Thinking about making a move to Hawaii...

[Made_In_Anahola]

Hi Sheillala2008!

Hope my answers help, and please note that the info I am referring to is for the island of OAHU

#1. Nursing jobs are ALWAYS in demand, try this site: Hawaii Nursing Jobs - Find Nursing Jobs in Hawaii or through the state of Hawaii's website: Department of Human Resources Development - State Job Information or you can look at the major hospitals like: Queen's Hospital, Kuakini Hosp., Straub Hosp., or Kaiser

#2. Schooling is always an issue, and we all have our comments/opinions----to make your own decision please see the Dept. of Ed website Hawaii Public Schools where you can see the report cards for each school in the district you may move to. I have 3 children that attend public schools and I have some complaints, but I also have rave reviews....it all depends on the teachers & admin at the school

#3. We have tons of activities here, just depends on what you kids like. Water sports, like surfing, canoe paddling or jr lifeguarding. Hawaiian culture activities with the Bishop Museum or Academy of Arts. The YMCA always has family stuff, and if you live in Hawaii---just being outside is an activity!

#4. Drugs/crime is unavoidable wherever you may live. Where there are homeless there are drugs....so stay away from Chinatown, some parts of Waipahu, Nanakuli, and Waianae. There are other pockets---but for the most part those areas have a higher concentration of drugs/crime.

#5. Yes, it's not WHAT you know---here in Hawaii---it's WHO you know. Lots of nepotism, and racial undertones---but for the most part the islands are far more accepting of mixed races here---Just respect the land and the people who came from the land and you will be fine.

#6. I have a family of 5 and we spend about $130/week on groceries. Milk is over $5 for a gallon, bread at Sam's club is just over $6 for 2 loaves, and right now 80% lean ground beef was on sale for $3.29. I prefer to shop at Sam's/Costco for the bulk items and then hit the sales as needed from the chain-stores: Safeway, Foodland, or Times

#7. ABSOLUTELY!!! I was born and raised here, left to see the world at 19, and now I am back home raising my 3 kiddos. Hawaii is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the way of life is beautiful. One of the things us locals like to say is "LUCKY WE LIVE HAWAII!"

#8. I would love to "enlighten" you as to all the wonders of the other islands but they are special in their own unique way. Here are the names of the 8 main islands of Hawaii and a brief description: Kauai (The Garden Isle) is very country and laid back and is where I was born.
Oahu (The Gathering Place) is where the state capital is located and the most populous island.
Maui (The Valley Isle) is lush and green.
Hawaii (The Big Island) has an active volcano, black sand beaches and the only place in the US where you can ski and surf on the same day.
Kahoʻolawe (the Target Island) is not inhabited and can be used only for native Hawaiian cultural, spiritual, and subsistence purposes.
Lanai (The Pineapple Isle) has no traffic lights, no shopping malls, and no public transportation, Molokai (The Friendly Isle) is very eco-friendly and concerned with preserving the land, it also has Hawaii's highest unemployment rate.
Niihau (The Forbidden Island) was purchased in 1864 from the Kingdom of Hawaii and is privately owned by the Robinson family.

Best of luck with your move!

[Sheillala2008]

Originally Posted by HonestOne1

Yeah that "lazy" thing isn't going to work out too well for you in Hawaii. We are already up to our eyeballs in lazy. Someone needs to freeze their axx off, and I'm gonna vote you. No offense.

Talk about lazy...were you too lazy to see that I've responded several times explaining that that was supposed to just be a little humor?...but thank you. Hey, we may freeze our asses off here in the Maine winters, but there are many wonderful things about living here as well...so...

[Sheillala2008]

Originally Posted by Made_In_Anahola

Hi Sheillala2008!

Hope my answers help, and please note that the info I am referring to is for the island of OAHU

Sorry I'm just responding now...it's been awhile since I logged in and I pretty much thought that my thread was dead lol...but thanks so much for sharing your perspective. It is appreciated :-)

[KauaiHiker]

Made_in_Anahola said the Big Island is "the only place in the US where you can ski and surf on the same day."

Not true at all: the Sierra ski resorts are 3-4 hours drive from the coast, and there are plenty of other snow covered mountains along the west coast. For example, Mt Baker Ski Area is 55 miles (90 minutes) from Bellingham, WA, which has surf breaks. Sure, the surfing is mo' bettah on the BI, but the skiing is better on the mainland. And I bet Maine has some snow near the coast.

[allenk893]

I'm sorry. I just had to chime in because I was interested in this thread. Sheila, I'm not from Hawaii but I feel very sorry that you had to put up with such disrespect and attitude from several people on this forum. Your a newcomer, your not a forum regular, you had no idea what you were suppose to do. I don't care how many times I have to answer something to new people on the forum, I will do it with respect. There's people all the time coming to the Florida forums asking where to move to. I don't require them to search the Florida threads because I know City-Data is made for people asking questions about where to move to!! It's not made for the people ALREADY there to discuss what your mama is doing. It's made for people moving there and nothing less. I personally believe there's just too many people with a stick up their behind these days that have no patience or respect for other people. If they feel like they couldn't help you out and had to be rude about it, then they shouldn't be on City-Data in the first place. And they especially shouldn't be trying to represent Hawaiian people who are known for their "Aloha" spirit. They must not be native Hawaiians because I have never known any Hawaiians in Florida (THEY ARE THERE BTW!) who was so damn rude.

[Calico Salsa]

Oh, I'm not feeling sorry for Sheila because she's holding her own here. Bravo to her for not getting hurt feelings and adding to any upset.

When anyone asks a question, especially one prone to opinions and viewpoints, in a public way, they are bound to get a variety of responses. That's life, anywhere. If you have the ability to sort out the responses into what you need or want, and tossing out the rest, then you are equipped to handle the scenario. Sheila seems to be doing just fine, no need to sorrow, that gal is tough. Sarcasm doesn't always translate well in the posted word, so I think sometimes people miss the invisible shrug and smile that you'd see in person.

And, one could look at the half full side too - lots of good answers on this thread. In addition to learning some real data, Sheila has learned one big lesson - that the culture here (those born here and also those of us who prefer living here) tends towards answering questions that are posed with a positive slant. Not that we won't all grumble at the first opportunity. Oh yes, the right to complain is big. But often not to a stranger, we save that up for neighbors, family, and friends!

Ask away Sheila, but I respectfully suggest you'll get better answers if you ask for recommendations rather than critiques.

OK, now I forget her original questions! Oh well... raining here, I'm going to go drink my coffee on the lanai and enjoy the rain.

[AnnieA]

I enjoyed this thread for several different reasons. I applaud Sheila for her forebearance and admitting (I think she did) that she may have posed her origonal questions in a less than humble manner....LOL. After the initial dust-up, people were helpful and I learned a lot about that area of the world.

I have a friend in New Mexico who often mentioned moving to the islands. I finally linked him to this site and his attitude has changed considerably.....more realistic thinking. His initial thoughts were, he would just load up his mother and his two cats and move to the islands...yeah, right.....

thx for a really interesting thread.