Moving to Hawai'i
A forum for those moving to Hawaii who need help, advice or ideas.
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Author: Karen (kamary42)
Date: Tue., Oct. 28, '03 @ 6:14 am
i'm a 42 year old single mom of 2 teens, and we all want out of connecticut and to come to hawaii....i think oahu...i've done some research on the net, and i think its do-able...i know its expensive there, but honestly, its pretty comparable to here...connecticut is brutal, very expensive to live here....i'm paying $1,350 for a mortgage on a small house, not to mention everything else....and the weather...aye aye aye.....i hit the beaches at westerly and the cape all summer, but our summers are short...winters are long, raw and wet and nasty...we head north for snow and boarding and skiing, but my heart is at the shore......i long for a more simple life....i hate wearing shoes and bundling up.....the crime and filth here is outrageous....its a rat race...am i setting myself up or is it really different and better there? i need a pen-pal or two to give me a hand, some advice, etc.....please write!!!!
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Author: Geoffrey (Kope Gecko)
Date: Tue., Oct. 28, '03 @ 8:08 am
Aloha Karen,
When considering cost of living, don't just compare how expensive it will be. People in Hawaii generally do not make as much as those on the mainland, even though expenses are higher. You cannot research enough! I myself hope to move in about 5 years.
You may want to look through older threads; they have quite a bit of info. Here are a couple other links that may help you out.
Moving (including cost of living calculators):
http://purelyparadise.islandenchantments.com/moving/moving.htm
Real Estate:
http://purelyparadise.islandenchantments.com/oahu/realestate.htm
Employment:
http://purelyparadise.islandenchantments.com/links/employment.htm
Geoffrey (Keopele)
PurelyParadise.com/poiboi/
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Author: Brenda (Brenda)
Date: Tue., Oct. 28, '03 @ 4:48 pm
I, too, am considering a move (next year) to Hawaii. I am a 47 year old female and my two children are now pretty much on their own and if they end up following me to Hawaii it will be on their own. One thing that I had brought to my attention made me really stop and think. It was from a woman in a restaurant in Hawaii the night I was leaving to come home this summer. She was talking about how - before she moved to Hawaii several years before - she too had been nervous and scared about the high cost of living in Hawaii. She went ahead and moved, bit the bullet, so to speak. What she discovered as time progressed after her move was that even though initially the cost of living seemed high, there were many things that adjusted it into a range that she didn't find daunting at all. Some of the things she brought up were: no heating costs (that's one you'll recognize right off the bat!); only one wardrobe all year long (ditto above); no more pantyhose, high heels and fancy business suits - unless you work in a VERY prestigious-type job; lower costs and greater selection and availability for seafood and many types of fresh produce; many free activities/sources of entertianment at your disposal; less use of vehicle (maybe even no need for one) since The Bus is so efficient and even if you don't ride The Bus how far can you drive on an island? She said all in all the benefits and perks, if you will, of living in paradise far outweighed the costs.
One other thing I've noticed during my research of the issue is that although the rental properties are expensive, the ones I've been reviewing (partially furnished) include the major appliances and many also include some or all of the utilities. Here in Las Vegas I presently pay $910 per month for a partially furnished two bedroom, 1 3/4 bath house. Add to that the electric bill (in the summer it went up to $217 this year, in the winter down to $45), a gas bill, a water bill, a cable bill. When you add it all up, if I can rent a one or two bedroom partially furnished place in Hawaii - including utilities - for $1200 or even a little more, it will average out to about the same.
Other things can save you money once you're there, too - like shopping for seafood, produce and pastries in Chinatown, for example. That would also integrate you into the island culture which would be another plus. Also, what I've noticed over there is that so much of what we strive for up here on the mainland - the "stuff" we all think we HAVE to have - just doesn't matter over there. There is another whole mentaility and it focuses more on people - family, friends and community.
So, don't be scared off - if this is your dream - as it is mine - GO FOR IT!
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Author: Karen (kamary42)
Date: Thu., Oct. 30, '03 @ 10:21 am
brenda...thank you for your response! i don't know when i'm gonna get there, but I AM!! and soon...thank you for your encouragement!! i agree..i think the benefits...living a simpler life in a beautiful place, will definitely balance any additional expenses...but, like i said, i already live in an outrageously expensive state, so i don't think it could be that much worse, especially when you factor in the "no heat" thing...last winter was soooo long and sooo cold here...my heat bills were out of sight....the savings in shoes and (those dreadful) pantyhose alone will be significant!!!! and make up, too...when i'm tan and outdoors i don't wear it.....my kids are almost 15 and 17....they are adventurous like me and supportive of me....they will pick up and go.....we all want to take classes at univ. of hawaii or one of the community colleges......i want to make my dreams come true...its all up to me!!! this life is about choices and making your life what you want it to be...42 years here, but not by choice...i was born here...that's it...i wonder if i had the choice.....would bristol, connecticut have been my first one???? of course not.... its all calling me...in my gut, i know this is right for me...for karen..... so more research...i've been reading alot....surfing the web, about jobs and places to live...i am sure its very do-able...i'm not scared...but if it was just me, i could sell what little i have and land there with a back pack and be fine...but i have to think of my kids still and i feel responsible to find them a decent place to live.....i KNOW i can do it....anyways, just blabbing on....busy and this rat-race job here in connecticut......thanks again...write more if you can.....thank you!!!!!!!!!! karen
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Author: Karen (kamary42)
Date: Thu., Oct. 30, '03 @ 10:22 am
thanks for the insights and sites!! maybe i'll see you there!!!!!
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Sun., Nov. 9, '03 @ 2:58 pm
ok, i've been doing some research and am feeling more and more sure of my decision and how i'm going to get there....oahu seems to the be place for me.....first, i have to take care of some things here, and soon i will list my house for sale...the market is still strong here and my house, while it needs some cosmetics and updating, is in an excellent location...i've had a market analysis done by a realtor and it seems i can get what i need and maybe even a little more...i'm happy about that....the cold weather is setting in here.....i have a fire going in the fireplace tonight....but i would rather be barefoot and tan.....i wanted to hike today, but it was very windy making the cold very biting, like winter...i do not like being confined indoors and i do not like being inactive, so i am hoping that i can live the athletic lifestyle that i so enjoy in the summer here year-round there.....does anyone roller-blade there??? are there any places, i.e. trails to do that??? i skate everyday here when weather permits...i also love to bike and hike...i love the outdoors so much...i've explored much of the new england region and am really looking forward to exploring new territory....
right now, to inspire me and keep my flame alive, i am putting together a "dream book".....every where i look, every where i am, all the time, i am ever searching for inspiration..pictures, magazine articles, all kinds of stuff to put in my book......what i am going to do is put my resume together, so that once the house sells, i can start to look for work there...i will have some cash, so i don't need to work til i get there, and i want to take a month or two off to settle myself and look, but its an important step...step by step...that is how i will get there..............a more immediate need will be to find a place to live, me and my two teens...we have decided that we will have to and are ready to live in a much smaller place than our current house.....but we will deal with it.....most important is the location, no matter how small the place may be...we need to be in a safe place, a safe community, and someplace that is pretty....we will want a place that is bright and airy, if small.....any suggestions and advice on this would be most appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
karen
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Author: Ed (Makahadude)
Date: Mon., Nov. 24, '03 @ 6:56 pm
Go for it Karen!! . .Think about it you will be moving to paradise island . .I am too will be moving to oahu someday.I just need to take some courses anything related to hospital or information technology . . so hopefully I wont have that much problems finding a job in Hawaii . . . So you GO GIRL!!
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Wed., Nov. 26, '03 @ 3:57 am
thanks, ed! i hope you can make your dream come true...i am making mine come true..one foot out the door, making plans and arrangements here and when the house sells, i'll be on my way.....i'm going for it! you go for it too!!!!!
karen
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Thu., Nov. 27, '03 @ 7:28 pm
happy thanksgiving!! to you too ed....next year i'll be having thanksgiving dinner on oahu....and i can't wait! 2004 is going to be the year of my new adventure....i am just hanging on to that dream!! reading these posts and responding to them really helps me.....i really am getting alot out of it....i hope that you are going to pursue your dream too...where there is a will, there is surely a way, i believe........i gotta believe.....where do you live? i live in connecticut and it really sucks.....this thanksgiving, i am thankful for my wonderful children and for my health and mind and for living in a free country where i can make the choice to live where i want and make choices for myself.....my choice is hawaii!!
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Author: Ed (Makahadude)
Date: Sat., Nov. 29, '03 @ 8:01 pm
Karen,It would be very nice to have a thanksgiving dinner in Paradise Island and you made a good choice!!.I'm sure your both children would love that too. . .I live in Los Angeles ca. . .I'm just like you getting tired of big city and rat race . .I'll be spending my first christmas in oahu next month and I'm really excited... .Is your house up for sale now? . Mortgage interest rate are still low you shouldnt have a problems selling your house .. ..Later
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Sun., Nov. 30, '03 @ 8:42 am
i have decided to wait til after christmas to list the house for sale...i am a real estate paralegal and i am going to sell it on my own...i feel confident..housing market is still very strong here, rates are up a bit but market remains strong...my house is not perfect and i am going to be doing a few things around here now, and i have a week off after christmas, then i will put all the christmas stuff away and get going on it...one thing i have going for me is that my house is in an excellent family area where few houses come on the market so i won't have difficulty selling it...i know what i need to get and i am confident i can...i'm selling a bit under market value.....i will miss my friends here, but i will not miss connecticut...this pace of life here is ridiculous...very very stressful...i know i will have to work and support me and the kids, and that all my problems will not disappear, but surely it must be easier to deal with life when you are in paradise and can be outdoors in the beauty all the time when you are not working....where i can skate and surf and bike and hike and basque in the sunshine to my heart's delight! i am looking forward to exploring new land, new culture, and to meeting many new people...my kids are adventurous like me and can't wait!!!
keep me posted on your move!!!!!! let me know what christmas is like on oahu!!!!!
karen
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Author: kris keller (kkeller)
Date: Sun., Nov. 30, '03 @ 5:07 pm
I think you are right to wait until after christmas to put your house uo for sale. No one wants to buy a house right before Christmas. I so admire your courage for taking action and moving to paradise. GOOD LUCK. It will be few years before I can make the move.
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Author: Ed (Makahadude)
Date: Thu., Dec. 4, '03 @ 9:44 pm
Aloha Karen,
Yes!. . I will let you know what christmas like on oahu and also I'll keep you posted when I move to hawaii for good. .I hope you do the same.
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Fri., Dec. 5, '03 @ 6:19 am
ed and kris, thank you for your posts....this message board has been the most valuable tool for me in making this move...i love talking to everyone and getting so many ideas and info...its great! i wish you both well....ed, i am very curious about the holidays on oahu, so i will be very much looking forward to your feedback.....kris, i hope you make the move too and i really look forward to connecting with people from here once we get there....as for me, i am getting very excited!!!! i am taking time off from work at the christmas and new years holidays and will use that time to pack up some things and get the house in order, ready to sell.....its a big move, and a hard one too in some ways...but i am ready and simply can not wait!!!!!!!!!
karen
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Author: "PEKA" KADEN (cruisin)
Date: Sat., Dec. 6, '03 @ 1:48 pm
Aloha Karen
If you believe in yourself you can almost achieve anythink in lifes grasp. I,m from Australia and i,m planning to visit Hawaii for a 3 months stint.
I havn,t really told the rest of the ohana on Hawaii.com but i also have my application in for immigration to the states. Like you and many others its great having a life style change.
If i get accepted by your immigration department i will move to Hawaii. So Karen just go for it.:-)))
Aloha Peter
(Peka Kakeni)
From The Land Of Thunder
The Land Down Under
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Sat., Dec. 6, '03 @ 9:07 pm
aloha peter
i wish you well lin your plans to visit and also to live in hawaii...right now, i am snowed in...we are in the midst of a pretty big snow storm...it started last night and is still going....we will probably have a foot and a half by morning.....it is very pretty but a pain to get around in....tomorrow i will shovel out and try to go shopping....it is my dreams and plans for living in hawaii that keep me going...i need the change....i need newness...i need to explore...
i am going for it...definitely!
karen
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Author: jean (bluehawaiiok)
Date: Sat., Dec. 6, '03 @ 9:36 pm
Aloha Peka,
I was really shocked to see that you are looking to move to Hawaii. Good luck my friend.
I have had the dream to move for several years now and was almost ready last Feb., I had quit my job, packed up all I would take and gotten rid of most of my belongings. About a week before I was to leave my daughter apt burned to the ground leaving her with nothing, only the clothes on her back, needless to say, I changed my plans and pretty much gave her my nest egg to get her back on her feet. Lucky for me I was able to go back to work at the same place. I haven't really replaced much of what I got rid of because in my heart I still want to move.
I'm a 52 year old divorced women and its kind of scarey to leave all behind in Okla. to move so far from all I know, I'm not sure if I have the courage at my age to do it, but man do I want to. Hawaii is in my blood, and when I'm there I feel at home.
Keep us updated on how things go for you.
Jean/Kini
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Sun., Dec. 7, '03 @ 8:04 am
Jean, in this life, you gotta follow your heart....keep your dreams alive, make them happen for yourself...i realize, at 42, that no one is going to make it happen for me except me...i gotta get there myself....right now, i'm healthy and strong and who knows if i will stay that way.....who knows what the future will bring? who knows how much longer i have here? i have to make choices for myself....i do not want to be old here in bristol, connecticut, saying to myself "i wonder what it would have been like if i'd gone to hawaii when i was 42 and thinking about it"....i don't want that, and the onlyl way i'm gonna get there is by just doing it...so off i will go....i've lived here all my life....its a big move...but i'm going for it...what's the worst that can happen? i ask myself....if i am terribly homesick or hate it (how could that possibly be?) but hey i always have the choice to move again, back here or where-ever..life is about making choices for yourself....tht's what i'm going to do....
i hope you do the same, jean...i hope so....
karen
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Author: jean (bluehawaiiok)
Date: Sun., Dec. 7, '03 @ 6:45 pm
Aloha Karen;
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I do agree with you, one of my worst fears is that when I am much older I sit back and say "I wish I had moved to Hawaii when I was younger. I only hope I am not to old already.
My son gets married in a week and then Christmas is near but as soon as the holiday is over I am going on a strict budget so I can get enough money for they move. Unfortunetly I don't have anything to sell since I already did that, oh well. If I am really good maybe I can get moved in March. I need to see if anyone is looking for an old lady as a roommate.
Jean/Kini
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Thu., Dec. 11, '03 @ 7:34 pm
the time is coming closer and we are getting more and more excited! i am taking the week off between christmas and new year's and this is when we will begin cleaning out, throwing out, and packing up some things...like our christmas things....i have collected ornaments all my adult life and i don't think i can part with them...soon, i will have to contact moving companies......i'm not quite sure how to go about this, other than to call around and get info....hopefully, we will sell the house quickly and be on our way....we are all so excited to get there!!!!!!!!!! the more we talk about it, the more we plan, the more we research.....the more sure and excited i am!!!! the reality..i'm really doing this!!! jean, i hope you do too!!
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Author: Jack (Jack)
Date: Fri., Dec. 12, '03 @ 8:52 am
I've lived here my whole life, and it is a place of extremes. I keep hearing about the wages being lower and the cost of living being higher, but the opposite is equally true.
I have a neighbor who makes twice as much money here in the same type of job he had on the mainland, and his living expenses are much lower here.
I recommend that you keep an open mind. Rather than concern yourself with success, live for yourself and your kids to be happy. You won't necessarily settle into a lifestyle here that is anything like what you have on the mainland. And you won't necessarily want it to be the same.
Focus on livelihood, and everything else will fall into place for you. I recommend that you focus on the Honolulu region of Oahu. Once you have a situation to operate with, you can explore others.
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Fri., Dec. 12, '03 @ 11:18 am
jack, god, thanks for those words of encouragement!
i am focused...
what we are concerned with is our lifestyle/quality of life...that is why we are moving from dreadful connecticut..
i want karen to be happy...to choose the life and the lifestyle she's always dreamed of.....to do the things she's always dreamed of doing....
no more of this crap here.....
i'm ready for the changes, the adventure, for newness...
i am very open-minded...and thankfully my kids are also and have inherited my spirit of adventure....
we are so stifled here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can't wait to be free!!!!!!!!!!
karen
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Author: "PEKA" KADEN (cruisin)
Date: Fri., Dec. 12, '03 @ 2:07 pm
Aloha Karen
I can feel your excitment building up all the way down to Australia.
Keep focused and the words of encouragement that Jack gave.
I will also be keeping tabs to see how it pans out for you.:-)))
Aloha Peter
(Peka Kakeni)
From The Land Of Thunder
The Land Down Under
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Fri., Dec. 12, '03 @ 2:12 pm
THANK YOU!! and back at ya.....keep me posted on your plans, too....
k
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Author: Susan Kramer (Sue)
Date: Sat., Dec. 13, '03 @ 7:20 pm
karen
are you saying you don't like the northeast?
should have a foot of snow till tomorrow is over! :-)
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Sun., Dec. 14, '03 @ 6:31 am
got that right, susan!!! i do not like the northeast...i like some of it.....the snow is pretty and does not bother me at all...i like to ski and skate and my son is a snow boarding maniac.....i am not afraid to drive in it either...shoveling is a big fat pain in the ass if its wet, but otherwise i don't mind so much......i have hiked all around here, connecticut, massachusetts, rhode island, vermont, new hampshire.....cape cod is beautiful....rhode island is too....the connecticut shoreline is disgusting...i wouldn't put one single toe in the water....we have some decent weather in the summer and fall, but overall i would say most of the time we are hanging on and waiting for good weather while it is bleak and rainy......anyways, its the coldness of the people here, the rat race, the crime......the lifestyle...just isn't for me.....i long to live a more simple life and to be out doing the things i love to do all the time...i adore beaches and warmth and sunshine, i thrive in it.....i hate the way i feel and look in winter....i hate not being able to get out.....i hate putting on all the clothes.....just hate it...been wanting to get out of here and really LIVE for a long time...i have nothing to hold me here...the time is NOW!!!!!!! so please keep encouraging me, supporting me, and giving me info......i have one foot out the door and soon enough both will be planted on oahu! the kids and i talk about it all the time and cannot wait....
karen
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Author: Karen (KarenC)
Date: Sun., Dec. 14, '03 @ 8:02 am
Karen,
Go for it! Your excitment is showing in your posts. I too dream of the day I can move to Hawaii, and I will get there some day.
I am in Canada, so I have the border issue to contend with, but it won't stop me.
Best of luck to you,
Karen
You are the same person today that you will
be ten years from now, except for two things:
the people you meet, and the books you read.
- Mark twain
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Author: Kevin Wirth (rebel99)
Date: Tue., Dec. 16, '03 @ 9:51 pm
BRENDA!
I haven't been on here in a very long time, but when I do I strive to stay away from the negativity! Your comments are VERY positive and I try to stay in the frame of mind when it comes to "the big move". I'll keep this nice and short, thanks for the motivation!
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Thu., Dec. 18, '03 @ 8:13 pm
yes, kevin, staying positive is very, very important...i REFUSE to let anyone rain on my parade......some people here think i am crazy to leave everything i've ever known, to just pick up and go...but my closest friends, those who are kindred spirits and closest to me, understand and encourage me and are excited for me that i am going to live my dream.....life is about choices...this is my choice.....it feels right in my gut...no second thoughts....i am positive, strong, resourceful, and i'm ready....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Author: Celeste (Darnc)
Date: Thu., Dec. 18, '03 @ 10:35 pm
Hi Karen,
I can so sympathize with you about people thinking you're crazy for trying to live your dreams. My husband and I are moving june 1st and it is incredible the negative responses we are getting from people. Why Hawaii everyone says. Trying to explain the reasons to people is almost impossible and they wouldn't understand anyways. It's something that most of those people would never understand. I just keep getting stuff like, do you have a job already? where are ya gonna live? you know it costs a fortune right? you're gonna get island fever and come running home. (I doubt it but you can't say for sure)It's like these people (whom i've known for a long time) think I am stupid or something and wouldn't put extensive research into this. It's frustrating and annoying, but I firmly believe anything is attainable with commitment and desire. I know it isn't going to be perfect, no place is. But it's where we want to be and we're sure going to give it a shot and if it works, great. If not, at least we tried and won't spend our lives wondering what if??? You have the right attitude karen, and i'm sure it will work for you. I think it's great your kids are so supportive. That's the most important thing. Good luck!!!
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Author: "PEKA" KADEN (cruisin)
Date: Fri., Dec. 19, '03 @ 1:29 pm
Aloha Karen
Just remember this quote i always say, "Where here for a good time, not a long time". Your positive attitude will get you to Hawaii, don't ever worry about what other people say or think if it's negative, it's usually because they havn't the fortitude to do it them selves.Aloha.:-)))
Aloha Peter
(Peka Kakeni)
From The Land Of Thunder
The Land Down Under
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Author: Karen (kamary40)
Date: Sat., Dec. 20, '03 @ 7:12 am
thank you for your positive feedback, peter and celeste! it is very important for me to stay encouraged....celeste, i can totally relate to everything you said...but i am too old to care what people think...peter, another of my favorite quotes: never let anyone's opinion be more important than your own!".....i think its a good idea...i don't care what anyone else thinks, because they are not living my life for me......whether they decide to stay in their lives in connecticut is fine and whether they think i should too is fine, but they are not me and are not living my life....this feels right for me.....i hope to see you both there, in paradise....yeah, i know it won't be perfect either, celeste, but close enough.....i figure, hey i'll have to work for a living forever, why not in a beautiful place???? right????
aloha
karen
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