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We just moved from Seattle to Maui after living in Seattle 30 years. It was as much about change of scenery as anything else. Seattle and the PNW are fine. Maui is fine. Neither is "better" than the other, they are just different experiences, and that is what we wanted - something different. It would have been a lot harder if several of our close friends had not also decamped from Seattle in the last year. Leaving friends is the hardest part of big moves.
A good friend who was originally from Buffalo, NY (amazing how often that name comes up this time of year) moved to Maui after college with nothing, lived there for 2 1/2 years, then moved to Texas where she now owns her own business.
She says it was a great time for her, as long as it lasted, and she'll always treasure the memories.
A good friend of mine (female) moved here to Honolulu about 20 years ago from florida. She moved back to the east coast 2 years ago due to several reasons.
1. Her parents still live in Florida and are getting along in years. She really wanted to be closer to them. Valid reason of course.
2. She met a guy who was vabucationing here and fell for him. had long distance relationship and considered everything ie. her parents, her age, her lack of home ownership and it all fell into place.
So, she moved to South Carolina, took her a bit to find a job, but she did not move to the largest city either. Her relationship ended, but she met someone else, and she jsut bought a house! lol.
Funny how things work out.
I have known people who have moved back after a few years for career reasons. Lack of opportunties, stagnant growth. Lack of movement at the company, as Hawaii workers tend to stay at their jobs FO'EVAH!! So that position you can be waiting forever for it. I think that is one reason why hawaii employers tend to frown upon job movers or people who even move here from the mainland. You get the guy here who went to Iolani HS, then UH, straight to an internship at a bank, then started there and moved up over 25 years and still there. Worker bees don't budge. Mainland workers tend to change jobs more.
It is NICE TO TRAVEl and hey, if you work here and dont make really good money, you really can't. Me myself used to go to Europe every year, but now, it's not as possible. Mainland short trips are more in order, but also no cheap Honolulu to London fares vs. New York to London fares/deals.
Also, and this hits some people. Hawaiii, although wonderful and beautiful and filled with good people, never really becomes "home" for many people. I think if you 're born and raised here, it is within you,, but even I feel I am on borrowed time.
Hawaiii, although wonderful and beautiful and filled with good people, never really becomes "home" for many people. I think if you 're born and raised here, it is within you,, but even I feel I am on borrowed time.
That's an interesting point. We've made a number of friends who have made the permanent move to Maui and they absolutely love it and say they've never felt so at home. (Of course, it's a lot less likely that we'd have met people who didn't love it and have since left.)
I think it probably comes down to what things you appreciate and what things you can be without. My wife and I have spent enough time on the island to feel very confident that we'll one day live there full-time, once we can do it without too much financial strain.
A friend of mine left after living here for 8 or 9 years because he was bored and felt very isolated and lonely. He's having a lot more fun now, even met someone and got married.
If sunny, warm weather is the most important thing to you, overriding everything else, then you will love Maui. If it isn't that important, then drawbacks will be glaring.
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