Why in the world would people want to live in Hawaii?

Question

I am from GA and I have recently moved to Hawaii with my husband. He is military and we travel alot. All I want to know is why on earth would anyone want to move to Hawaii and live there life here? You can't go anywhere except around in circles it dosn't have mountains to go riding through. Deer to see? NO. Rabbits? If you go to the pet store. Owls? I haven't seen a one. Snakes? NOPE. So what is the point and why would you want to torchur yourself. I can visit here every now and again but to live here you gotta be crazy.

We live on the Island of Oahu, were the visiters visit up toward the North Shore side in a town called Wahiawa/Scholfied. This island isn't much but it is beautiful at times when I am not missing my folks back home.

Answer 1

When I first got there one of the wives told me that I just had to give it time. That I would fall in love with Hawaii and never want to leave. I laughed and told her she was crazy. Everyone you love is far away and it is so expensive to visit each other. But I have never fell in love with a place so fast. My son was born there and he is my lasting momento from living there.When it was time to leave I cried while I packed, I cried driving to the airport, and I cried the entire plane ride back to Indiana. (Perhaps it was because I was going to Indiana, I know lol) To this day I can't watch shows about Hawaii or look at pictures without my heart aching. So all I can do is give you the same advice I once got... Give it time.

I will add this advice of my own... As a military wife you probably won't be there for more than a couple years so don't spend too long being sad and missing home... when you finally do fall in love with the island you will want enough time to really find ways to remember it... I didn't get near enough time.

Answer 2

People love Hawaii for the weather and for the natural beauty. Hawaii is very different from what most people are used to. Yes, Oahu is a small island. You'd love it if you learned to appreciate nature. The weather allows you to surf/swim/run/jog/walk/bike all year long. Camping, fishing and almost any sport are popular and not just in the summer.

Each island is a little different, but all are small probably not very exciting for a big city girl like you. There are deer on the island of Lanai. Owls are on Maui and probably on other islands too. Why do you want snakes? Except for the zoo, there are no (legal) snakes in Hawaii. They try very hard to keep them out as they would wipe out what's left of the indigenous animals.

Your husband has a very important job. His tour in Hawaii will end soon. I am sorry you don't appreciate it now, but I think you'll miss it in a couple of years when you're enduring a winter in Nebraska.

Answer 3

YOu don't see any snakes, deers, or rabbits b/c it's an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Those animals are not native to Hawaii b/c it's so far from any continent. Oahu has spectacular mountains that rise straight up. Maybe you should go to another island. Try the big island, it's about the size of Connecticut. It's much bigger and less populated and crowded. And there are two mountains that rise over 12,000 feet there. Hawaii is a lot different from GA b/c it's a tropical island and has a unique culture, very laid back and such. Some people wonder why anyone would want to live in GA too, it just depends on your lifestyle and what you like. I love that place but I dunno if I could live there either unless i had a lot of money to fly out of there whenever I wanted to b/c you can't drive far away or anything when you want to get away.

Answer 4

Of Course There Are None Of Those Things. Actually On Oahu There Are Hiking Trails.
The Weather Is Great. And Also There Are Good Waves On Oahu (I Would Not Know Though But That is What People Say).
Also Everyone Is Friendly In The Islands

Answer 5

What is the point indeed. I mean, it's not like Hawai'i has heritage or culture....that's for sure. Life out here is atrocious. The beaches are beautiful, the weather is wonderful 95% of the time and the cultural diversity will be the death of me. I also see your point about driving in straight, unending lines being much preferable to driving in circles (you don't get dizzy that way!) Did you ever think that the reason you feel so negatively about Hawai'i is because you spend too much time cooped up at Schofield? If you want a life changing moment, go drive the Pali and look out at the valleys and tell me that you've ever seen anything so green or waterfalls so pretty before. Go to the Big Island and hike Mauna Kea to go play in the snow, or see the Silverswords or go to Maui and watch the sun rise over Kilauea.
We do have deer, especially on Molokai, but if you miss them that much watch Animal Planet. And rabbits are terrible, invasive species- if you ever want a little tidbit of information, read up on what happened on Rabbit Island. But by all means, please leave and take all the other unhappy military wives with you because the last thing we need on the islands is more Durango's and Escalades to make traffic on the H2 worse. Make it that much mo bettah for us.

Answer 6

Well...I've been living and working on Maui for over two years now and I could not be happier. I love the hiking in the rain forest, the beaches, the whale watching, the snorkeling, swimming under a waterfall, being able to ride my bike to work year round, and watching sunsets with my wife at Kamaole III Beach on a Sunday evening while grilling a steak and drinking rum and cola.... doesn't get any better than that!

I have adopted a healthier, more active lifestyle since I moved here, I have lost about 20 pounds and it has been a long time since I've had this much energy.

Bu alas, thank God you are a military family and most likely your "torchur" [torture] will end soon and you can go back to your snakes, rabbits and snow. (We do have deer in Hawaii, I've seen them on Molokai and Maui).

Different people like different things. Humanity would advance a whole lot if most people understood this simple concept.

Answer 7

For many people, living in Hawaii is paradise. What other U.S. State could claim to have year-round warm weather and lush tropical beaches?
I understand your situation: You love where you came from--who doesn't?
I'm sure that if someone moved to Georgia from Hawaii, they'd probably say, "What's up with the Deer, Rabbit, Snakes and No surf?"
I'm not from Hawaii, originally, but I was stationed there for 10 years and I never felt out of sync.
You just have to get acclamated to the life there. It is different, just like any other state or country.

Answer 8

Duh, if you fell out of your car in most places you'd probably freeze to death in a day or two, if you're in the southwest during the summer heat would finish you off fast. If you fell out of your car here on Maui you could last quite a while, pick banana's, pineapple, mango's, papaya's, water when it rains. There was a overpopulation of deer a few years ago, I see Owls and who needs snakes? Haleakala Crater is over ten thousand feet high, West Maui Mountains is over five thousand. If you're into surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, fishing, swimming, whale watching, biking, hiking, horseback riding, and every outdoor sport you can think of you can enjoy it all year long.
And that's why people want to live in Hawaii.

Answer 9

What do you mean no mountains? On Oahu alone, there are two mountain ranges that extend up to 4000 feet elevation. The Waianae Mountains and the Ko`olau mountains.

As a malahine, I agree that Hawaii can be a bit confining, but there are certainly positive things about living here, too. Weather tops the list, food a close second.

Answer 10

I think it is a status thing. I've lived in Hawai'i for the past 13 years, and it hasn't been easy, but i have persevered, and things have worked out okay. I realize there is more opportunity for someone with my advanced degrees in the Continental U.S., but I've weighed the pro's and con's and for me, this is where I'm staying. I think a lot of people do not understand the unique challenges that life on an island presents, and if they are not equipt to handle this, it doesn't work out for them. Here on Maui, where the cost of living is absolutely EXORBITANT, there is a large transient population comprised largely of naive and idealistic folks who aren't able to "make it," or snowbirds who live here part-time. When I lived on O'ahu, I could not afford a car, so I rode the bus or my bike. Forget about renting an apartment on these pithy wages! Instead, I lived in rooms with strangers, etc., etc. At this point, I am in a relationship with a wonderful man and we cohabitate, thus reducing the rent and living expenses. At least in your case, you are on a military base, so you have a sense of community. I created my community on O'ahu and now on Maui. And like I said, it wasn't easy. I appreciate your honesty. Thank you for sharing and allowing me to share.