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If you don't have some family ties there already, there are really only 3 reasons to move to Honolulu that I can think of (aside from a dream job offer or being stationed there by the military).
1) You are really into water sports and warm weather outdoor activities. Hawaii is world class for surfing, snorkeling, beaches, paddling, hiking etc...
2) You really enjoy asian/pacific island people, food, and culture.
3) Your quality of life is seriously impacted by the weather and scenery. Hawaii is warm year-round and visually stunning in a way that few places are. This is worth the "price of paradise" for some people.
For most all other reasons you are probably better off on some part of the U.S. with lower cost of living, better job opportunities, more cultural amenities, and the ability to travel cheaply to different places. Given how much you seem to like Seattle, it doesn't sound like you should make the move IMO.
If you don't have some family ties there already, there are really only 3 reasons to move to Honolulu that I can think of (aside from a dream job offer or being stationed there by the military).
1) You are really into water sports and warm weather outdoor activities. Hawaii is world class for surfing, snorkeling, beaches, paddling, hiking etc...
2) You really enjoy asian/pacific island people, food, and culture.
3) Your quality of life is seriously impacted by the weather and scenery. Hawaii is warm year-round and visually stunning in a way that few places are. This is worth the "price of paradise" for some people.
For most all other reasons you are probably better off on some part of the U.S. with lower cost of living, better job opportunities, more cultural amenities, and the ability to travel cheaply to different places. Given how much you seem to like Seattle, it doesn't sound like you should make the move IMO.
Agreed. If the cold literally hurts (like it does for me), Seattle isn't even a consideration - Oahu hands down. I've been to Seattle once for 3 days. It was overcast and rained every day. I thought it was a seasonal thing (and I just had bad luck) but all the locals there said it was gloomy like that 300 days out of the year. I actually found that hard to believe. To me it's absolutely nuts that anyone would want to live in a place with such consistently depressing, cold/wet weather. Some people clearly put a (much) higher value on year-round beautiful weather, scenery and people than others.
but all the locals there said it was gloomy like that 300 days out of the year. I actually found that hard to believe.
When you live there - it tends to be worse than reality. I've experienced both brilliant sunshine, rain, and snow in Seattle.
Seattle gets about 164 Sunny or Partly Sunny days per year - comparable to Hilo (although it rains a lot more in Hilo and Seattle gets more outright sunny days)
Agreed. If the cold literally hurts (like it does for me), Seattle isn't even a consideration - Oahu hands down. I've been to Seattle once for 3 days. It was overcast and rained every day. I thought it was a seasonal thing (and I just had bad luck) but all the locals there said it was gloomy like that 300 days out of the year. I actually found that hard to believe. To me it's absolutely nuts that anyone would want to live in a place with such consistently depressing, cold/wet weather. Some people clearly put a (much) higher value on year-round beautiful weather, scenery and people than others.
I think it is personal preference... some people don't like how it is hot and sunny all the time in Honolulu, especially with the tradewinds becoming less frequent in recent years. I haven't lived in Seattle to comment but once I stopped surfing a lot the Honolulu sun became the bane of my existence. It's great beach weather, but who wants to bake in 85 degree weather under "extreme" UV indexes for half the year for other activities? I started just doing stuff at night for the most part.
For health reasons the WHO agrees with me, they recommend completely avoiding sun exposure between 10am and 4pm under extreme conditions (easier if you have an office job i guess).
When you live there - it tends to be worse than reality. I've experienced both brilliant sunshine, rain, and snow in Seattle.
Seattle gets about 164 Sunny or Partly Sunny days per year - comparable to Hilo (although it rains a lot more in Hilo and Seattle gets more outright sunny days)
KOMO's meteorologist thinks Seattle only get 58 days of sun a year along with 226 cloudy days and 81 partly cloudy days. It rains 155 days out of the year. KOMO's data was a little more in line with what locals stated.
I think it is personal preference... some people don't like how it is hot and sunny all the time in Honolulu, especially with the tradewinds becoming less frequent in recent years. I haven't lived in Seattle to comment but once I stopped surfing a lot the Honolulu sun became the bane of my existence. It's great beach weather, but who wants to bake in 85 degree weather under "extreme" UV indexes for half the year for other activities? I started just doing stuff at night for the most part.
For health reasons the WHO agrees with me, they recommend completely avoiding sun exposure between 10am and 4pm under extreme conditions (easier if you have an office job i guess).
Yes, it's definitely personal preference. UV dangers can be overblown in this hypersensitive society. Yes, people get skin cancer, but recent studies suggest the benefits of UV exposure (yes, the UV part) may outweigh skin cancer risk, and we're not talking just vitamin D benefits. Studies have shown that UV exposure can reduce risk of stroke and heart attack, something 100 people suffer from before one single person dies of skin cancer. Skin cancer threat is also highly dependent on race. Mod Cut: Nonsensical and inflammatory
In general, being exposed to the warm rays of the sun has amazing health benefits. Wear ample sunscreen, UV resistant clothing, wide brim hats and get out there and enjoy.
And we had a discussion about tradewind frequency a year ago. The wind is blowing just as much today as it did back in the day. It's just blowing from a slightly more easterly direction.
You forgot the Asian ladies with the big umbrella's walking around without a cloud in a sky - always wants me to look up for the rain.
I always thought that wasn't about staying cool but to keep them looking as young as possible... so when they're in their 50's they can pretend they're still in their 30's.
I always thought that wasn't about staying cool but to keep them looking as young as possible... so when they're in their 50's they can pretend they're still in their 30's.
What it really comes down to is not getting dark. 99% of immigrant asian women are allergic to the sun (not literally). Some local asians also don't like the sun but it's far fewer and I'd guess they use shade primarily to avoid the damaging UV rays, no necessarily to avoid getting dark.
I think it is personal preference... some people don't like how it is hot and sunny all the time in Honolulu, especially with the tradewinds becoming less frequent in recent years. I haven't lived in Seattle to comment but once I stopped surfing a lot the Honolulu sun became the bane of my existence. It's great beach weather, but who wants to bake in 85 degree weather under "extreme" UV indexes for half the year for other activities? I started just doing stuff at night for the most part.
For health reasons the WHO agrees with me, they recommend completely avoiding sun exposure between 10am and 4pm under extreme conditions (easier if you have an office job i guess).
I feel the same way, though I was never really a water person. If you go to the beach every day Hawaii's weather is great, if not, well to me it's not all it's cracked up to be. Can't say the weather is terrible, it's just that variety would be nice. I did live in Washington for a few years in a place with weather similar to Seattle and the weather didn't bother me one bit. In fact I liked the cool refreshing air. Everything seemed so green up there.
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