Am I Nuts????
Oct 30th, 2001, 04:05 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Am I Nuts????
Just got back from Maui and we fell totally in love with this place. Me & hubby are seriously thinking of quitting our jobs and moving to Paradise (Maui)? Are we nuts or what? We are young (early 30's) with no kids. Are we Nuts?? We met so many people like us from the mainland who decided to pick up and move to Maui. I'm not the adventerous type, but really considering this place as Home Sweet Home!
Oct 30th, 2001, 04:13 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
I wouldnt say nuts, but you need to have a plan.Check out the job market, I have cousins who did this and stayed for about 2 years, they worked in the healthcare industry.It was a very expensive place to live and I think this is part of the reason they moved back to the mainland.
Oct 30th, 2001, 04:56 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
We fellin love with the islands, too. Lots of people have made the move you propose, and love it.
But others decide (sometimes too late) that an environment that's great for a week, or a month, isn't so good for year-round. Think about what you enjoy doing on a regular basis. If you enjoy off-island types of stuff, stimulation, malls, theater, Christmas with relatives, whatever, think about how that will fit into your changed situation.
But others decide (sometimes too late) that an environment that's great for a week, or a month, isn't so good for year-round. Think about what you enjoy doing on a regular basis. If you enjoy off-island types of stuff, stimulation, malls, theater, Christmas with relatives, whatever, think about how that will fit into your changed situation.
Oct 30th, 2001, 07:00 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Every person I've known who has moved to the Hawaiian islands has left to return to the mainland within two years. What seems like paradise on vacation often looks different when viewed from a long term perspective. Consider the following: cost of living, the fact that 'island fever' is common (being restricted to the island all the time, no convenient places to visit for the weekend...except the other isles), most everything which is enjoyable in small quantities loses much of its luster when experienced continually, locals are often not fond of transplants and shun them.
What's the worst that could happen? You'd come back to earth and return to the mainland. No big deal for most people.
But you'd be in the minority if you went and stayed for 10+ years. Keep in mind that your biased sample of people over there who picked up and moved were all the ones who DIDN'T leave. For every one you met, there are 10 who left.
What's the worst that could happen? You'd come back to earth and return to the mainland. No big deal for most people.
But you'd be in the minority if you went and stayed for 10+ years. Keep in mind that your biased sample of people over there who picked up and moved were all the ones who DIDN'T leave. For every one you met, there are 10 who left.
Oct 31st, 2001, 04:57 AM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Mom, that was a great explanation. The people who seem to make the transition well are those who are just really, really into "hanging out", especially at the beach.
The only family that I personally know well who have made the move successfully is my cousin, who was first sent there while on duty with the Coast Guard. He decided to stay there after retiring because, as a fundamentalist Christian, he found it easier to shelter his kids from the bad influences of the real world while living there. As "haoles" (whites), the kids are shunned by the local kids,so it's much easier to control their activities, and they go to a private school. I guess this is the silver lining to the isolation problem.
The only family that I personally know well who have made the move successfully is my cousin, who was first sent there while on duty with the Coast Guard. He decided to stay there after retiring because, as a fundamentalist Christian, he found it easier to shelter his kids from the bad influences of the real world while living there. As "haoles" (whites), the kids are shunned by the local kids,so it's much easier to control their activities, and they go to a private school. I guess this is the silver lining to the isolation problem.
Oct 31st, 2001, 07:28 AM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
agree, nuts you are for asking strangers?There is not a open armed welcome to mainlanders moving to the islands. What ever you experienced there was fine for a 2-3 weeks stay, moving there causing the job market to shrink will not be greeted with a smile. You want to have kids consider that they will in all likelyhood get beat up on a regular basis if they are white. Adults encourage this harrassment according to one friend I had, "they think if your kids are unhappy then you will move off the island". This comes to me from a friend who has been of the island for 4 generations so it is not all about being a newby.
Myself I lived there for 2.5 years I was well protected from discrimination working for a white owned business. I searched three months before I was able to find this very low skilled position. Any other city in America I would have no problem finding a job. Living in Hawaii is the only time in my 17 year professional life I have been unemployed.
I do love Hawaii and if you bring Talent and skills to the island you will have a slightly different experience but if you are not of color watch out part of the package of living there as a white person is experiencing discrimination.
I even had an incident of bias from the police. Could not believe it. Was threatened in a public place and called the police for help they told me it was my word against the man about to hit before my call and challenging my friend (another male) to fight outside. This was told to me with a smile. What was the fight about? I threw my hand up in a halt just before this guy was about to mow me down while driving through the parking lot. He parked and followed me into store and started threatening me. Yes one incident but not out of the ordinary from local residents I know on Oahu. The guy probably crazy but the police officer who greeted my concerns with "it is your word against his" before he even asked the creep what his words were was infuriating.
This is not the total of all who live there but there is a lot of crap you don't anticipate you will have to deal with because you are white. Want to understand this better read up on the history of the island. The concise version of the history of the hawaiian islands is one book.
Myself I lived there for 2.5 years I was well protected from discrimination working for a white owned business. I searched three months before I was able to find this very low skilled position. Any other city in America I would have no problem finding a job. Living in Hawaii is the only time in my 17 year professional life I have been unemployed.
I do love Hawaii and if you bring Talent and skills to the island you will have a slightly different experience but if you are not of color watch out part of the package of living there as a white person is experiencing discrimination.
I even had an incident of bias from the police. Could not believe it. Was threatened in a public place and called the police for help they told me it was my word against the man about to hit before my call and challenging my friend (another male) to fight outside. This was told to me with a smile. What was the fight about? I threw my hand up in a halt just before this guy was about to mow me down while driving through the parking lot. He parked and followed me into store and started threatening me. Yes one incident but not out of the ordinary from local residents I know on Oahu. The guy probably crazy but the police officer who greeted my concerns with "it is your word against his" before he even asked the creep what his words were was infuriating.
This is not the total of all who live there but there is a lot of crap you don't anticipate you will have to deal with because you are white. Want to understand this better read up on the history of the island. The concise version of the history of the hawaiian islands is one book.
Oct 31st, 2001, 08:52 AM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
No, you're not nuts. Just typical.
What you experienced has been going on evert since people began taking vacation -- psychologists probably have a name for it. You've been exposed to something new, you had none of the usual cares and worries and, let me guess, the sex was great.
We had the same experience some years ago when we went to the coast of Spain.
Fact is, however, if you're planning on moving somewhere, don't use a two-week vacation as an indicator of whether you like the place. It takes a lot more than that.
(No, we didn't move to Spain. Yes, we're happy. Do I ever regret not doing it? You bet.)
What you experienced has been going on evert since people began taking vacation -- psychologists probably have a name for it. You've been exposed to something new, you had none of the usual cares and worries and, let me guess, the sex was great.
We had the same experience some years ago when we went to the coast of Spain.
Fact is, however, if you're planning on moving somewhere, don't use a two-week vacation as an indicator of whether you like the place. It takes a lot more than that.
(No, we didn't move to Spain. Yes, we're happy. Do I ever regret not doing it? You bet.)
Oct 31st, 2001, 11:29 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have this feeling after every vacation, especially after beach vacations. Think hard and honestly about why you feel this way. For me, it's not the place as much as the way my family and I live when we are on vacation. No worries, no cleaning, no jobs, no kids sports and activities, no clutter, no extended family obligations, tons of family time.
I've tried to recreate some of the things that I love about our annual beach vacation at home. In fact, one of the things I love about vacation is that it motivates me to change when I return home.
I've tried to recreate some of the things that I love about our annual beach vacation at home. In fact, one of the things I love about vacation is that it motivates me to change when I return home.
Oct 31st, 2001, 12:13 PM
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
It's happened to me too a couple of times this past year. I went to Maui in January and boy did we want to stay so badly. Same thing happened to me again when I went to Key West in August. It took quite a long time for those feelings to disappear, but they did. The cost of living in those two places are outrageous and many people like you and I who get that feeling end up not being able to make ends meet and move back. Give it a few months and if you still feel the same way, do some research.
Oct 31st, 2001, 12:14 PM
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Mauilover,
Your not nuts, but be careful. Locals are not very fond of transplants. If your not Hawaiian or married to one, the locals will shun you. It's not anything like vacationing over there.
One of my relatives moved overthere 6 years ago and was back within 1 year. He had a high paying job and his moving expenses were paid by the company he work for. So money was not a factor. In fact he lived in a very nice area. But he was a supervisor who was over many native Hawaiians. This only compounded the racism against him and his family as a mainlander. He was beat up and left for dead, his car was stolen and burned, and he had constant threats against his family. He is white, but soon learned natives hated whites and blacks even more.
One time a policeman stopped his wife. Due to her last name he asked if she was married to a native. She said he was very nice and appeared to be "letting her go" until she said she was not married to a native. He then got ugly and wrote her the ticket.
Tourism is their #1 industry and they are not going to cut their nose off to spite their face. So tourist get great treatment, until they move their.
I would love to retire and move to Maui too, but after talking to some that have done it, and after talking online to some Maui natives, I decided not to plan for it.
Good luck, but be careful.
Your not nuts, but be careful. Locals are not very fond of transplants. If your not Hawaiian or married to one, the locals will shun you. It's not anything like vacationing over there.
One of my relatives moved overthere 6 years ago and was back within 1 year. He had a high paying job and his moving expenses were paid by the company he work for. So money was not a factor. In fact he lived in a very nice area. But he was a supervisor who was over many native Hawaiians. This only compounded the racism against him and his family as a mainlander. He was beat up and left for dead, his car was stolen and burned, and he had constant threats against his family. He is white, but soon learned natives hated whites and blacks even more.
One time a policeman stopped his wife. Due to her last name he asked if she was married to a native. She said he was very nice and appeared to be "letting her go" until she said she was not married to a native. He then got ugly and wrote her the ticket.
Tourism is their #1 industry and they are not going to cut their nose off to spite their face. So tourist get great treatment, until they move their.
I would love to retire and move to Maui too, but after talking to some that have done it, and after talking online to some Maui natives, I decided not to plan for it.
Good luck, but be careful.
Oct 31st, 2001, 02:40 PM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
I can't address the specifics of moving to Maui. But, as several posters have already pointed out, you may be experiencing vacation bliss.
Even so, I would not be so quick to dismiss your fascination with Maui and the idea of living there. If your vacation (and the location) made you realize there are fundamental aspects of your life back home that are not satisfying, I think you should consider a lifestyle change. This may or may not end up being Maui, but simply stuffing your feelings/realizations will not, IMO, yield a happy and satisfying life.
Even so, I would not be so quick to dismiss your fascination with Maui and the idea of living there. If your vacation (and the location) made you realize there are fundamental aspects of your life back home that are not satisfying, I think you should consider a lifestyle change. This may or may not end up being Maui, but simply stuffing your feelings/realizations will not, IMO, yield a happy and satisfying life.
Nov 2nd, 2001, 07:45 AM
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
There are a lot of white students at the University of Hawaii. One in particular was in what was considered a relatively safe area of Honolulu. He was asked for a lighter by a native. It didn't light on the first click and he was thrown into the canal..after being beaten unconcious. He would have died, except a passerby was also beaten up and thrown into the same canal and was able to rescue him.
Nov 2nd, 2001, 10:14 AM
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Wow - lots of bad stories about living in Hawaii.
I moved to Hawaii 3 years ago. I haven't had any of the problems noted by earlier posters. There may be some discrimination on parts of the island - however, it is possible to encounter racial or other types of violence anywhere. I don't have children, so I can't comment on the school situation. However, many people here opt, if they can afford to, send their children to private schools because the public school system is not very good.
That said, the comments about the job market are accurate. Many people have trouble finding jobs here, and the situation is particularly tight right now due to many many layoffs in the tourist industry. (The effect of which ripples out and effects all areas of the job market.) Additionally, the cost of living, real estate, utilities, gas, food, etc. is substantially higher than on the mainland. Wages also tend to be a little lower in Hawaii then on the mainland for many jobs.
Hawaii is issolated - it can be a drag to face a 9 or 10 hour flight to visit relatives on the mainland. On the other hand, we have had no shortage of visitors since moving here. We've found the people are substantially more motivated to visit now that we live in Hawaii instead of Georgia!
I'd suggest getting in contact with some people who have done what you are considering. Carefully evaluate your finances, the cost of living, and your job prospects. My husband is in the service so we will move again in a few years. We have talked about coming back and settling on Maui after that - but are hesitant due to the high cost of living, isolation (e.g. mail hardly moving between mainland and Hawaii right now, long flights, etc. and after 9/11 no flights = no fresh produce, no coming and going, etc. for over a week.)
I moved to Hawaii 3 years ago. I haven't had any of the problems noted by earlier posters. There may be some discrimination on parts of the island - however, it is possible to encounter racial or other types of violence anywhere. I don't have children, so I can't comment on the school situation. However, many people here opt, if they can afford to, send their children to private schools because the public school system is not very good.
That said, the comments about the job market are accurate. Many people have trouble finding jobs here, and the situation is particularly tight right now due to many many layoffs in the tourist industry. (The effect of which ripples out and effects all areas of the job market.) Additionally, the cost of living, real estate, utilities, gas, food, etc. is substantially higher than on the mainland. Wages also tend to be a little lower in Hawaii then on the mainland for many jobs.
Hawaii is issolated - it can be a drag to face a 9 or 10 hour flight to visit relatives on the mainland. On the other hand, we have had no shortage of visitors since moving here. We've found the people are substantially more motivated to visit now that we live in Hawaii instead of Georgia!
I'd suggest getting in contact with some people who have done what you are considering. Carefully evaluate your finances, the cost of living, and your job prospects. My husband is in the service so we will move again in a few years. We have talked about coming back and settling on Maui after that - but are hesitant due to the high cost of living, isolation (e.g. mail hardly moving between mainland and Hawaii right now, long flights, etc. and after 9/11 no flights = no fresh produce, no coming and going, etc. for over a week.)
