Does Alohamom stay or go????
 

O.K. I wasn't going to start asking questions until I knew for sure but I am having such a hard time deciding what to do I think I need any and all input I can get!!!
Here's the background; my hubby and I dream of retiring to Hawaii, we are very middle class Canadians currently living on 2 forested acres in a country community just west of Toronto and are generally happy with our area and home. We have toyed with the idea of moving to Hawaii and giving it a go, more so before we had the kids, but even now we really love many aspects of the geography, culture, and the U.S. Two weeks ago my husband emailed his resume in response to a job posting in Lihue, Kauai. Lo and behold, yesterday he was offered the job. A work visa is not a problem as we would look at this as a temporary move with the possibility of eventually becoming permanent. WHAT DO I DO? Do I go? I think we will but it is such a huge move. I cannot believe how conservative I am being, I usually jump on something like this. My biggest consideration is my children, but in their limited understanding they seem to like the idea. Is anyone out there familiar with living on Kauai, anyone do a long stay? I've been looking at rental homes on line and it seems the nicer neighbourhoods are more in the Princeville area of the island (keeping in mind the job for my guy is in Lihue)I know the cost of living is higher and can swallow that. What are your thoughts? I know you are a bunch of strangers but I can feel my blood pressure pounding trying to decide what to do so I just want your input to help in making my final choice. I am sure my hubby wants to do this but he keeps saying it is such a big descision rather than answering me when I ask him what he has decided. I think I want to go, I think, I think, I think....

I'll keep this simple - GO! GO! GO!

What an opportunity! What do you have to lose? If you don't, will you regret it? You're going with the intent that it's temporary anyway, so if you don't like it you can always return. Life is too short - I'd say go!

Take a chance.....Columbus did !!!!

Let me think.............Hawaii or Toronto. Hawaii or Toronto.Hawaii or Toronto. What are ya, goofy?? Just kidding, eh?! Must be tough, but I'd be gone!! Bring the kids, their dogs, grandmas, grandpas, etc. What's in Canada anyway? You can get a satellite dish & catch the hockey games! How's the weather in Toronto today?? NOT HAWAII I'LL BET!! ALOHA, eh?!!! Good luck with your decision!!

I am green with envy. I'd do it in a heartbeat if hubby had a job there.

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I liked Toronto a lot when we visited, but definitely give Kauai a chance, what an experience you'll have! Who knows, your hubby may not like his job & want to go back to Canada when you want to stay in Kauai forever!!

"A work visa is not a problem as we would look at this as a temporary move with the possibility of eventually becoming permanent."

You might look at it that way but I think the US government will see it differently. It is my understanding that a visa is required if you are going to do ANY work in the USA.

You had better be sure of this before you commit to making the move.

Hey Rusty, I guess I should say obtaining a permit should not be a problem. My hubby's profession falls under the NAFTA accord for TN visas and we have covered all those bases with US INS. Can you imagine the poor souls who would show up at US Customs& Immigration without it? In my halcyon days of university, I worked as a part time Canadian Customs officer at Toronto Intl. and I saw it all!!! Some people don't have a clue.

It sounds as though your children are still in school; do check out the school system very carefully. You'll find that options are very limited on Kauai. It's definitely something to consider.

You've gotten enough advice here about whether to make the leap, so I'll tell you about real estate on this island.

The north shore -- especially Princeville -- is expensive, and rental properties are (IMHO) waaaaaaay overpriced for what you get. Rental prices (for condos or houses) are far more reasonable in Lihu`e, Kapa`a, and just above everywhere else on the island. Puhi is very reasonable, closest town to Lihu`e, yet still retaining some rural character.

Check the classified section of our daily newspaper for real estate ads:
http://www.kauaiworld.com/

Feel free to email me directly. I'll help, if I can.

What an absolutely fantastic opportunity for you and your family! And how fortunate that you can get some practical advice from auntiemaria, which is really what you need. I think it's wonderful - and extremely good for the kids. Perhaps the school system isn't that great, but there's a lot they can learn outside of being formally taught. I met someone on the Big Island a few years ago who had moved there because the schools were actually superior to those in Tahiti, where he had been raising his kids. Congratulations on being able to make your dreams come true!

I have to agree with the others - GO! You will always wonder about it if you don't. You can always come back to Canada if you aren't happy. I'd give my eyeteeth to have such a great opportunity. Good luck to you.

We lived on Kauai for a year. My husband hated it and I loved it. It's very isolated and everything shuts down early. From Princeville it is just too long of a drive. I know rentals are hard to find though. Depending on the age of your children, schooling is in a sad state and they may have trouble fitting in too.

I would probably try it and still keep your other house back home.

I made a move like you're talking about from Houston to Durango (our dream vacation area) seven years ago. I'm now glad I made the move, but the first two years were very difficult. It was hard to make friends, hard to become members of the community, and hard to be so far from family. I agree with islandmom; go, but don't get rid of your house in Canada.

Like the earlier posters, my first reaction was GO! But the school thing worries me a little bit. I suggest you use auntiemaria's generous offer of help as she lives there and knows more than all of us tourists put together!

As a teacher- I have to ask how old are your children? They should be your biggest concern with a move like this.

"He emailed his resume 2 weeks ago & yesterday he was offered a job." No interview? Why is all of this happening so quickly? Check it out but I wld not sell my 2 acres west of Toronto until I was certain that I wanted to stay in Hawaii! It's a long way from home!
How long do you have to make this decision? You are sounding very pressured & frantic. Take a deep breath, stand back & really take the time to think about this. The reason that you are having such a difficult time is that you do not have enough info to make your decision. You know what you will be leaving. You do not know what awaits you. Take the time to gather more info. Arrange to go to Hawaii to look @ neighborhoods & go to the schools that your children will be attending. All the best & let us know what you decide to do!

Ahh Kauai. Love it. Relax. Slice a papaya, pick up some poke at the fish market, savor a shave ice, and just let it all hang loose. I never have understood how so many folks I've known get "Island Fever" after a while and want to move back to the mainland. Some would say "it's the economy stupid", as overall most jobs are low paid service or tourism related and the cost of living is high. Some would say it's limited educational opportunity, but where else can your children get the leg up of a Hawaiian immersion preschool education, take up Sumo wrestling, learn pigeon English, or become a slack key superstar? Some would say they just get bored in Paradise; interisland airfares are a bit prohibitive for casual visits to neighboring islands, a second opinion or God forbid you need tertiary medical care, but it's probably no worse than in Canada from what I hear. Las Vegas is a favorite vacation destination, I guess because casino gambling hasn't taken hold yet and the desert is a big change of scenery. Coming from Canada, there is no snow, but in all fairness Kauai does have a winter more-rainy season, and the infrequent hurricane can get the heart racing; trade winds can be blustery at times and summer humidity will iron your skin wrinkles out like no Botox can do. Some will say its the limited shopping and dining, but from Walmart to Roy's to Toronto-style traffic jams Kauai has it all; I can't imagine you would be giving up much but your winter clothes. Don't know if you have any 'ohana on Kauai or the other islands, but it might be a bit hard on the children if a close Auntie was back in Toronto, still you can always use e-mail. Also hope they don't have any favorite pets as quarantine for 120 days can be required. Some might say it's social/cultural issues and being a haole, but heck I read today that residents of Killington, VT want to secede form that state, and the biggest Canadian controversy I can think of was that B.C. PM? arrested for DUI a year or so ago on Maui. I don't know, but for some reason if, after thinking about it for a while, you just can't see the wedding china surviving the journey to eden, I guess I would have to agree that seeking one's fortune on the mainland and just being content to live in Hawaii for 10 days a year on holiday isn't a bad compromise.

You might try a search here as I seem to remember there was a discussion about moving to Hawaii. Someone posted asking people a similar question.

FYI everyone, the kids go to private school here and would do the same in Kauai courtesy of my extraordinary mother. Binthair, below your sarcasm lie many points that we actually have been hashing over, like the healthcare issue, limited opportunities for my children etc...Teh pet quarrentine is now 30days or if you qualify 5 days or less. AuntieMaria, I will be e-mailing you soon, I am concerned there may not be enough out of school community activities for my kids like baseball, soccer, dance classes, etc...although my daughter dreams of learning to play the ukelele she bought a few trips to Hawaii ago(no joke, this is the truth)so maybe this is her chance! Thanks for all your replies so far.

Also, wow, thank you for you kind intelligent words. Hubby is actually going on Sat to check it all out and report back. We may make a second trip before we commit to confirm everything.

All in all, I think it will just depend on the kind of people you are (maybe you'll even learn new things about yourselves). I know a family who moved to HI a few years ago, hated it and moved right back; but they are very social types rather spoiled by the active lifestyle of the San Francisco Bay Area. On the other hand, my husband and I dream of retiring to Kauai after all the kids are out of school -- but only for a few months at a time until we're sure we won't get that proverbial island fever, too. We wish you the best. I'm sure it will be quite an experience regardless of the outcome. Please let us all know how it works out.

In terms of private schools you might want to check out Island School, I checked with a friend who was born and raised in Kauai (lives in SF Bay Area now) and she thinks it was only non religious private school. Actually she said it was where the "rich haoles" sent their kids then again she was a local.

I recently made the move to Maui. My huusband is originally from here, so we had some foundation from which to build. All other considerations aside, the logistics can be a lot of work! The pet quarantine is 30 days, or 5 days or less, BUT, you still to start the process 120 days prior to the pet's departure. We just got a notice fron University of Kansas that they lost my cat's paperwork and we have to start all over again. He will remain on the mainland for another 120 days plus the time it takes us to have new blood dranw and the date it is received at UK.

Pallete or container? Ship the cars or buy new? It was easier for us, coming from Los Angeles, but we have friends who just moved from Maui to Phoenix and they had to add on overland freight charges in addition to the Matson charges.

And many things are hard to find here, or the selection is limited. IKEA and Target.com won't ship here, and my mother keeps referring to us as living "overseas"

The cost of living may be higher than some places, but I find it compable to living in SoCal. And while many wages are lower, if you are skilled or a professional you might just make out better. I am finding much more work in my profession than I was finding in L.A., as the job market there was saturated and salaries in my field in California are at their lowest in 10 years. Here I am able to command the rates I am asking and I am finding myself in demand.

I say give it a shot! It's an adventure. As for the schools, your kids will learn many new things they would never learn in Toronto, and, yes, they even have AP programs here. As a matter of fact, there are several very good schools on Maui, as I am sure there are in Kuai. We often reqad of Maui students competing and winning in national contests, or being awarded honors at universities across the country. A child's education is what you make of it.

And what is the worst that could happen? That you go back to Canada, or that you decide to stay here in paradise?

Are you able to go with your husband on Saturday? If so, looking at it with the view of actually living there may clarify things. Having just returned from there yesterday morning, I sure wish I was back driving around rather than here.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Should there be any doubt your fate is working overtime to get you to Kauai??

As for schools, here are some links. www.doe.k12.hi.us
Department of Education, public schools. Go to "my school" bar at top of page.
(808)586-3232 or 586-3230....Important to call with specific address. Some streets, especially long ones like Nuuanu Avenue, odd/even address go to different schools.

www.hais.org
Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, private schools, includes parochial schools (808) 973-1540
Call for Honolulu Magazine , Sept 2003, supplement brochure of private schools. $3.00 + mailing.

We have lived on Kauai for 6 years, were in the same quandry as you. We brought school aged kids who went to public schools (not the greatest but it was a unique experience; they are now away at college.) Our kids prety much loved living on Kauai, they had a lot of freedom they would not have enjoyed if we'd been on the mainland. The very few private schools on Kauai aren't worth their hefty tuitions, in my opinion.

Yes, Princeville is beautiful but the daily commute would be a grind. The Wailua area is very nice and a much easier drive. And drive you will on Kauai, I can not believe how many miles we have piled up on our cars here!

Be prepared for limited shopping and services, it can be frustrating but the situation seems to be improving witht he arrivgal of Home Depot (and Kauai's first Starbucks!)

The island's largest medical clinic is adequate but it can also be maddening.

Traveling to the mainland for family emergencies or events is pricey, especially all the way to Toronto.

Beautiful beaches, gentle weather, slower lifestyle all make Kauai seem quite alluring. But there are also aspects of Kauai that I have not enjoyed. It is a wonderful place for a vacation, it takes a lot of effort to assimilate here. And you need a very decent income for the necessities.

Real estate has BOOMED the last few years, we bought our house in 98 and its value has doubled. Very tough market for newcomers at the moment.

My husband's job on Kauai was temporary, after 6 years here were are in the process of being transferred to the east coast; I am VERY excited to get back into a big city after our 6 year "vacation" in the tropics.

Good luck on your decision. I am glad we took the plunge and I am also glad we are leaving soon.

This is a bit of a tangent -- but today happens to be the anniversary of the date my toddler daughter and I arrived in Elizabeth NJ from England, and were met by DH who had flown over to start his job 2 months earlier. We came on a container ship because we also brought our dog (yellow lab) and lots of luggage, and we got a great deal on "emigrant" fare.

It's not a day you ever forget, even though it was 30 years ago. We were excited to try life in America, and came with the thought we would stay a couple of years and return to England when daughter started school. However, if I had known how hard those first six or so months would be, I might have been more hesitant. Didn't help that we had very little money, and were living on one paycheck. It was a huge culture shock, unexpectedly, and we missed our family and friends. They came to visit, but it was a Big Event instead of just popping over. Way back then, it was expensive to fly to and fro and prohibitive to phone -- we wrote letters a lot. (I still have a lot of them, they make fun reading!)

But all turned out well in the end: I'm glad we came, and glad we stayed. Our lives are very different from what they would have been if we remained in England, and now those friends say they wish they had done the same thing. It's been a great experience.

I say, when opportunity knocks OPEN the door -- you don't want to be looking back in a few years and saying, If only... If you hate it, you can go back (don't sell the Canada property). Just keep an open mind and heart, and be ready to be surprised by a) missing things you didn't know you cherished and b) visitors!

Best of luck, and let us know what you decide.

So, Alohamom, how did the trip go for DH? Are you packing yet? I have some great tips for moving household items. We have many friends who have made the move either to or from the islands, and even back again, in the past few years, so I have had a wealth of info from which to draw.

I'm sure Hawaii has its upside (and I haven't been there), but the culture and diversity and opportunities of Toronto are amazing. I would worry about dragging children from Toronto from which they can very easily branch out to the eastern US or Europe or the Midwestern US or western Canada or wherever, to Hawaii which is by definition isolated. The culture of Kauai vs. Toronto, for a resident, is probably be very different.

Even for the most fabulous weather in the world, I would prefer to live in Toronto (well, judging from my visits and what I know of Toronto) rather than Hawaii, and I would be really concerned about uprooting children.

WillTravel sez: "I would worry about dragging children from Toronto from which they can very easily branch out to the eastern US or Europe or the Midwestern US or western Canada or wherever, to Hawaii which is by definition isolated."

We do have airports here on the islands. Not only that, but we are in close proximity to Asia. Although my mother stills refers to my condition as "living over-seas", I am no further than a flight leg away from the midwest or Canada or anyplace else I care to travel, and kama`aina fares are often better from my end to yours than vice versa. I have lived in the north-east, in L.A. and, now, here, in the islands. We have cultural events, universities, even cable TV! My only regret is that I did not follow my husband's advice and move here when my daughter was younger, so that she could have had a more diverse experience than the one she had growing up in L.A.