Anybody from Hawaii?

Options
leavinglasvegas
leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
in Introduce Yourself
I want to move there, would love to chat with locals and learn as much as possible before my trip to visit in March.
Been watchin job postings for 10 months now. Seems way better than Michigan. Crime seems low, community seems high and of course the weather looks perfect!

Replies

  • kokonutmama
    kokonutmama Posts: 100
    Options
    I think I just sent you a PM, if you didn't get it, let me know, I'll try again :flowerforyou:
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Options
    I'm going with you!!
  • prohappy
    prohappy Posts: 30
    Options
    I've been living here since I was born, which would be 18 years. :]
    I could answer any questions for you,
    feel free to ask!
    -Dani.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Options
    I've been living here since I was born, which would be 18 years. :]
    I could answer any questions for you,
    feel free to ask!
    -Dani.

    I've been looking at Oahu. I like the schools and even found a church. The homes are soooooo expensive!
    Which island are you on? Where would you say is the best place to start out? It seems better to rent than buy, what do you think?
    Thanks!
    Holly:flowerforyou:
  • prohappy
    prohappy Posts: 30
    Options
    I've been living here since I was born, which would be 18 years. :]
    I could answer any questions for you,
    feel free to ask!
    -Dani.

    I've been looking at Oahu. I like the schools and even found a church. The homes are soooooo expensive!
    Which island are you on? Where would you say is the best place to start out? It seems better to rent than buy, what do you think?
    Thanks!
    Holly:flowerforyou:

    I live on Oahu! It really is a great place to be :]
    I'd say Ewa would be a good place to live. It's really mellow, friendly, and a lot of new houses coming up for rent and sale.
    I used to live there for a few years and I loved it!
    Schooling in general in Hawaii is great, teachers really do care for their students -- but are you talking about college for yourself, or for your daughter? Both ways, it's still very good.
    Renting would be a really smart way to go, that's what my family is doing. :p
    What can I say, paradise never comes cheap.
    Oh, and there are tons of churches in Hawaii, if there's anything Hawaii loves, it's churches. :laugh:
  • whidbeyweight
    whidbeyweight Posts: 43 Member
    Options
    i'm on hawaii, because i'm a military spouse, not a local...
    ewa is nice, on the less expensive side, a little bit of a drive because it's out there....
    hawaii public schools are among the worst in the nation, and they just passed fulrough days where they will be cancelling school most fridays.
    in october they have 6 FULL days of school... seriously! 1.5 weeks of vacation, 1.5 of half days due to conferences, every wed is a half days, and a few cancelled fridays! i pulled my daughter our of public school this week.
    it is beautiful here, but there is a lot of homeless (like seattle/ new york), drugs are huge problem, and there is racism.
    i am not trying to upset anyone. you could find this in lots of cities, but once you are here you are more than likely not leaving, it costs a lot to move here and to leave... shipping cars, goods, airfare.
    i am thankful to have this once in a lifetime experience.. i know many people who are tickled pink to be here and many who regret ever moving to hawaii...
    just do your research
  • prohappy
    prohappy Posts: 30
    Options
    i'm on hawaii, because i'm a military spouse, not a local...
    ewa is nice, on the less expensive side, a little bit of a drive because it's out there....
    hawaii public schools are among the worst in the nation, and they just passed fulrough days where they will be cancelling school most fridays.
    in october they have 6 FULL days of school... seriously! 1.5 weeks of vacation, 1.5 of half days due to conferences, every wed is a half days, and a few cancelled fridays! i pulled my daughter our of public school this week.
    it is beautiful here, but there is a lot of homeless (like seattle/ new york), drugs are huge problem, and there is racism.
    i am not trying to upset anyone. you could find this in lots of cities, but once you are here you are more than likely not leaving, it costs a lot to move here and to leave... shipping cars, goods, airfare.
    i am thankful to have this once in a lifetime experience.. i know many people who are tickled pink to be here and many who regret ever moving to hawaii...
    just do your research

    Reading this was very upsetting, to be quite honest.
    Our schools aren't just accepting the furloughs with smiles on our faces, we're a small island and we do what we can, in fact, we're petitioning it as much as possible.
    I do realize that drugs, crime, and homelessness is a problem, but where else in the world is it not? That's just the reality of the world now a days.
    As long as you know what you are doing and where you are going you'll be fine.

    Also, Ewa isn't 'out there', it's directly connected to the H-1 which takes you straight to town or could take you to central oahu.
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
    Options
    i'm on hawaii, because i'm a military spouse, not a local...
    ewa is nice, on the less expensive side, a little bit of a drive because it's out there....
    hawaii public schools are among the worst in the nation, and they just passed fulrough days where they will be cancelling school most fridays.
    in october they have 6 FULL days of school... seriously! 1.5 weeks of vacation, 1.5 of half days due to conferences, every wed is a half days, and a few cancelled fridays! i pulled my daughter our of public school this week.
    it is beautiful here, but there is a lot of homeless (like seattle/ new york), drugs are huge problem, and there is racism.
    i am not trying to upset anyone. you could find this in lots of cities, but once you are here you are more than likely not leaving, it costs a lot to move here and to leave... shipping cars, goods, airfare.
    i am thankful to have this once in a lifetime experience.. i know many people who are tickled pink to be here and many who regret ever moving to hawaii...
    just do your research

    I lived there for a year and won't even go there on vacation now. As a tourist you get treated quite well, but if you are not a native and you live there, you get treated horribly by the locals. That wasn't just my observation. Everyone I worked with had the same perception. Rising cost of housing has hit people who work in the service industry very hard, and they tend to resent anyone who isn't struggling like they are.
  • prohappy
    prohappy Posts: 30
    Options
    Wow.. I really can't believe all the negative comments.
    All I have to say is that there will, and will always be, good with the bad, like every where else with the world.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Options
    These negative comments do not deter me at all. I appreciate your input but it does not make me second guess what I am doing. I'm aware of the drug problems and crime. My sister lived there for 2 years and said its nothing compared to back home. I'm from the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. I've seen it all and unfortunately so has my daughter. As far as having the worst school... LOL Google Detroit Public Schools.

    I could tell someone the exact same things about Detroit. As a matter of fact, I gaurantee its worse here, even in the suburbs. A tent in a warm climate would be paradise compared to here. I used to be true to my roots here, I used to love this place. I hate it here with all the energy I have in my body! I do not want to raise my daughter here, she does not want to be here either!

    I'm not taking anything with me...not my car, not my furniture and certainly not my winter clothes! We can make the move with only a couple bags. I have been researching this for a year now. I found a church, been watching the job market and I even know how to get from the church to the nearest 7-11, LOL.


    Prohappy, thanks for your input. Do you mind if I PM you if I have anymore questions?
  • prohappy
    prohappy Posts: 30
    Options
    These negative comments do not deter me at all. I appreciate your input but it does not make me second guess what I am doing. I'm aware of the drug problems and crime. My sister lived there for 2 years and said its nothing compared to back home. I'm from the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. I've seen it all and unfortunately so has my daughter. As far as having the worst school... LOL Google Detroit Public Schools.

    I could tell someone the exact same things about Detroit. As a matter of fact, I gaurantee its worse here, even in the suburbs. A tent in a warm climate would be paradise compared to here. I used to be true to my roots here, I used to love this place. I hate it here with all the energy I have in my body! I do not want to raise my daughter here, she does not want to be here either!

    I'm not taking anything with me...not my car, not my furniture and certainly not my winter clothes! We can make the move with only a couple bags. I have been researching this for a year now. I found a church, been watching the job market and I even know how to get from the church to the nearest 7-11, LOL.


    Prohappy, thanks for your input. Do you mind if I PM you if I have anymore questions?

    I'm glad, and it's great that you have someone else close to you that can tell you about it here!
    It's great that you're starting everything over fresh, and it's even greater that you're sticking close to church and God -- the churches here are extremely welcoming and caring! (:
    Feel free to PM me about anything else! Take care!
  • Tahina
    Tahina Posts: 2
    Options
    I hope everything turned out good for you. I know I love living here. I find that people who move here from anywhere else and don't know how to adapt and learn our way of life they take a negative look out of it.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Options
    I hope everything turned out good for you. I know I love living here. I find that people who move here from anywhere else and don't know how to adapt and learn our way of life they take a negative look out of it.

    Thank you!

    I'm still stuck here in Detroit. I had hoped to be moving this summer but it didn't work out. I can't sell my house right now and I can't afford to take the loss. (This money is my ticket out of here)

    So I have accepted that I will spend another year here and apply to the U of Hawaii later after I finish one more semester here. Meanwhile, just praying that someone will want to buy my house!

    Thanks for reviving this thread! It was a good day for a reminder of what my goals are. I've been getting discouraged and now feel a sudden urge to kick it up a few notches!

Categories