Mainland Hapa Haole move to HI

[hotzcatz]

Seems like now would be a good time to try relocating since your inquiry doesn't mention kids, pets or other things that make it more difficult to relocate. Although it will most likely be a scramble to get set up with that amount of cash, but it can be done. As earlier mentioned, it might be a good option to sell the car or at least leave it on the mainland until you get more settled. Parking in Honolulu is expensive and traffic on the island is horrendous so you'd not really enjoy driving much anyway. Plus car shipping from Florida will take out a quarter to a third of your savings so moving without the car would be easier.

If it were me, I'd find an apartment to share with someone and take any job offered at the beginning. It probably wouldn't pay for all the expenses, but it will slow the financial hemorrhage. If the job doesn't pay enough to live on, I'd either find another one to go along with it or find a different one, but having a local job as a reference will help for finding better jobs later.

An apartment somewhere in the Waikiki, Moilili, Kakaako, Ala Moana, Diamond Head area should make it an easy enough commute to a hospitality job in Waikiki.

Just save enough money to escape if necessary and don't burn any bridges on the mainland to get here.

[A1eutian]

Originally Posted by abcdavid01

Am I using the right words? I'm Chinese/White mix from the mainland. Grew up in an all White town and had some real trouble fitting in. Now I'm seriously looking at moving to Hawaii. Would it be easier to adapt? My main interest is really the racial issue. I know Hawaii has a unique culture, but I still think it'd be easier for me to fit in/feel at home/adapt locally than anywhere on the mainland. HI is the only place where my ethnic background isn't an extreme minority. How true is this? Should I save up more?

Thanks :-)

Moving to Honolulu, or anywhere completely new is going to be filled with a number of real-world challenges. Ask yourself what you're willing to deal with in order to find the kind of life you'd like to lead. Can you live in a single room that you rented Craigslist for a few or several months? Are you willing to forgo all spending except for the basics until you settle in? You will FOR SURE have to take a huge step down in quality of life compared to what you're used to.

But I do understand your wanting to "fit in" somewhere, or at least feel like you don't stand out. As someone who is also of Asian/white heritage I get that maybe you have a bit of an identity crisis. And yes, kids and adults in the Midwest and south can be real dicks when it comes to picking on things that make you "different." You would think that in Hawaii a mixed heritage person like yourself would blend in with the locals pretty easily.

So, just ask yourself what do you expect to happen in 1 year, 5 years and long term before taking the leap. Maybe it will be the best move of your life; on the other hand you could leave in 2 years broke and disillusioned. But surely you would have learned something about yourself.

Just be sure you're moving to something and not running away from yourself. Even though your move is risky, maybe it's worth trying.