Any *POSITIVE* experiences for Mainlanders moving to Hawaii?

[R_Cowgirl]

I'm always disturbed when people 1) paint "all comments about Hawaii" as negative; 2) bring up the race card; 3) Don't understand that the good people who post on the Hawaii forum are trying to help newbies with stars in their eyes NOT make a horrible mistake.

In response to that...
1 & 3). I've posted many a cautionary tale on here. Yet I love Hawaii more than anywhere else on the planet. I've moved to Phoenix for logistical reasons, but I've been back to Hawaii 50 times since I moved here 8 years ago. Some folks there don't even know I Left! "eeeeehhh Goooood to see you, Sis! Long time no see! Where you stay?" And when I tell them I don't live there anymore they're surprised. "But I just saw you da odda day!"

Hawaii is an interesting place. It's not all sweetness and light. And it's not a "bad" place to live, either. But when we give advice on here to a single mother of 4 with no job and few job skills who thinks she can "live on the beach until she finds something," brah, we goin' give her a long list of reasons to stay put! THAT should not be construed as negative.

Actually, THAT is what makes Hawaii special. We actually CARE if she makes that kind of bad move. Not just for selfish reasons (5 more mouths on the welfare system,) but also because it's just how Hawaii people are.

2). Let's take this race thing on head first. Racism is often in the eyes of the beholder. I could write 45 pages on this, so I'll try and edit as I go. For some people, "racism" = "I am white and no one kowtows to me." For others racism is something they "observe" and don't understand that no one is offended. Such as someone calling me a haole. I call myself a haole. I don't care ... as long as they don't put any "special" words in front of it.

We have had nicknames for every race for years. It's more akin to the nicknames you have for your friends than a racial slur. But if you come out of the politically correct world, your ears are tuned in to be offended at everything that strikes you as not PC. What you have to understand is when I call someone "kanaka" (Hawaiian) - that is NOT a racial slur. Kanaka Maoli is the name of the original people, the Hawaiians, and happens to be what some of my kids are.

So a Kanak-attack (eat till you sleep) is a joke about how everybody goes to a luau and eats till they are so full they sleep. Pake, BookBook, Popolo, Portagee, Haole... all of these are OK as long as the context is OK. Said in anger -- no. NOT OK. Said with derogatory words attached? NOT OK.

But then the mainland people come in and try to Instruct us that our little nicknames said in love and jest AREN'T OK. Whatever happened to Multi-Cultural Celebration? You either celebrate the cultures or you act all PC and say we can't bring them up... Multi-Cultural Celebration is what Hawaii does best. We all hang out. There are no "ghettos" where only one race lives. Schools, workplaces, shopping centers, places of worship... all have a multitude of people from all sorts of ancestries. And most people in Hawaii have a multitude of ancestries in them. My latest granddaughter has 10 that we can count. Caucasians make up 23% of the population. There is no majority. And -- we all have run into a taste of prejudice from time to time. Both from locals and from mainland people. But that's just life. Whoop de doo.

Some people bring racism on themselves by sending it out. If you think your gender, race, or religion makes you better than people... yeah, you'll get a backlash. Be a real human being. Don't try to lord it over people. Accept the island for what it is and be kind... you'll be fine. Finer than in a lot of other places.

I've noticed something interesting -- People from the coasts often have a harder time than people from the middle of the mainland. I don't know why that is. I'm a South Dakota girl. I lived on the coast, but I brought South Dakota with me. I'm a cowgirl, and I carry that ethic with me. It works real well in Hawaii and other places.

There are many subcultures in Hawaii and I'm sure most people can find their peeps. The general population is sweet, kind, and would open their doors to you if they like you.

That being said, don't move to Hawaii without enough for a return ticket!

[Tiger Beer]

I think anyone who starts a thread with that title...is NOT going to have a good experience.

Its not that OTHER people cause that person problems...its just that that kind of person is a nucleus for negativity, and will probably see it everywhere, creating more of it for themselves.

[Teddy1279]

I just moved to Maui and I'm so bored!!!!!!!
I was born in NY and lived on Oahu for a few years. I taught school, so I met lots of nice people. I learned not to rush others. Ambition is lacking. I moved back to the mainland for three years and now my husband and I are back (maui) with a newborn. I'm totally bored, but it's perfect. I can't fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes and I wear pajamas everywhere. No one cares or looks twice. Oahu is better if you are single. I think Maui is better for family life.

[On the road]

I thought I would way in just a little here, I will do my best to stay on course. I lived in Honolulu for several years. Perhaps Honolulu is not the best indicator of life on the islands but it is what it is. My experience is just that my own so may or may not be indicative of life on the islands had by all. I will say living there is not the same as a vacation so get that idea out of your mind right off the bat. As for racism yes like everywhere it rears its head, did it effect me? Not in the least I never live my life to fit in other people's ideals. Respect gets respect, so unless you act an ass in your dealings with others it is not an issue. As for the laid back lifestyle all i can say be prepared for island time call a plumber and a two pm appointment maybe two pm tomorrow. Again it is what it is don't sweat it. Now I will say not being wealthy made life a challenge for me and my family two jobs left little beach time let alone time for family a fate shared by many locals. I eventually left like may as family is important to me so followed the money to the mainland.
Now with that said Hawaii has always been in my heart and I carry Aloha no matter my location. I would return in a heartbeat and have worked hard to allow myself that very opportunity saving every dime so I can live back in the islands of course I will move to kauai although I also love the big island.
I don't wish to paint a negative vibe but just know its no paradise for those without means, and if like me you get tired of tourist blocking your driveway so they can lessen their walk to the beach. Remember respect goes both ways. Don't go with your head in the clouds and know it is a lifestyle that will live within you forever.

[bigritchie]

Big Island here.

Love it! Love it! Love it!

Would do it all again in a heartbeat!

[Ryan.]

I post the following in case it helps anyone. My wife and I moved to the Big Island a little over 3 years ago. We feel this is where we belong and, God willing, we plan to stay here for decades to come. 4 1/2 years ago we made the decision to move and spent the next 18 months making preparations as best we could. We learned a tremendous amount from books, online forums and a couple 'scouting' trips. We moved with 6 months of living expenses and no solid job prospects. Five months after arrival I received my first employment (very low paying 1 week temp job). This was followed by a part time job (still low, but better paying). Then another and finally full time, relatively high paying employment at 10 months after arrival. For us it was a matter of how bad did we want to make it here and how much were we willing to humble ourselves to make it work. Since that time, our income has only increased and we've put down roots. We purchased our dream property, built our custom home, had a baby and are living our dream. We are as haole (in appearance) as it gets (blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin) and feel nothing but aloha from our neighbors, coworkers and the man on the street. Hawaii is our home and we are grateful to have been adopted into its community.

[NCHammerhead]

great post Ryan.. I hope our eventual move to the BI is just as positive!

[Osborn89419]

[quote=NCHammerhead;28064501]great post Ryan.. I hope our eventual move to the BI is just as positive.

Same here!