Moving
Experiences
from Kona

Excellent posts from KONAWEB Members about their experience of living on The Big Island.

Posted by Shea G on Friday, 16 March 2007

It's really interesting reading all of the different perspectives on this issue. I think it's true that it is so individual. I moved here from Seattle with my then-husband and three children about nine years ago. My (now ex) husband and I were cashing in our Microsoft money and wanted to find somewhere warm where I could scuba dive and swim in tropical water and the kids could frolic on the beaches and learn to surf, and life would be ideal. We travelled to lots of places looking for something that fit, and I was leaning towards Costa Rica or Honduras. But for my husband, that was too much. He wanted the comfort of an English-speaking place with all the usual American comforts. Hawaii was a compromise. I knew right away that Maui was not for me, nor was Oahu. Kauai was too small. Molokai too undeveloped. The Big Island, Kona side, was a good fit, or so we thought. My ex moved back to Seattle within a year and we divorced. He missed being able to go buy whatever he needed whenever he wanted. I think he was bored here.

My kids have struggled. They went back to Washington for a time to live with their father, but they have lived here now for the past 4 years. The schools are not very good, it's true, and they do encounter haole discrimination from their peers. That's just reality. But they all say most of the time that they like living here. My youngest, whose father is a local guy, is Hawaii personified, a sunny little league of nations with webbed feet who switches effortlessly between pidgin and 'formal' english, and loves to sing Hawaiian songs.

My ex was able to telecommute as a software developer so for us the jobs thing didn't really come up. But when we divorced, and I went back to work, it was hard to find something that paid the bills here. Housing is unbelieveably expensive. I can't afford to buy a house, and I hate being a renter. But the trade-off for me is worth it. I couldn't stand not being able to swim in the ocean every day or go the beach whenever I wanted. I got so sick of the Seattle weather, I was just so depressed. Yeah, the restaurant scene here is lousy, but there are some really good places for special occasions, and I've used the opportunity to become a better cook. :-) I love the ocean, I love the people, I love the weather, I love the diversity that this island has, and how I can drive just a little ways up the coast and find such solitude on a stretch of beach or a ocean cliff or a mountainside that it feels like I have the world practically all to myself. I love baby luaus and beach BBQs and cold beer in the cooler after a day of fishing. I REALLY love the laid-back attitudes that so frustrate some other people. I bowl in a weekly league and there's this one guy who is always harassing us to get up and bowl the minute our name pops up, and we all just laugh at him and drink our beer as he grumbles about how different it is on the mainland. Yes, it is, and I don't miss it ONE BIT. I'm perfectly willing to wait in line while the teller or salesperson talks story with all the people in front of me. I have no problem taking a book with me to restaurants since I know already the service is probably going to be slow. I know I may not get my phone calls returned for days or even weeks from service personnel. I know I'm probably not going to be able to find that weird-sized USB cable I need or that dress I want or shoes I like unless I order it online. I know that really good live music, theatre, and nightclubbing are things of the past unless I take a trip off-island (with some exceptions). It's ALL OK. It's better than OK. It's Hawaii.

Shea

Posted by Larryj2 D on Monday, 11 September 2006

I think the best advice I can give people who are thinking of moving here is to really really do your homework. I did so - and it is what kept me here this long.

It is so important to have some cash reserves when moving here. Prices are high and the cost of electricity is extortionist in my opinion. I encourage everyone to complain to the utilities commission. Don't let those rate hikes happen. Sure I understand Hawaii doesn't have other power grids to borrow from like the mainland, but it still doesn't cost THAT much to provide power here. Backup facilities may be expensive at first, but come on. . .our energy costs are way out of line.

I would also advise those thinking of coming here to not ignore one of the most important factors of living in Hawaii: the culture. I was very familiar when I arrived and it helped me to be accepted quickly. If you move here with a mainland attitude, you'd best be prepared to shed it soon. Hawaii is simply not the dream world people think it is. Don't forget - when you come here to vacation, you have all the time in the world to surf, see the volcano, sit by the beach, etc - but as a resident, you work, you shop for groceries, you get sick, your stuff breaks down, and life goes on. It isn't an extended vacation. Keep in mind the importance of talking story. Get to know people! The mainland is full of neighbors who have never met. As it says on this forum, on an island, everyone is your neighbor, and you should treat them with Aloha.

I also encourage everyone to check the other islands. Each is so different, yet similar in some ways. I've spoken to many people who moved here and said "I didn't realize how rural this island actually is." Obviously, those folks didn't do enough research. For some, the traffic and nightlife of Oahu is perfect. For others, the quiet of a more rural location is perfect. It's so important to go where you feel most comfortable. If you're going to live here, live where you love.

Your chances for success here are much greater if you bring something to contribute. A trade, a talent - whatever. Don't think about what Hawaii will provide you - think of what you can do to share with others. (Wow, that was almost a Kennedy line)

I encourage anyone who has the dream of being here to pursue that dream to the fullest - but be very sure it's right for you. One of the most satisfying things in the world is the day you are sitting on your lanai, watching the palm trees sway, and your soul tells you "You're home."

Posted by Kerri P on Saturday, 24 April 2004

Shirley asked me to place this post on the moving forum as I answered someone on Visiting with it. In reviewing it again, it still sounds like what we did was easy. It is an extremely difficult process to pick up and start your life over somewhere entirely new, especially on an island 2500 miles away from the mainland. We made sacrifices, worked very hard, and had a bit of luck. Everyone's experience is different and different people need different factors (job, $$, belongings, house purchase, etc.) to accomplish their goal and to meet the challenge. Everyone has a different comfort zone but one must stretch outside that comfort zone to accept a challenge. Be prepared to review every aspect of yourself, your life, and the way you do things. This island is very adept at holding up a clear, giant mirror (not a warped funhouse mirror, thank goodness, although some may get that one) to you to make you look at and see who you are and what needs to be done. If you don't want to see who you are, you may not survive the adventure.

You will hear many different opinons on this website so I thought I would share our experience in moving here (it'll be 2 years in August) to help you and others. Some wing it, some bring scads of cash, we did it on a shoestring and with lots and lots of research and planning.

Moving to the Island of Hawai'i was not easy and it was a long process, a lot of preparation, research, and planning, especially for quarantine (figure out when your animal(s) can arrive exactly and plan your move around it). Did we have jobs when we came? No. We had a few "Come see us when you arrive" but that was it. My husband got a job right away but it took a month for me. Did we have a place to live? No, but we hustled when we arrived and found a rental exactly 48 hours after we landed, and it was on the Hamakua Coast and much cheaper than the West Side. The West Hawaii Today is valuable but the Hawaii Tribune Herald can save the day. Did we bring our truck? Yes, we shipped it over on Matson and it took 22 days so be prepared to rent a car and/or ride the bus. I use to catch the bus at 4am to get to work down by the Hilton at 5:15 am. When I got a job in Waimea, I switched to the 6:10am to get to work just before 7am and I did so until we moved from Hamakua to here. The hubby worked when the buses didn't run so he got the truck. Is it difficult to get a rental when you have pets? Yes, but if the person renting the place likes you, they will make an exception (it happened for us twice), I see it often as I work for a real estate firm. You will still have to work hard, though. My cousin (has a dog and a cat) just rented a place in Hamakua and the owner of the house received over 100 phone calls about the rental. The rental market is very tight here and they will usually take someone without a pet first. Did we have 6 months of savings? No, but we had enough to get us, our truck, cats, and belongings in a less than container load (LCL--4 pallets and a lift van) to bring to the island and get us into a rental for a couple/few months.

This island is not for everyone. If you love Hawaiian culture and being out in the country, living in small towns, exploring, hiking, diving, swimming, and the beach, you may like it here. Surfing is limited and nothing like Maui or Oahu. There are some really good spots on both sides of the island but winter is when the surf is up. It can be pretty flat in the summer. If you like nightlife and clubbing, this is not the island for you (think small town), you need to go to Oahu or Maui. Yes, there are places to go but if you are at that stage in life, you may tire of going to the two clubs on the West Side of the island and might desire a more urban setting.

Will you miss family and friends? Yes, especially if they fall ill. Was it easy? Not in the slightest. Was it the best thing we've ever done for ourselves? Yes. Was it and is it still an adventure? YES!

Two mantras to live by: "Research, research, research." and "Better Living Through Adventure".

Posted by Kerri P on Saturday, 7 April 2007

"We'll never leave, we are home." Famous last words, we're leaving.

The island of Hawaii is part of the most remote island chain in the Pacific Ocean, 2500 miles away from any large continents.

Pros: Amazingly kind and loving people, gorgeous beaches, clean water, fresh food, rural peacefulness, beautiful culture, fantastic jobs, and warm weather.

Cons: Few visitors, archaic infrastructure, limited resources, difficult to get to the mainland during an emergency, no road trips.

During the past year, our revelations of paradise have undergone a metamorphosis to feelings of isolation and loneliness. The month of October 2006 was an eye-opener, with two massive earthquakes within seven minutes of each other, then hours of no emergency information, nothing, no power, no emergency radio network, and no local cell service. Trapped like an a'ama crab in the burning sun at low tide, we called friends in Arizona to look up on the USGS website to see what was going on. Was Hualalai erupting? Was Mauna Loa erupting? Nope, nothing that exciting going on, just two giant earthquakes and substantial damage to the Kohala and Hamakua districts. We endured the aftershocks and prayed that they were not precursors to something bigger. We prayed that our home didn't fall down around us. We cried for the friends that lost their homes.

This February really was the clincher. I was at work and there were two missed calls on my phone, my aunt and my brother. Ah geez, is it my dad, is he finally going? Nope. It's my mother; she's been hospitalized with chest pains. She's an athlete, in great shape, has perfect blood pressure, low cholesterol, and the last person in the world I would expect to be in this situation. It took me twenty hours from when I walked out the door of my office to walk into the door of her hospital room in La Jolla. Trains, planes, and automobiles because it was later in the day and the San Diego flight from Honolulu had already left, so caught the red eye into LAX and jumped on the very slow moving train to San Diego. An angioplasty, two stents, and a few hours later, mom is fine but will have to be medicated the rest of her life. I stay for a week to keep her in line. I returned home and was able to have a good week a work. The following Monday I get the call that my grandmother has passed and that my father is close on her heals. Here we go again and thank goodness for Hawaiian's inexpensive, last minute flights to San Diego. Go figure, my mom's mother dies on Monday and my dad on that Friday. We return to Hawaii for another week, and then back to San Diego for my father's memorial. We made three roundtrips to San Diego in one month's time. That is how many trips to San Diego my husband and I have taken in the past four and half years.

Meanwhile, we had put our condo on the market just before Thanksgiving so we could trade up to a house here in Waimea. We received a great offer on the day my father passed away. It was then that we really knew that it was time to go.

This is so difficult; we have fantastic jobs, beautiful friends, and a lovely home. This island has been so good to us and has taught us so much. People talk about how friends and family are the main reasons that people move back. When we moved here, we thought we would be assaulted with visitors. Wrong. Most of our friends have young children and mortgages and remodels and don't have the money or time to travel. Many of our other friends are afraid to fly or afraid to fly over the ocean. Family? I've learned more about family here than I ever have in my entire life which makes me want to be closer to my own fragmented bunch.

The move is bittersweet but I am looking forward to those modern conveniences like sewers, home mail delivery, marked police cars, and rubbish and recycling pickup. It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's and Target. My aunt had to tell me to be quiet one night shopping at Trader Joe's because I wouldn't stop talking about how almost everything was half the price of things here. She said, "Kerri, you're embarrassing me, you sound like an alien." I replied, "Well, I have been living on a desert island for almost five years." I am looking forward to lower utility bills, auto insurance, and food costs. You've got me on the gas prices in California, they are greater than or equal to those in Hawaii right now.

More earthquakes in California you say? This is true but I can get in my car and drive away to somewhere else. What am I gonna do here, get in my car and drive around in a circle, really slow, because of the $1000 fine if you are caught driving over eighty miles an hour now? Besides, San Diego is far enough away from the San Andreas where the big quakes are just rollers, rather than getting the full force of being at the epicenter. The Rose Canyon fault worries me a little but, hey, that's what earthquake kits are for.

So we close another chapter in our lives and open a new one. No regrets whatsoever, we did it, we loved it, it is now time to go. Here I sit, surrounded by boxes, packing our possessions up, and preparing for the container on Monday. I've learned from the best at Konaweb and am quite akamai about moving across the Pacific Ocean: Pasha for the cars, Horizon for the container, Conen's for trucking, Hawaiian Airlines for us and the cats, it was all quite simple to plan out three weeks ago. What was a daunting and intimidating task almost five years ago is now an "easy" feat in reverse. A big thank you to all of you and KonaBob and Shirley for all of your help. I hope that our story can help others with their decisions. A hui hou, until we meet again. Aloha!