Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

[korygrandy]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

Ya that is what I have heard too. The Hawaiian natives don't like outsiders living there. I have to have the change of Seasons and interesting change in the weather. I would not do well in CA either. I start freaking when we have dry sunny days here for a month or when it rains for long periods of time(more than 2 days of rain in a row is rare in SC). I need warm fresh water Lakes even though I love the Ocean. Surrounded by Volcanoes wouldn't be too comforting either Couldn't afford to live Hawaii anyway but I would love to visit the place someday

Well you guys are making me have second thoughts. I figured I could give it a go for at least a couple of years. I have visited Maui and I did like it. I am naturally trying to separate the vacation aspect with what life would REALLY be like. I understand it would be different than in Minnesota, with a lot fewer consumer options etc. As for the native's not liking mainland folks... I think that would be a problem anywhere. I live in Minnesota where we essentially drove the Dakota Indians out of there homeland...I know they aren't too fond of folks from my decent here as well...

When in Maui I was shocked at the locals who were talking to me...yes I was giving SOME of them money during consumer transactions so again you need to separate out customer service from everyday life.

I noticed a couple of locals who weren't very friendly at the checkout lines and such, but please go into more details about HOW the natives act towards Mainlanders, if you have specifics or scenarios I would love to hear them. I have heard it can be tough to obtain a job over the locals, but again if you have a specialized skill... they will hire you. I do have a solid career and a job that will bring me well into the next 5years... my wife has a job that pays nothing but demands everything... she could look for a new job in Minnesota as well i do realize that. One concern is that she may get bored if she only works a part time job over there... since it is soo expensive to live.

I think in the context of my thread it is important for me to state WHY the wife and I are actually contemplating a relocation and specifically to Hawaii. We want a change of pace and scenery. My wife is excited to get away from her job and I am excited to get away from snow. Yes summer is right around the corner, but I've lived in Bilouxi, Santa Barbara and a couple other non-coastal towns...did I return to Minnesota...sure. If it doesn't work out I will be back in a year...

Was it that it was stressful for you? How old were you when you lived there? Were you married or single? Was it the tourists or the natives that play into this? I know you keep saying cost of living... but both my wife and I are reasonably financial people. We'd be going over there with at least 35-40k in our pockets and plenty more invested plus my decent salary... by the time we make the move who knows she might have actually turned up a job there herself.

I make a better living than most folks my age in my town, I've looked at all the city data for financials and it seems reasonably affordable for us... I think most Americans naturally live beyond there means. I still have friends paying off student loans into there 30's...sad.

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

Here is a good article on Racism in Hawaii:

Hawaii Suffering From Racial Prejudice | Southern Poverty Law Center

" The last day of school has long been unofficially designated "Kill Haole Day," with white students singled out for harassment and violence. (Haole — pronounced how-lee — is slang for a foreigner, usually white, and sometimes is used as a racial slur.)
A non-Native Hawaiian student who challenged the Hawaiian-preference admission policy at a wealthy private school received a $7 million settlement this year.
A 12-year-old white girl new to Hawaii from New York City needed 10 surgical staples to close a gash in her head incurred when she was beaten in 2007 by a Native Hawaiian girl who called her a "f***** haole."
A vocal segment of Native Hawaiians is pushing for independence to end the "prolonged occupation" by the United States and governance by natives.
Demonstrators shouting racial epithets at whites disrupted a statehood celebration in 2006....."

 

[jkust]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

You mentioned that you'd want to bring your Silverado...Parking lots at least on Oahu are very small and tight. The tightest I've ever seen besides Europe. I wouldn't wish a Silverado on an enemy over there. I saw some and even rented a Tahoe and it is just a huge pain.
I will say again that my folks love, love, love it over there. No issues with racism, my dad got a part time job and they love him. One of his good friends is a native Hawaiian and apparently a huge pop star over there which is so odd to me. I'd say aside from the cost of living, their complaints are absolutley egregious traffic...their minivan gets like 12mpg or less the traffic is so bad (it's a Chrysler so MPG's are bad to begin with). I think they said that car insurance was a lot more than they had anticipated as well. The homeless are artists at breaking into cars...they hit my dads car and it took a week to even realize they got in and wrecked the lock cylinder. It took mere minutes as they timed his stop in a store.
Again, they have 35 years on you and so are just sick to death of snow and cold while I've got a few years on your having just turned 40 last week, I'm just not there yet and love snow and cold. The more the better. I also couldn't deal with terminal summer without seasons to excite me for the next season. As for the financial thing, at 40, I have a higher net worth than most folks (I don't generally let folks know we are millionaires) for a number of years now and as hard as I worked to attain my families wealth, I wouldn't want to spend it this early on. While MN is amazingly expensive considering we are in the upper midwest, Hawaii is just too rich for my blood.

Also there is a sort of double pricing system of Natives and tourists over there and yes the whole idea of people being so laid back took a while to get used to. The funny thing is now that when my mom has to deal with a professional service, it only takes a little bit of mainland professionalism to set people apart.

Too many downsides for me at this age and not enough up side.
I'd almost put living in Hawaii in line with living in downtown Manhattan.

 

[jkust]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

Good point...Hawaii is the most liberal state in the country. The've had health insurance reform since the early 1970's requiring employers to offer employees health insurance even for part timers at a certain hour cut off. It's like California on crack.
One nice thing is that all the beaches are public...everywhere. That said they passed a regulation this past fall that it now costs to get married on the beach. There are weddings happening all the time on the beach.

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

If I had to choose a place in the USA to retire to it would be the historic city of Charleston SC. You still get a touch of the seasons. Occasional Hurricane

Charleston named Top City in the World by Conde Nast - WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 - Charleston News, Sports, Weather

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (October 16, 2012) — Known for rich history, well-preserved architecture, a celebrated restaurant community and mannerly people, the Charleston area has been named both Top U.S. City and Top Destination in the World by Cond? Nast Traveler 2012 Readers' Choice Awards. This is the second consecutive year the historic coastal destination has received the No. 1 U.S. City ranking.

"We are tickled pink, just like some of Charleston's historic antebellum homes," says Wild Dunes Resort Managing Director and Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Chairman Frank Fredericks. "The Cond? Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Award is based on six criteria and takes time to complete, which is a reflection of the voters' thoughtful effort to recognize their favorite destinations."

To receive the Readers' Choice Top City Award, a destination must have the strongest composite appeal, which is calculated by averaging scores from the survey's six categories: Atmosphere/Ambience, Culture/Sites, Friendliness, Lodging, Restaurants and Shopping. With a rating of 86.7, No. 1 Charleston is in the company of noteworthy cities, including No. 2 Cape Town, South Africa (84.8); and No. 3 Florence, Italy (83.3).

"This recognition is absolutely wonderful news for our city," says Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. "It is also an acknowledgment of the pride and care that our citizens give to our city. This is a testament to the warm and generous spirit of hospitality shown to all visitors by our residents. The people of Charleston are honored to once again be named by Cond? Nast Traveler's Readers Choice as No. 1."

In 2012, the number of Readers' Choice Survey participants hit an all-time high with more than 47,000 submissions—a considerable increase over the 27,000 participants in 2011.

"I travel to a lot of places, and it's hard to find people who are more welcoming and friendly and charismatic than the people you find in Charleston," says Director of Consumer News and Digital Community Wendy Perrin. "I've been to Charleston 3 times in the past ten years, and what I remember best, besides the Lowcountry hospitality, is the cuisine. It's world class—especially that 12-layer coconut cake!"...............

 

[jkust]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

I love Charleston and visit every year. The Civil War never ended there to some.

 

[JB]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

Back in the '50s Haoles were relatively welcome, since tourists and military represented a major chunk of the economy. The Love of My Life graduated from McKinley High in Honolulu with honors and was always well treated by her classmates. I had many "local" friends and never (except trying to rent a home) felt any prejudice.

Military did have a bit of trouble finding housing, as many ads excluded military, but we were the bottom of the economic ladder.

If Haoles are hated now, we earned it.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Uprooting mainland life for island life in Maui...any experiences?

JB,

I strongly disagree with you on your statement about the Haoles earned it.