after about two years i left. i quit my job and now am starting a new career. but hawaii stole alot from me. the racism caused me alot of emotional hell and financial hell as well. every single white person i talked to in hawaii had been through something like me. it's a hell of a state. it's so pretty but the racism there is rampant. all dark-skinned people are in on it. [mod]edit[/mod] japanese, koreans, guam, hawaii, whatever. it's a white hate fest. anyone that trys to downplay this is not being honest. whites are even murdered there. they are beaten up. it's the truth. i've lived it.

[taysantanamama]

My family moved to Oahu in November for my husband's job. I had all the concerns regarding acceptance, made a big deal about it, and now wonder what put those ideas in my head. I love it here. Unless I am completely oblivious(and maybe that is a good thing)I have had no problems. Okay, the traffic, some driving/parking habits make me scratch my head, things are a bit slower, more expensive, but it doesn't take long to get used to them. I have had nothing in the way of negative comments, gestures, no "stink-eye", my kids are doing well, have lots of friends, and I love to talk story with strangers. I love plate lunches under a tent at the side of the road, a fundraising car wash, and I especially love how affectionate families are with each other. I swear, I NEVER, EVER saw a 5th grade boy hug and kiss his dad when being dropped off at school, or a 10 year old sister with her arm draped around her 1st grade brother walking home from school on the mainland. My family is very affectionate and I worried that people thought we were weird and my 9 year old boy would be laughed at because he loves to hold hands, and hug and kiss his mommy and papa, and adores his 5 year old sister.

The two things that I don't like are the homelessness, it saddens me, especially when children are involved, and I hate seeing so much litter. Since I have had no luck finding a job yet, I hope to get involved in organizations that combat these issues. And while I love not having to pay for garbage pickup, I think if we had to pay, more people would recycle, and that money could be better utilized for perhaps education, homelessness and environmental issues(of course that may lead to more trash dumping). Okay, that is a whole different post. Anyway, I think that with the right attitude, anyone can make the move to Hawaii. If you come in thinking you are better than everyone else, and thinking you can hold tight to all of your mainland ways, forget it. It is without question, a different way of life, but in my experience, it is for the better.

[Jimbo's]

Taysantanamama, that was very well put and a great story. My family is the same way although my son is 21 and my Daughter is 17, we are so close and really like being together.

I hope it will always be that way for you and your family because to me that's what it's all about.