Ohau- Waianae is great so far...... (Honolulu: sales, insurance, unemployment)

[KristenTX2HI]

I moved here from Texas 3 weeks ago....I work in Honolulu and live in Waianae....my spouse works at Pearl Harbor....things I learned to be true....my bus ride to work has never been more then an hour....even in rain....my spouse drives...takes no more then an hour and we both leave at 5:45....traffic is congested but it moves...im sure a good wreck stalls things but so far my commute is great..gas....regular is 2.88 right now....food is a bit more but Costco and watching sales helps....locals get a break on groceries.....the people have been most welcoming and helpful....and I adore it here. Yea I live in the not so nice area....but its not far from the beauty of Hawaii....I now feel some things are exaggerate to keep newcomers leary of moving.....do your research....we actually lowered our fixed monthly bills....landed a 1200 sq ft place thats nice and safe for 1600....auto insurance went way down....so put in the research and youll find a gem....i plan to never leave....also...unemployment right now is 2.7%....i landed a great job and a few side bookkeeping jobs....its great here and i cant wait to grow here...

[whtviper1]

It is spelled Oahu

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by KristenTX2HI

....I now feel some things are exaggerate to keep newcomers leary of moving...

Sorry you feel that way, Kristen. Those of us who take the time to respond to questions on this forum are only trying to be helpful. We all have different experiences and we respond with what we know or understand to be true.

Of course, when someone comes on this forum and has totally unrealistic expectations, then we are going to give them the realities of living in Hawaii and not sugar coat anything. COL in Hawaii is extremely high and you've been lucky so far.

Please keep posting in the future.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

It is spelled Oahu

Actually, if one wishes to be precise and nitpick, it's spelled Oʻahu.

[mr.magoo]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

It is spelled Oahu

yup, OP, and the last time I checked, 'leary' is spelled 'leery'...unless your first name is Timothy.

[mr.magoo]

Originally Posted by KristenTX2HI

I moved here from Texas 3 weeks ago....I work in Honolulu and live in Waianae....my spouse works at Pearl Harbor....things I learned to be true....my bus ride to work has never been more then an hour....even in rain....my spouse drives...takes no more then an hour and we both leave at 5:45....traffic is congested but it moves...im sure a good wreck stalls things but so far my commute is great..gas....regular is 2.88 right now....food is a bit more but Costco and watching sales helps....locals get a break on groceries.....the people have been most welcoming and helpful....and I adore it here. Yea I live in the not so nice area....but its not far from the beauty of Hawaii....I now feel some things are exaggerate to keep newcomers leary of moving.....do your research....we actually lowered our fixed monthly bills....landed a 1200 sq ft place thats nice and safe for 1600....auto insurance went way down....so put in the research and youll find a gem....i plan to never leave....also...unemployment right now is 2.7%....i landed a great job and a few side bookkeeping jobs....its great here and i cant wait to grow here...

wow, glad you have living in Oahu all figured out and the people who post here too, in just three short weeks.

Check back and give a SITREP in a few months...

I hope you will be just as enthusiastic, and your world will continue to be lollipops, unicorns and furry puppies.

[rya96797]

I really do wish you success and am glad you're happy. Understand that everyone is different, and that while you may be perfectly happy, not everyone else will be. hell, I live on the island, and would HATE it. but to each his own. It's not only traffic, it's being really far away from everything I know. My friends, work, family, places I like to visit, etc.


Traffic is great now when school is not in session, but it typically gets a lot worse in 2 stages, one the 2nd week or so in august when the year round schools go back in session, and the 2nd is near the end of august when UH and private schools start.

Also note that at 3 weeks, you're in the honeymoon stage. Barely past a long vacation. I know people that moved here with that exact attitude a few weeks in, and absolutely hated it after a year. These are the people that never make it past the negation/adjustment stage because once they settle in, they realize they hate it or can't make ends meet. This represents the vast majority of people that move to Hawaii within 1-2 years. Again, I hope it's the right long term fit for you and am glad you're happy.




-------------------------
What are the stages of Culture Shock?
People who go through culture shock typically go through four stages: Honeymoon, Negation, Adjustment, and Mastery. The length of each stage will vary from person to person, but most people will go through all four with extended immersion in a different culture.
Stage 1: Honeymoon
This is the period immediately after you arrive and begin to experience the new culture. Everything is new, and bright, and you’re excited about all of the opportunities that are offered to you there. The entire thing can feel like an extended vacation.
Stage 2: Negation
Eventually, though, the honeymoon ends. All of those new, exciting things about the new culture are still there, but they start to become less new and exciting. Instead, you start to pay more attention to how those things are different from the experiences that you’re used to, and you start to miss the life that you left behind.
Stage 3: Adjustment
After a while, you start to become more comfortable with the new culture that you’re living in. You become more familiar with the language, the “different” parts of the culture become more familiar, and you begin to settle comfortably into your “new normal”.
Stage 4: Mastery
Depending on how long your stay is, you may never reach this stage. The Mastery stage describes a point where you’ve become completely comfortable with the new culture – arguably as comfortable as you were with the culture that you left.

[hotzcatz]

Welcome KristenTX2Hi,

Had you read City Data forum before you moved?

Sounds like you're having a wonderful introduction to Hawaii. Waianae does have some lovely beaches and weather although it can be a bit remote at times.

Hopefully your commute will remain an hour or less when school starts again. You may want to ask the folks where you work if they think you should leave a little earlier once school starts.

After you get acclimatized, you'll find the best places to shop. Usually it takes awhile to find the places that work best for you, but it sounds like you're doing well already.

What's been the nicest thing you've found out so far? What's been the worst? Any sort of culture shock you've experienced yet?

Keep us updated if you can, it's always interesting to hear how folks are doing.

A hui hou!

[Mikala43]

Welcome OP, glad you like it here.

I believe traffic is good because school is out. Traffic here is fine until school goes back.

Keep us up to date!

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

I believe traffic is good because school is out.

If one considers "good" to be an hour leaving at 5:45 to go 20 miles.