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Just to do a quick recap...I have been posting various threads about my questions and concerns about my move to hawaii and now today is reality. I am here in honolulu! Well actually ive been officially here since this past tues (not even a full 3 days ago!). I have send some msgs to various people here telling them about my experiences so far but I thought i should share my experience of moving to hawaii for everyone. Just to provide a little background information regarding myself (just so you can compare my opinion to yours) I am a 28 yo single asian male who moved here from the east coast (hate the east coast winters!) without ever having stepped foot once to hawaii. Yes it was a big big risk especially coming out here alone without ever visiting. I guess while I am on that topic I should put in my 2 cents...moving somewhere without ever visiting (now that ive done it) its not somethinig I would say a BAD idea but maybe not the smartest idea and you must understand that you will be in for a shock (as I shall elaborate). So i moved here because my company had an opening out here so I thought why not (so one thing is I at least had a job before coming here). One thing I want to say first is that at the airport I had checked 2 big bags (full of all my clothes) and I had 1 carry on. When I arrived to HNL airport, they did not have my 2 bags! I am here in the middle of an island with no clothes besides the clothes on my back. Long story short, eventually after several hrs they finally located my bags (it was with another incoming flight) and I picked up a rental car and made my way to my sublet. My sublet here (which I found through craigslist - the owner was away on vaca) was not in the best of areas (IMO). My first night was a hot muggy day and this place has no AC and the 1 working fan broke after couple hrs so I had to spend my first night in paradise all hot, sweaty, muggy and miserable but then again I guess I survived my first night.
So the next morning my plans were to start looking for a more permenant apt and I still needed a car (rental was only for 3 days and was too expensive to rent it longer). I decided to buy a car instead of leasing bc with lease I am locked in for 3 years at least here and if I hated it after a year I would be stuck. Buying a car made more sense in that I can always just ship my car back to mainland if I really hated it here after a year. In anycase, yeah so I felt sooo pressured with all the stress of only have 3 days to look for a car, negotiate and get it before my rental runs out. All during that time I still had to find a permenant apt because I wanted to get the hell out of this ugly sublet I was at. Ive searched through craigslist for apts and I must say, for those whos considering moving here and looking for a place, it takes time to find something "ideal" on craigslist. Unless you are not too picky with price, and the neighborhoods or apt, you should be fine, but for me I did not have to pay $1000 + for a bad place and beleive there are plenty of those to choose from on craigslist. My work was gonna be near waikiki/downtown area so I couldnt go too far out. Long story short, I finally did get my car but I am still looking for a place to live but I must say, compared to my first 2 days here now things feel more relieved and I feel less stressed. My first 2 days here were very very rough at best. I was not expecting hawaii to be sooo sooo congested and sooo much traffic (H1? you know what im talking about). The roads are soo confusing and all over the place..if I didnt have my gps I would still be circling the airport as we speak. Its been 3 days as I have said and I have not gone to a beach yet since ive been soo busy and stressed with the car and apt search. But despite all that I do see light at the end of the tunnel. I think the hardest part is the getting adjusted part. Finding a new place, new car and new life obviously takes time so I am hoping that once all that settles in I am expecting things to start getting fun. Oh and before I finish I just wanted to say that my current place is in an area where it is "locals" and I have seen the touristy waikiki area too....big diffference I think. For those who vaca here in the waikiki area but never been around the local areas will see a big difference. Not necessarily a "bad difference" but still different.
All in all, for all those considering moving here I would probably recommend that you should have seen life here first and know what to expect unless you already have a job, apt and car here all ready for you. It would also help if you know someone here too so you wont feel like you are alone on a deserted island lol. Ive met few people here already and they all are nice and stuff.
I will update later once there are more things to update!
Last edited by 7th generation; 07-24-2009 at 05:30 PM..
Reason: please watch your language. thanks
Location: Was in Western New York but now in Hilo Hawaii
1,234 posts, read 4,593,999 times
Reputation: 454
Yes Welcome to the Islands!
Im sure your still waking up a 3 ready to hit the bricks and get your day going. Its sounds like you will be fine your eyes are wide open. I agree with mdand3boys its not all bad out there.
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
1,490 posts, read 4,187,676 times
Reputation: 796
Aloha and big step!!
Yep it is differnt!! You have a job you have a car! Wahoo keep looking for a place but Whoa! Stop!go to the beach swim in the water,let it re-energize you, breath and really realize your in Hawaii! Slow down enough to stop racing the race is over your there! Enjoy and Good luck!
I think (at least in our experience) the east-coast-to-Hawaii thing is particularly jolting. We're so used to rules, schedules, and rigor that diminishes as one moves west across the country. It means we make great employees, though, and never underestimate that. Your dedication and common sense will pay off in the end.
Do you think a vacation rental for several weeks would be a better choice for folks apartment hunting? Have you considered no car at all? A bus pass for The Bus might work and you can always hire a taxi if you need to go somewhere The Bus doesn't go. Might be cheaper than car payments, parking fees and you have someone else to do the driving while you look out the window to see the scenery.
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