I enjoyed the video. Your advice is very appreciated and informative: it’s great to know that sometimes if things get too expensive then to move on to the mainland. This also applies to the mainland too. Moving from a more expensive area to a cheaper area. Thanks for the video 😊
I lived on O’ahu twice in my life when my dad was stationed out of Pearl. My first memories are of the island. We were transferred back when I started high school. O’ahu to me is home. It was the only place I felt that I fit in because I am hapa. We transferred out before I finished high school and moved to the mid west. I was a foreigner there. Here is the thing….. I use to spend a lot of time up in Kahuku on the beach. One day an older local surfer saw me on the beach, just sitting there and watching the waves break. He and I talked for a little while and at the end of it all what he told me stuck. Hawai’i is a place but it is also a feeling. Aloha is from the heart and as long as you breath you can feel the spirit no matter where you are. I miss Hawai’i and always will. It is home. Like everyone I know who has left we all would love to come home to stay but know it’s very hard with the job market the way it is. But there is always hope.
@@HelloFromHawaii thank you for sharing as well. He was a wise man. I’d take the bus up there every weekend and he took an interest in me after a while. We would sit and talk while everyone was out in the surf. He kept asking me what I was searching for, until a few years ago I didn’t have an answer so if he is watch….. I do now. Your channel takes me back to a place I carry with me in my heart. I’ve come across displaced locals from time to time and what got us talking is the island sounds I play to relax. At one point we would take vacation time during the Monarch festival and watch the dance competition. I’d dig a kalua in the back yard and we would roast a pig, make musubi, poke, Mac salad and make a weekend of it like a family reunion with music, dancing, and tell stories about the places we use to go and things we use to do. Good times.
It’s so funny because having been born & raised in the mainland I despise the oversized housing and disconnection from our abundance. I honor how you truly value what’s important.
My wife and I were born and raised on the islands. We have moved to the mainland now about 5 years. It is a whole lot cheaper. We live in Utah where is not much crime. Food is cheap. Rent was cheaper a few years ago but it is going up. We feel like it it a great start to actually owning your own home. A lot more opportunities for me and my family! Lots of things to do! We do miss the beaches and people. We have lots of Polynesians in the mainland. I know how to cook all of the ono local food so not to bad! If you are struggling, I would say try it! If you work construction lots of work in the mainland! The ALOHA SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU! Share it with everyone you come in contact with…. Aloha🤙🏽
Mahalo for sharing. Glad you were able to find opportunities on the mainland. And, yeah, you can cook all the good local food and visit home if you miss it. 🤙
We took our honeymoon on Maui and fell in love with the islands. It was our end game dream to live in Hawaii. Fast forward 16 years later and we finally did it! We moved to Oahu and it was GLORIOUS......for the first 6 months. Then reality slapped us in the face and we realized living in paradise isn't what it's all cracked up to be. But we we're anxious to make it work. Then covid hit and took its toll on the economy. When we realized we couldn't afford to buy a house (and renting again would have put us in a renting forever spiral) we had to move back to Texas. While it's heartbreaking, at least we got to do it. And we immediately got a 20% raise even though our salary didn't change just because of the more affordable cost of living. We still think about Hawaii all the time, and watching these videos helps see what we miss so much. Thanks for what you do. 🤙
Do what you gotta do. I went to the mainland for college and then worked all over the world, in 26 countries. I came back to take care of my Mom in her final days. I'm not leaving again (I hope). Your roots will always be here. 🤙
Born and raised on Oahu, spent most of my adult years on Maui. Moved home (from Maui) 4 years ago to take care my dad. Both parents now passed. Obviously, too expensive, and Hawaii is terribly vulnerable during these times of financial and global crisis = it's only gonna get worse. That said, I just left 2 months ago. I'm now in the lovely town of New Bern, NC, and looking at properties with actual land for 1/8 the $ it'd be back home. Hawaii will always be my home, and I'll always love it, but I'm so looking forward to a more self-sustained life here where I'm not always worried about...the future. Good luck to you, little bradda, no matter your decision. 🤙🏼
Originally from Mexico, I moved to the east coast in NJ 36 years ago. Just like you said, there are better opportunities living here, but I have never got used to it, I will always be the outsider. I have adjust but will never consider it my home. I was lucky to visit Oahu 3 times in the past 6 years and fell in love with the place and the culture. Driving down the coast on Sundays and seeing all the families enjoying their life together reminded me a lot of my life growing up in Mexico, something I have never felt here. Just like you said, Family it's very important.😊 Good Luck to you and your love ones!
Thanks for the video brother! I’m guilty of this bcuz I left exactly for this reason…the cost of living! Everything u said is Facts🙌💯I’m born and raised Native, and I now live in Vegas it was so hard for me to go but Becoming homeless after covid forced me to pick up n leave. At first I was excited for a new adventure! But the moment I landed in Vegas I felt like I made a mistake! My first 2yrs on the mainland was tough I cried and was home sick to the point I was willing to throw away everything I established here and come home but the thought of struggling like I did made it harder for me to choose HOME! Til this very day I yearn for my Hawaii🙌😢
It's all individual perspective. I have been lucky to live in many places on the planet. Hawaii is the best place I have ever lived, of course, I surf & that is my priority. Minimize, simplify & prioritize your personal "reality" & make a choice. However, if materialism is your perspective of happiness your path is already severed & happiness is unfortunately an impossibility. Aloha & Mahalo.
Grew up in Kona, Hawaii. I moved to southwest Florida. Found more “Aloha” here than I ever did in Hawaii. Life is much easier and more laid back, having more money sure helps… and the roads…omg, sooooo much better
Weird, I grew up in Florida and lived here for 50 years, just spent 5 months in Hawaii, and I can say that Hawaii is much more laid back and roads are empty and much better. Everywhere I went on the big island and Oahu I dealt with Aloha. Never was tailgated, had a gun pulled, horn beep and on and on.. Southwest and east coast of Florida have polluted water, dead reefs and urban sprawl. Fish kills, algae bloom.
Many Floridians feeling the same pressure. Massive increases in property tax and exploding insurance costs are making it harder to stay... especially for retirees on a fixed income. I had hoped to visit Hawaii someday... but I can't afford to travel now. At least I had your videos. Good luck to you.
Consider Malaysia, the ease of life is unmatched’ also multi cultural. ‘Mainland’ that idea is a really limiting. In reality is the whole world is the mainland… Asia’s ease of life is just epic’. Especially South East Asia.
I grew up on O'ahu and joined the military, married a Midwest gal and settled in California. I'll admit, in all my travels, the culture in Hawaii is special. That said, you need to take inventory to figure out if your life on the islands makes you feel as if you're thriving or just surviving. Only you can answer that question.
@@bigmike1850 interesting. Born and raised myself, how do you mean? I was never fully in the culture, but I was familiar with it. Home ownership and opportunities were always out of reach or hidden. Many people were oblivious to my struggles as they either lived a few generations deep in a home or they night and owned their homes years ago.
Great discussion about staying/leaving Hawaii. But Chris. Maybe the reason you had a hard time disassociating from Hawaii was because you have a name tag that says "From Hawaii" 😉
G'day from Denmark, Western Australia🦘🤙. Mahalo for a great topic. I left on the principle to provide a better life for my kids. I grew up on Kauai. Family moved back to Oahu. Went college mainland then came back and maybe I had outgrown HI. I was over the victim attitude, the I'm Hawaiian I like hand outs and overpopulation. FT. I wanted to move to a place that offered a stress free lifestyle, quality education, social medicare, job opportunity and no judgement and fear mongering. In 1993 @ 31 years old, I migrated to Perth, Western Australia. It's been a great adventure. In 2015, I moved to a small coastal town with a population of 2300. It's chilly during the winter but this spot reminds me of Hanalei, like back in the 70's.I have a permanent job at the Agricultural boarding college here in town. I'm a chef. I have two kids. My son, a tradesman; works for Shell on the gas mines and my daughter is in third year at the University Of Notre Dame here in WA. I visit HI often, to visit mum and my siblings. Both are great places for a holiday.
Thank you for making these videos. I am fortunate enough to have a remote job (the one good thing to come from this pandemic) that I'm able to visit my parents for six weeks from the mainland... but that "hybrid visitor" line was really spot on. The question "are you from here or just visiting?" is never a simple answer. I may not live in Hawaii but it will always be my home. Aloha!
Great that you can visit and work remote. Tough to navigate that visitor vs moving home mindset. But whenever I would go back to the mainland, I just went on with my life. Hawaii will still be home.
I moved to Vegas back in 97. Now alot of my cousins and other family are up here. We all have our own homes and its easier to take care of our children when we are not struggling to make ends meet. In fact we all make more than 110k which is decent here. It broke my heart when I went back last year and saw nothing but buildings and Condos. I definatley dont belong there anymore. Food, Family and fishing thats all I miss.
I’m from Japan. I was lucky enough to move to Hawaii with my then 14-year-old daughter in 2011 when Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant exploded after the tsunami. I knew no one here. My daughter and I had to start a new life from zero. It was a scary place to be. But you guys, the local Hawaiians welcomed us with open arms and made us feel at home. I am eternally grateful for you. It is sad to see those very people are having a hard time staying.. It is ironic in a way, that it is people like us outsiders who contribute to higher prices in Hawaii. I want you guys to stay and be happy . How do we do that?
@@mauimarianne I’m glad I could help and spread some Aloha. I was talking to the people I work with and they thought I was weird until I started talking about how I grew up. I lived on O’ahu for a total of six years. When I was very little, then again for a while during high school. I don’t claim to be local, but I claim Hawai’i as home. I felt safe and loved there. I embraced the spirit and pass it around every where I can. Just because you left doesn’t mean that the Kama’aina spirit is gone, it just means you get to share it with new people. 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼 🌴🌴🌺🌺
Family is so important! We always wanted to move to a warmer climate after upon retirement. We still live up north, why? Our grandchildren are here and they are much more important than easy winters.
Nice video. I understand. We've been working on moving back since we left. It's looking g like 2024 is going to be the year we move back. The cool thing about living on da 9th Island is that there's lots of HI peeps here. Moving to the mainland gave us a boost economically. We left in 2002, and the plan was to return in 2012. 💪😁🌴🤙 2024!
I love your channel, I Just found you. Love your stories. I was born and raised in Maui and moved to Las Vegas in 94 when I was 24yo. I love it here and when I go home to Maui to visit, I can only handle about a 2 weeks stay before I want to come back to LV😂. The only regret I have is my daughters are now the “mainland cousins” but I guess with texting and Instagram they talk to their cousins all the time but definitely not the same. Thanks for your relatable stories. ❤
We moved to Texas 9 years ago and haven't looked back. We prefer to vacation there versus live there. I was born and raised there, I'm part Hawaiian, alot of my family is still there but the good has certainly outweighed the bad. I've made so much more progress in my career, have bought a house, traveled more ..it goes on and on. Do we miss it? Of course! But we are at peace with our decision and don't regret it.
I think you hit the nail on it's head, Hawaii is too expensive to just stay for the weather and beauty, but family and community usually supersedes that. Getting together with family and friends is all good.
Went to Maui last August. Beautiful island. People were friendly, good really good. Did notice a lot of homeless people. They were begging for money like in CA.
This subject has nothing to do with Hawaii. It's the same for anyplace on Earth. People struggle to leave where they're family is, which is a real struggle. You're right in your thinking! Stay and enjoy your family as much as you can! That love is all we have in life.
Locals for 40 years. In 2010 we took 20% pay cuts to live in SA TX which was 40% lower cost of living (housing, food, gas, utilities). My kids had experiences we could not have afforded if we stayed in HI. We saved for their college (no student debt). My husband and I have retirement savings. All would have been impossible had we stayed in HI. We try to visit home every 2 yrs. So many places to see and experience. HI will always be home, but we’re thankful for the decision we made.
Moved from San Antonio to Oahu in 2007. Bought my house in SA off Judson and 1604 for $90K in 2002. Had more money than I knew what to do with cost of living was so low. But my God there was nothing to do there. Most boring place on earth unless you're willing to drive to Austin all the time. I'm much happier being less well off but in this paradise wonderland with endless things to do.
im at the point im thinking im going to have to leave the end of this year its realy hurts and is hard to think about but im pretty sure its the right thing to do if i end up moving im pretty sure i might any tips ?
If you or other people do leave, please consider who you vote for. Don’t vote for the same thing you’re running away from. If you vote woke, we will all go broke.
❄️Aloha from Minnesota...Malia, a hybrid over here lol...I was just thinking to myself how relatable I find your perspective...I not even sure if you are going to see this but maybe somebody else will...I apologize in advance for the long comment yeah...I talk a lot...anyway...a bit about me... My mom has lived in Minnesota her whole life, my dad was born and raised in Hawaii...my dad moved to Minnesota in ‘82...my parents married in ‘92...i was born in ‘95...I think I calculated I’ve spent under a year collectively over the course of my 27 years on Earth(that’s 7-10days a year...270days-give or take some years and days especially with covid I haven’t been home since ‘19)...I totally understand what you say by being the “mainland cousin”...it’s so true...that is how my cousins introduce me as lol...I am tho lol...every visit my family always asks me “when are you gonna move to Hawaii?”...I know they don’t mean disrespect by it and that was always the plan...it’s hard to leave your family...really tho it’s been hard to leave my parents...I always said that after I graduate high school I was gonna move to Hawaii and help with my grandma...I spent 18 years around my Mom’s family it would be really nice to really get to know my Dad’s family...you know one where you’re not anticipating the inevitable goodbye...it always seems like once I settle in and feel at home it’s time to drive back to Kona to catch a long 12 hour flight to take a connecting flight where you finally land back home in Minnesota or something like that the travel time takes a day out of your trip on itself yeah...halfway through my senior year of high school my grandmother on my mom’s side passed away...we have dedicated a lot of time to taking care of the family and plans really changed when my grandma passed away...my parents had taken on a lot of new responsibilities and I felt compelled to stay...fast forward 9 years and I’m still living in Minnesota visiting Hawaii and everyday I feel the pull more and more to move home but Minnesota is also home so it’s like how do I choose...I have always wanted my kids to grow up knowing more than I did and well do know about Hawaii and the older I get it just intensives and on the other hand how could I not want them to grow up around my parents...Minnesota is beautiful too...it was and still is a very hard thing for my dad to just up and leave Hawaii...my grandpa really didn’t approve but in the end it was what my dad needed to do and ultimately my grandpa respected him for it...my dad left behind the opportunity to own the family ranch giving it to my uncle...my dad moved to Minnesota because his first wife was from Minnesota...they had a son together who a week after graduating high school moved back to Hawaii where he was 7 when they moved to Minnesota...he now lives in Honolulu with his wife and kids...how do I choose lol...I am so torn between the two that it leaves me on pause or I just stop all together because I feel like it’s so final...but as you mentioned you were able to understand that going to the mainland for college was 4 years out your life and temporary...Before covid I was thinking about spending a summer in Hawaii...never spent more than 2 weeks there so it be kinda interesting to see how I’d feel after a month...Minnesota is home too yeah... I have all my familiar hangout spots...schools... jobs...friends...family...and not to mention all 4 seasons...I been hearing all the Minnesota jokes that are coming my way...somedays it’s hard to see past a minute and some days I’ve planned my whole week out...when one separates from Hawaii a place they only ever knew it really changes a person and like you said you’re splitting or separating the two... I have only spent around a week a year in Hawaii sometimes I feel like an imposter because I really don’t understand it like someone who was born and raised in Hawaii...but you miss the things that remind you why Hawaii feels like or is home...you can take the Hawaiian out of Hawaii but you cannot take the Aloha out of the Hawaiian...unfortunately I believe you can...when I am not surrounded by that magic I used to say I need a recharge and the ocean is the best medicine around... Minnesota nice is a thing but there’s nothing quite like the Aloha spirit...from the smell to the sounds to the heat...it can’t be beat...its home...I am really into culinary and and growing things that I have been considering talking to my uncle about helping him on the Ranch...he could use the help and it could really be something I fall in love with...with all that being said...maybe one day I’ll have a rainbow license🌈🤙🏽 or maybe raise snow babies who occasionally turn into beach babies...🌊☃️ Mahalo for your videos...I enjoy every second of the beach shots btw...good to see glimpses of the islands
Mahalo for the comment. Haven't been to Minnesota, but sounds very different than here. Amazing your dad could acclimate. And hope that you still feel connected to Hawaii, even that far away. 🤙
Lived in Hawaii for 25 years and we moved to Texas 8 years ago. We're loving it. So much less financial stress here and people here are actually more chill and so much less stressed. Still, I dream about surfing almost every night.
I feel for you, but if it were me, I'd move to the mainland & buy a mansion in a nice suburb & enroll my kids in a really good public school district so they can get the best education possible. I lived for 2 years in HI in a constant state of sticker shock at the cost of those tiny dilapidated shacks on a tenth of an acre. They ALL looked cheaply built, and none were remodeled at all. We moved to Clay county in NE Florida and bought a 3,500 sq ft dream house mansion w/lots of privacy in a gated golf course neighborhood on 3/4 acre w/screened in pool and hot tub for less than $550K (Feb 2020) and we have some of the best school districts in the country here. I just wish we could've brought all our Hawaii neighbors with us. I miss my Aiea Heights neighbors soooo much.
There’s not only a brain drain when people leave Hawaii but also a cultural/Aloha one as well. Unfortunately, some of those who can move there (not always the case) from the main land are the ones who don’t care or even refuse to learn the Aloha spirit. They are entitled here and will be entitled there. I for one am glad that you are there and would like to remain there because you seem to embody that great spirit and want it to continue. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and yes you may make more money on the main land but that will come at a cost, a cost to the soul in a sense. The minimalist movement reminds us that we work so hard for stuff we don’t need to impress people we don’t even like…so much truth in that. Stay strong and keep doing what you’re doing.
We say the same thing about living in Santa Barbara California. Gorgeous weather, beach (cold) close by, mountain ranger-“American Riviera.” Can’t buy a home under a million dollars. A one bedroom is $2,400. The price of paradise? Being on Section 8 is one way to make it.
Hawaii - in reverse: fantasy vs reality. My wife and I had a tiny trailer in the mountains of northern California in our early 20's. My parents got us a loan to buy the trailer on a half acre in a very desirable area. We loved it, and so did our kids. But, after 6 years, my mother got really anxious about the loan, and wanted us to pay it off, but we couldn't, and we couldn't get a new loan on our own. So, we sold our little home and moved to Hilo, and had some equity from the sale of our tiny home. We tried to buy another tiny home, in Puna (this was back in 1989), but it would have taken all our savings. We didn't have jobs, and while our kids were at school in Hilo, we drove around Puna looking for vacant land instead of buying a house. Eventually over the course of about 5 months, we bought and resold 4 vacant lots. We also started substitute teaching at lots of schools in Hilo and surrounding areas (my wife and I were not teachers!). We stayed in Hawaii, Hilo, for a year. No one, none of our families or friends from Calif. came to visit us! My wife was worried our kids were speaking pidgin. We were getting cabin fever - it was raining for weeks and weeks it seemed. And there were other little things that started us thinking about moving back to CA. We made lots of good friends in Hilo, and belonged to great church in Hilo. We never did buy a property for ourselves, but we sure had a great time exploring and getting to know the subdivisions of Puna, and enjoyed investing what little money we had, in vacant lots. We moved back to California, to a little retirement/resort community. We found a little cabin that needed some basic repairs, and we paid cash for it - thanks to the investments we made in Puna. Unintentionally, we flipped a few houses over the years, and always increased our net worth. We thought different times over the years that we could now move back to Hawaii and afford a real house. But, like I have always told people who have the dream of moving to Hawaii, you have to separate fantasy from reality. The reality is, you'll leave friends and family behind, Hawaii is expensive - even on the Big Island, making new friends takes time and effort, if you're not retired (like we are now) - you still have to go to work, take the kids to school, go shopping, pay bills, etc. You need to be very flexible, and be able to think outside the box - i.e. looking for opportunities that local people do not recognize exist, that you can seize upon to make the money that you need to support yourself when what you used to do is not going to work for you in Hawaii. (I had created a great little, highly profitable business in Calif. that did not work in Hawaii. So I had to do something else.) In retrospect, we could have stayed in Hawaii and made a very good living. We were always poor, but we lived well because we were frugal. Anyway, we moved on after Hawaii, and always missed it. We've been back to visit. Initially, we went to Hawaii in 1975 with our bicycles and rode all around (literally) the Big Island for a month, camping WITHOUT a tent. After working a construction job on Maui so I could buy a return ticket (we bought one-way tickets to Hawaii), we returned to Calif. after 3 months - broke. Hawaii changed our lives. The people in Hawaii changed our lives. We did Hawaii on the cheap to make it happen, and it paid off for us (not the first time, anyway). We still think about moving back, but we still have to separate fantasy from reality.
I'd say California is pretty diverse within the mainland. Don't have to worry about being Asian and standing out there. But yes, I moved from California to the Midwest.... Got the whole change
Well, your right about the cost of living, we are right up there in costs living here in Alaska. Food is going to be hard to get to you in Hawaii and Alaska. Your out there all alone, buy a good boat..
It’s wonderful to listen to you process the pros and cons of staying or leaving. It seems that your highest values are your family and being close to all of them. That’s important to know! That is awesome. And your heart and mind are open. Your family is lucky to have you.
I connect with many of the sentiments expressed in this video, as I have left my native state for my spouse's new career opportunity. I will feel weird visiting my native state in a matter of weeks for work, but it is something I am having to come to terms with.
So I was here in the 90s, left and came back. There is definitely a financial issue but east coast living is not all it's cracked up to be. Kid's comfort is primary for sure
I identify with the same challenges when I left Hawaii for college back in 1980. Hawaii has this fantastic culture which builds an identity in us and we love identifying ourselves with Hawaii, and the longing to return never ever leaves... and visits just never satisfy. I know of no other state that has this powerful effect...but maybe other states have that effect, especially those states with a distinctive and unique culture, history, diversity and food.
I had purchased plane tickets. The research was done and a new home located. We were leaving our home town for greener pastures. That was more than twenty years ago and I never got on that flight. What happened that could make me abruptly change course? You already know the answer.
I lived on Oahu for 2 years and was fortunate enough to make somewhere around 100k a year at the time. Which was 8 years ago. Even then, it felt like a struggle to live comfortably. I worked 80-100 hrs a week. 1 job. Had no time to enjoy life in Hawaii. The only times I was ever truly happy was when work took me to the big island. Away from the chaos of Honolulu. I went back again for work a couple years later for 2 weeks. I was sad by what I saw.. The beaches were filthy. Tents and trash everywhere.. 😕
@@HelloFromHawaii I'm not a realtor but prices are way up everywhere since we got here. It's almost impossible to find a single family home for under $500k anywhere.
I just came back from Hawaii as a tourist . It’s heart breaking to learn that people thinking of leaving Hawaii. I understand that cost of living is a deal breaker but leaving Hawaii for mainland ?
Mahalo! I have watched this dynamic for years and wish there was an answer that we could all reach out and touch. Something we could find to change this ongoing situation. At one point in my life, I was looking at my checking account and had $6.23 in it until my next paycheck. I was literally looking at the gas in my car, the food in my house and thinking, "Ok I am alright". My other thought was how many are not alright? Fast forward from then (It was 1995 in Hawaii) and I am better, and doing fine. My wishes go out to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation. Sometimes life just has a way of working out.
Mahalo for the Super Thanks. I wonder about those that are struggling too. With the holidays approaching, I hope people are budgeting and not spending what they don't have. 🤙
yeah I moved to Maui in 1991 with $300 in my account I stayed another 12 years and only left to visit family when I LEFT maui my rent was $300 a month , my landlord was so cool
I lived in Hawaii, for four years, back in the early 60's. My dad was in the Navy and stationed at Pearl. Hawaii was a wonderland of enchantment for me back then. Every day was a new adventure. My dad hated living there. He was from a very close knit family and being separated by an ocean was not a good thing, especially around holidays (really bad case of island fever). He told me later that Hawaii was a great place to visit on vacation, but working there was not his cup of tea. Through the years I have been back to the Hawaiian Islands over twenty times and always love it. Though it has changed quite a bit from the 60's (not always for the better) it is still a land of enchantment for me.
Mahalo for this and all your videos Chris. I have been away for a very long time and don't visit as much since my parents passed away. These videos keep me connected.
If you re-settle in California, in the major cities, you will not feel ethnically out of place. I remember going to college in the Midwest and sure, I often felt self-conscious and out-of-place. But it wasn't so bad and I didn't let it become bad. Most people starring at me did so out of curiosity and not hostility. I realized they were looking at me exactly because I looked out of place to them as well.
FYI, I listened to "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Justin Young so many times while editing this video. 😆🤙If you're local, you know how great this cover is. ruclips.net/video/0fCyxjlpM1g/видео.html&ab_channel=manakotuifua
I grew up in puna on the big island and know I live in Northern California… it was hard to leave and I miss it everyday … but I have a great life here and I love it …
Born and raised Hawaii all of the 1990s and all of the 2000s. 2 full decades of paradise bliss and (mostly) joy and happiness. Im forever grateful to my family for selecting Hawaii of all American states to live in back in the day because it made my childhood and teenhood unmatched in enjoyment. That said I currently live in an unknown underrated part of the state of Texas now with only a small partial amount of family because it just got too expensive. We gave in on October 13th 2021. So technically I've existed on Hawaii for officially 3 decades. Not too bad for a local style boy who didn't make much of himself. With all that said though. Like what Chris said at the end. No matter what. Hawaii will always be my... no. Our home. The economy, evil government and secret societies can and ultimately will take most of everything away from us. But they'll never take away our pride and love for where we came from. Aloha. 🌺🌴
The 90s was awesome in Maui. My rent was $300 a month FROM 1991-2003 My aunt and uncle still live there but yeah the property and rent prices now are CRAZY !! I got back from Maui about 3 weeks ago visiting my uncle/auntie and I nearly cried my eyes out at Kahului airport , leaving again. Maui is so my home though , when I went back it was like a warm blanket surrounded me and all the Ohana , oh so good the feels there. Maui is where I became a man and lived life free and wild. I'm glad I got to experience the good days. Sugar cane , pineapple , no costco , no wal mart , just local stores and local loving people. Oh man I better stop now gonna cry again. No worries I miss plate lunches too!
@@TheAgentAssassin Those days are gone. I remember when rent was $400 mo and we thot that was high! 😂 Lol!! Back in the 70’s it was pristine! 65,000, maybe, people living Maui. I lived out North Shore side in Haiku near Jaws. There were No traffic lights back then, only 2 on island. One in Wailuku and one Lahaina side. And they went to flashing yellow after 5 pm!! and no traffic! Those were the days! I live in mainland now, SC. We left 3 years ago. It has been a very difficult transition for me😢. It’s cheaper. I miss Hawaii terribly. But also don’t want to go back because it’s too overcrowded and changed so much and has lost it’s small town island charm. I now have my memories of how it was when you could drive around the island without stopping at a traffic light or being stuck in traffic, and being able to enjoy the beaches, Hana, Haleakala, Poli Poli, and so many secret places with rarely anyone around. When you knew everyone @ Star Market or Ooka’s Grocery strore or Noda’s Market. And took the keiki to Hookipa with their friends and the dog. Those were the best days!♥️🌸Maui No Ka Oi!!🌺
Moved to the PNW a few years ago for the improved quality of life due to the lower cost of living. I think you take Hawaii with you and meet lots of ex-pats in during daily activities (kept my HI phone number). All of us love it here but do return to the islands as much as possible. My kids were raised in Hawaii while my sister lived in Cali. I kinda used to envy the places they got to drive to on vacations while Hawaii people usually are only able to save for Disney or Vegas. I keep a car in Hawaii to save on rental fees and even the car insurance is astronomical compared to the mainland. My situation is different from yours as I’m an old fart, but it does stick in my mind should I have done this sooner when the kids were young?
Mahalo for sharing. Too bad you couldn't borrow a car from a friend or family member. I can imagine that the insurance is a lot, but it beats those rental car prices these days.
Spot on! “I had to figure out who I was” whether you are on the mainland or in Hawaii..it’s really all about figuring out who you are. You’re identity isn’t Hawaii or the mainland. You are just you..no matter where you are!
That was the mistake I made , I left Maui to be with my mainland family , but I had become a stranger to them cause when I left for Maui 12 years passed. In hindsight I should have stayed in Maui and just visited the mainland. I thought I needed to change my environment to change , but really I was still me wherever I went. I just got back from Maui this last month and it was amazing. All th good feels coming back from my wild days in the 90s there. Such a great time. Back then there was no costco , no wal-mart , no big stores , no crowds , just local places and local stuff. Still nice there now , Kahului is CRAZY busy now. Just miss the old days. At least I got to live them.
@@TheAgentAssassin me too! I was raised in Waikiki in the 60’s and there were only two hotels, the Moana and the Royal Hawaiian. It was classic old Hawaii and I always think I was so fortunate to have experienced the old days in Waikiki. Surfing everyday and listening to beach boys play ukulele on the beach. I’ve realized that family is most important ( as long as you get along with them that is lol) . When I was on Oahu I had no one and it got pretty lonely. It took therapy for me to realize I have to take ME along with ME wherever I go. So I sure as hell better love myself first!
Moved from Hawaii at 18 and... always looked back. Its hard to reconcile the difference between choosing what's comfortable (staying from Hawaii), to choosing to try something new (going to the mainland). Ultimately, I chose the mainland and I, for one, am better for it. There were just no opportunities for advancement (social, financial) on the Big Island. 95% of people I knew were in survival mode, so I left. In a way I didn't, though; I moved to one of the most expensive and culturally diverse parts of the mainland, so that part still feels familiar! A lot of people I grew up with who left and came back all succumbed to the false equivalence of being either "grown" or "flown" and couldn't cope with the feeling of being "flown" while living in the mainland. That inflated ego ultimately goes away with enough time, as one beings to realize that we're not "this", "that" or "the other kine", but rather a pastiche of our experiences. While I've lived longer on the mainland than in Hawaii, I'll always consider Hawaii a second home, and who knows, maybe one day I'll actually be able to afford to live there! Props for choosing to live there, especially for your kids. I can't think of any better place to grow up than Hawaii.
I was working in Key West , Florida. 18months later I was transferred to Oahu. I met my wife a Native from Kailua, Oahu. I thought Florida was expensive , Oahu made the Florida Keys look cheap this was 1992 mind you. My wife and I now reside in Montana , she misses her home on Oahu but not the expense of it....
I left Hawaii in 97. I just couldn't make it even working 3 fast food jobs. I joined the military seeking a better life. My wife, kids, and I visited Hawaii in 2019. It was even more expensive since I last left in 97. And there were so much homeless people...
I left Hawaii at the end of June 2000 and no regrets, the past two to three years have been very difficult for lots of people in Hawaii and I would have been in the same situation if I was still living in Hawaii.
Born and raised in Hawaii, 7 years ago I took early retirement. Saw things were turning for the worse there, high prices, politicians making bad decisions. Moved to the mountain west and I do not regret it. Things are cheaper (well they were till inflation hit). People here for the most part are very friendly and welcoming. Get Hawaiian food here (almost as good but not quite), plenty poly's in the area as well as Hawaiian clubs. All in all, I do miss the islands, the weather, the people and the food. But I would not be able to make a go of it there today had I stayed (fixed income). Plus I can drive wherever I like...lol ...like Vegas.
Married into a family with lots of Hawaii ohana / ties... I know there's is (like so many places) wistfulness for how it was. Just talking about the cultural landscape, but in addition, the aforementioned economics make it so difficult. And with crippling recession, there are lots of folks hurting more all over the country, more recently; and headed to states with better economies/jobs. I hope that the Aloha spirit stays alive in Hawaii. Feel for you, brother.
Brah, where were you filming from, Sand Island? I too have been living in Tokyo, too long and it's definitely cheaper to live here now. I really miss the islands and want to move back but when I look at the real estate market, I just can't believe how crazy it is to try to purchase a place on Oahu!!! Somethis is extremely wrong with the housing market and the cost of living in Hawaii!!!
@@HelloFromHawaii I was in the islands visiting family and friends during the summer and definitely there was a drougtht! As a kid, my father took me to the lagoon to watch him throw net to catch fish. I still remember the big mullets and large schools of papio he tried to catch. Hid did catch some!
I moved to the East Coast to attend college, and have lived away from Hawaii ever since. However, I always tell people that I will be forever conflicted. I love my life on the mainland, but Hawaii will always be "Home." Hawaii is the one place that I feel completely myself, where I truly blend in and belong and can relax, and I visit almost every year. At the same time, my wanderlust and constant desire to explore the world are what drove me out of Hawaii in the first place, and I think I would go crazy living on an island again long-term.
Hawaii will always be home for me too. Family moved when i was ten and I'm 69 now. I try to stay in shape so I can hike , swim and eat plate lunches 2-3 times a year when i come back.
I was raised in Oahu majority of my life and left when I joined the military, yet I decided to retire to American Samoa. I miss Hawaii, and I still have two daughters working and going to college in Hawaii and they don't want to leave because they consider Hawaii home. Their journey reminds me of yours and appreciate your evaluations on your channel. Aloha, Brother.
Born and raised (Mililani). After 40 years, uprooted to Seattle. Coming up on 8years in SEA going continue the grind so I can go back home to retire. Ngl much easier to live than being back home, for now. I hope you and others can continue to be home forever. Awesome vlog. Mahalo plenty!
I am Alaska native n stayed on the Big island for a short while. I miss that place and it helped me health wise in a big way. My daughter's mother-in-law is from Maui. I miss the smell and heat (I never thought I'd miss the heat but I do). I miss fresh ahi and fruit. Especially swimming! A turtle swam right next to me all the way to the shore line. Yes I miss it....God bless you all 💝 and I have a new grandson half AK native (German) and Hawaiian.
Beautifully said. Such a sad situation for Hawaiian people. It's always been my dream to move there to become part of the Aloha community. Sadly, greed and stratification has made it impossible for those who are not rich to live there. I'm glad you're making it work.
We actually bought a house on the big island that was more affordable than being a house on the east coast, where we lived at the time. There are, or maybe now only were? still some affordable locations. Of course, surely, not Oahu
@@hollypietruszka3102 I really love Maui, but it's real estate has gotten ridiculous. But I also love The Big Island. I was just there in July. My husband is from there. Kahena stole my heart as did the north end of the island. Parts of Kona are nice. The beach just north of Costco was bliss. If only they'd put a Costco in Hilo! And the hospitals and doctors were a bit better. And food more fresh and reasonable. Costco had the best food that i could find on the Big Island. Restaurants were overpriced and mediocre for the most part. I love the water and live on the Chesapeake in a small home with a beautiful view. I'd want something with a ocean view. That's expensive even on the Big Island. So i might just continue to appreciate what i have.
Wasn’t my only option but left anyway. Traded in a huge mortgage for the next 20 years for a fully paid off house. Opportunities, travel, cost of living is way better! Quality of life is huge.
I was in Hawaii for a couple of months, stayed on kona. I can understand why the locals really dont all the people with money that come there. They dont have respect for the hardships the locals have to deal with and dont see the problems they deal with when youre working regular jobs. I didnt really feel like i fit in because i hate to go somewhere and put on the culture and act like a local. I rather wait my turn and feel invited into the culture . Many good people there glad i went.
I moved here and left nothing behind on the mainland, because I approached living in Hawaii was failure is not an option. Yes it’s expensive, and sometimes monotonous,especially big island living where everything closes by 9pm and beaches overtaken by tourists and housing being bought up at artificially inflated prices by people who don’t live here but rent out their places and like predators take money out of our economy. But the people and culture of local living is what it’s about, something the average Joe will never understand.
'Left home this past Summer for better job and education opportunities in CONUS. We'll come back to visit a few times per year, but seriously... NO CAN make a reasonable living in Honolulu anymore, and the future prospects are bleak at best. Seeing news about all the recent cray-cray in Waikiki and Chinatown just reinforced my decision made was a good one. Good luck trying to stay in Hawaii. I'm out, and probably won't be back until after Old Boy Democrat rule is miraculously disrupted.
I really hope the Hawaiians and kama'aina who left, come back better. I realized that my south/east coast work ethic was highly prized in outer island Hawai'i. I have a bachelors degree, but would rather work in tourism. Small businesses, restaurants and tour jobs are just mo' fun and I made just enough in that field to support my life. No new car, no expensive clothes/bags etc. Just enough for rent, food, gas and fun for the holo holo days. What really matters in life? Find your ikigai. Find your niche that can work in Hawai'i and put your time in. Live within your means. I absolutely love the Hawaiian culture, the family culture, the pono culture, and of course the aloha spirit. I do think the rent/housing issue is the main problem, and if they can solve this issue, more will stay and maybe more will come back.
Born and raised in Hawaii, my fiance and I are feeling choked by the things you mentioned in this video. We're planning to move to LV by spring of next year. It's too hard being a young person here. It's been a lot of struggling and hating the compromises it takes to stay here. Who knows if it will be a permanent move, we just want more out of life than what is here. Good luck to anyone trying to survive in HI let alone buy a home. This is the depressing reality we live in. I love you Hi but its getting to be enough is enough.
I left HI in 86’ to attend college and play football in CA. After graduating, I ended up staying. I seen both my parents struggle growing up. They encouraged me to pursue a better life. I took every opportunity and ran with it. 36 years later, It’s the best decision I ever made. I’ll be retiring in 2 years with a pension of 90% of my highest paid year. I currently own properties in CA, NV and recently closed escrow this past April on my third home in AZ where I’ll be retiring. Been married for 23 years and have 2 daughters. My oldest is married and the youngest is now in College. I truly believe you’re making the right decision. Good luck in your journey and your new life in LV 🤙🏽
@@maxfit68906 Nice that's the kind of plan we're hoping to pursue also..we'll definitely come back to visit. My dad has been saying the same things about HI since I was a child and the struggle here is only gonna get worse as usual. and Thanks! We are dreaming of room to breathe elsewhere.
@@Nicky96792 Yes. Struggle is good if there’s a specific goal that is attainable to reach. It’s when the struggles continue and the effort and sacrifices yield nothing in return. If you’ve exhausted all the alternatives back home then moving to the mainland where theres ample opportunities to afford a home, obtain a good paying job, save money and raise a family then it’s the right decision. It’s definitely not for everyone. Home is where you hang your hat. Like you said, you can always fly back and visit. I promise you this. Your trips back home will be more satisfying when you know that you are no longer struggling but rather living a life that you and your family have always wanted and earned.
One of those young people leaving Hawaii just bought my oldest daughter's house in VA. I was so surprised that it was someone from Hawaii who bought it. Talk about a small world since my husband I are from Hawaii but moved to NY decades ago when we were your age. Your video just told me a lot about why the buyers are leaving Hawaii. I miss Hawaii and I am one of those that are now the Mainland Auntie and now the mainland grandma. My 2nd daughter moved to Hawaii from NY and just had a baby. Talk about full circles!! BTW, about that one bedroom with 2 kids -- we raised 4 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment in NYC. Costs are crazy in NYC too for real estate. Looking back I don't know how we did it but you do what you have to do! We gave the kids the master bedroom and we made do!
Mahalo for sharing. VA and NC are popular places for locals to move, even though far away. Great that your daughter had a baby here. Great place to raise a family, assuming you can afford it.
@@HelloFromHawaii We tried to warn them about cost of living but NYC is pretty awful too. They are actually in a better situation than they were in NYC. It's like my daughter and Son in law were meant to be in Hawaii. I thought oh -- they have to find jobs this will take awhile but bam -- they both found jobs right before the Pandemic hit and moved literally 2 weeks before it all shut down. They used to spend every vacation going back to Hawaii. It was meant to be and now I have another reason to go home to Hawaii!!
My husband is Korean and we’ve lived on the mainland and in Hawaii. I think if you can make a decent salary in Hawaii it’s worth staying. As an Asian male, my husband felt uncomfortable on the mainland and was discriminated against often. We were on the east coast. While Hawaii has its flaws with high cost of living and dumb politics, there’s also lots of ways to not spend a lot of money and still have a lot of joy in life. When we were on the east coast, we had to have nice vehicles and spend a lot of money and time traveling on days off because there wasn’t much to do where we lived. Whereas in Hawaii you can just meet family or friends and hangout outside somewhere and enjoy the beauty and genuine people. And having an expensive car isn’t really necessary on island and no one seems to judges you for not “keeping up with the Jone’s” . At least I never experienced that. As someone that has moved around a lot, based on what I’ve experienced, there is NO place that compares to Hawaii and those of you that have family there are very blessed. Your people picked the best place. If my family was in HI, I’d never leave. That was my only struggle since I grew up on the east coast. God bless you all. I hope and pray for a bright future for Hawaii.
Love your videos! You tell the truth to Locals who grew up here. I think you and I are around the same age and I totally agree with all your videos. Keep up the great content baddah!
I enjoyed the video. Your advice is very appreciated and informative: it’s great to know that sometimes if things get too expensive then to move on to the mainland. This also applies to the mainland too. Moving from a more expensive area to a cheaper area. Thanks for the video 😊
I lived on O’ahu twice in my life when my dad was stationed out of Pearl. My first memories are of the island. We were transferred back when I started high school. O’ahu to me is home. It was the only place I felt that I fit in because I am hapa.
We transferred out before I finished high school and moved to the mid west. I was a foreigner there. Here is the thing…..
I use to spend a lot of time up in Kahuku on the beach. One day an older local surfer saw me on the beach, just sitting there and watching the waves break. He and I talked for a little while and at the end of it all what he told me stuck.
Hawai’i is a place but it is also a feeling. Aloha is from the heart and as long as you breath you can feel the spirit no matter where you are. I miss Hawai’i and always will. It is home. Like everyone I know who has left we all would love to come home to stay but know it’s very hard with the job market the way it is. But there is always hope.
Mahalo for sharing. Great words of inspiration from that guy you talked to.
@@HelloFromHawaii thank you for sharing as well. He was a wise man. I’d take the bus up there every weekend and he took an interest in me after a while. We would sit and talk while everyone was out in the surf. He kept asking me what I was searching for, until a few years ago I didn’t have an answer so if he is watch….. I do now.
Your channel takes me back to a place I carry with me in my heart. I’ve come across displaced locals from time to time and what got us talking is the island sounds I play to relax. At one point we would take vacation time during the Monarch festival and watch the dance competition. I’d dig a kalua in the back yard and we would roast a pig, make musubi, poke, Mac salad and make a weekend of it like a family reunion with music, dancing, and tell stories about the places we use to go and things we use to do. Good times.
Thanks for sharing. Great reflections.
It’s so funny because having been born & raised in the mainland I despise the oversized housing and disconnection from our abundance. I honor how you truly value what’s important.
Mahalo for the comment. But those big houses on the mainland are nice :)
TY and happy Friday
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Great vid Bro. well made.
Appreciate it!
My wife and I were born and raised on the islands. We have moved to the mainland now about 5 years. It is a whole lot cheaper. We live in Utah where is not much crime. Food is cheap. Rent was cheaper a few years ago but it is going up. We feel like it it a great start to actually owning your own home. A lot more opportunities for me and my family! Lots of things to do! We do miss the beaches and people. We have lots of Polynesians in the mainland. I know how to cook all of the ono local food so not to bad! If you are struggling, I would say try it! If you work construction lots of work in the mainland! The ALOHA SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU! Share it with everyone you come in contact with…. Aloha🤙🏽
Mahalo for sharing. Glad you were able to find opportunities on the mainland. And, yeah, you can cook all the good local food and visit home if you miss it. 🤙
We took our honeymoon on Maui and fell in love with the islands. It was our end game dream to live in Hawaii.
Fast forward 16 years later and we finally did it! We moved to Oahu and it was GLORIOUS......for the first 6 months.
Then reality slapped us in the face and we realized living in paradise isn't what it's all cracked up to be. But we we're anxious to make it work.
Then covid hit and took its toll on the economy. When we realized we couldn't afford to buy a house (and renting again would have put us in a renting forever spiral) we had to move back to Texas. While it's heartbreaking, at least we got to do it. And we immediately got a 20% raise even though our salary didn't change just because of the more affordable cost of living.
We still think about Hawaii all the time, and watching these videos helps see what we miss so much.
Thanks for what you do. 🤙
Mahalo for sharing. Six months is pretty good before the shine wears off in Hawaii. The reality sets in and it's tough.
Thanks!
Do what you gotta do. I went to the mainland for college and then worked all over the world, in 26 countries. I came back to take care of my Mom in her final days. I'm not leaving again (I hope). Your roots will always be here. 🤙
Mahalo for the Super Thanks. 🤙
Mahalo for sharing. 26 countries? Must have been amazing.
Family is so important
Well spoken, it appears that your longest and happiest life is in Hawaii.I just subscribed and will continue to listen
Mahalo 🤙
Born and raised on Oahu, spent most of my adult years on Maui. Moved home (from Maui) 4 years ago to take care my dad. Both parents now passed. Obviously, too expensive, and Hawaii is terribly vulnerable during these times of financial and global crisis = it's only gonna get worse. That said, I just left 2 months ago. I'm now in the lovely town of New Bern, NC, and looking at properties with actual land for 1/8 the $ it'd be back home. Hawaii will always be my home, and I'll always love it, but I'm so looking forward to a more self-sustained life here where I'm not always worried about...the future. Good luck to you, little bradda, no matter your decision. 🤙🏼
Mahalo for sharing. I've heard a lot of Hawaii people end up in NC. Maybe should open up L&L there 😄
@@HelloFromHawaii Eh, no kidding! Lol.
Originally from Mexico, I moved to the east coast in NJ 36 years ago. Just like you said, there are better opportunities living here, but I have never got used to it, I will always be the outsider. I have adjust but will never consider it my home. I was lucky to visit Oahu 3 times in the past 6 years and fell in love with the place and the culture. Driving down the coast on Sundays and seeing all the families enjoying their life together reminded me a lot of my life growing up in Mexico, something I have never felt here. Just like you said, Family it's very important.😊 Good Luck to you and your love ones!
Thanks for the video brother! I’m guilty of this bcuz I left exactly for this reason…the cost of living! Everything u said is Facts🙌💯I’m born and raised Native, and I now live in Vegas it was so hard for me to go but Becoming homeless after covid forced me to pick up n leave. At first I was excited for a new adventure! But the moment I landed in Vegas I felt like I made a mistake! My first 2yrs on the mainland was tough I cried and was home sick to the point I was willing to throw away everything I established here and come home but the thought of struggling like I did made it harder for me to choose HOME! Til this very day I yearn for my Hawaii🙌😢
It's all individual perspective. I have been lucky to live in many places on the planet. Hawaii is the best place I have ever lived, of course, I surf & that is my priority. Minimize, simplify & prioritize your personal "reality" & make a choice. However, if materialism is your perspective of happiness your path is already severed & happiness is unfortunately an impossibility. Aloha & Mahalo.
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Grew up in Kona, Hawaii. I moved to southwest Florida. Found more “Aloha” here than I ever did in Hawaii. Life is much easier and more laid back, having more money sure helps… and the roads…omg, sooooo much better
The roads 😆
Weird, I grew up in Florida and lived here for 50 years, just spent 5 months in Hawaii, and I can say that Hawaii is much more laid back and roads are empty and much better. Everywhere I went on the big island and Oahu I dealt with Aloha. Never was tailgated, had a gun pulled, horn beep and on and on.. Southwest and east coast of Florida have polluted water, dead reefs and urban sprawl. Fish kills, algae bloom.
I just visited Kona, Hawaii and thought the roads looked great compared to the mainland. Maybe they're new roads...
@@billmurphy9230 not to mention Florida Man…😂
My husband’s niece met her fiancé in Hawaii and he moved to be with her in Florida. Is that you? Lol
Many Floridians feeling the same pressure. Massive increases in property tax and exploding insurance costs are making it harder to stay... especially for retirees on a fixed income. I had hoped to visit Hawaii someday... but I can't afford to travel now. At least I had your videos. Good luck to you.
Hope you still can visit one day 🤙
Consider Malaysia, the ease of life is unmatched’ also multi cultural.
‘Mainland’ that idea is a really limiting.
In reality is the whole world is the mainland… Asia’s ease of life is just epic’. Especially South East Asia.
You are spot on…🎉
I grew up on O'ahu and joined the military, married a Midwest gal and settled in California. I'll admit, in all my travels, the culture in Hawaii is special. That said, you need to take inventory to figure out if your life on the islands makes you feel as if you're thriving or just surviving. Only you can answer that question.
Great advice 🤙
I'm in Maui. I've been struggling with the thought of leaving. Breaks me up honestly.
Same as me. Joined the USAF and did 20 years. I was station in California for 17 years, but moved to Florida when I retired from the Air Force.
There is no culture in Hawaii. You clearly haven’t traveled very much.
@@bigmike1850 interesting. Born and raised myself, how do you mean? I was never fully in the culture, but I was familiar with it. Home ownership and opportunities were always out of reach or hidden. Many people were oblivious to my struggles as they either lived a few generations deep in a home or they night and owned their homes years ago.
Great discussion about staying/leaving Hawaii. But Chris. Maybe the reason you had a hard time disassociating from Hawaii was because you have a name tag that says "From Hawaii" 😉
lol 😆
G'day from Denmark, Western Australia🦘🤙. Mahalo for a great topic. I left on the principle to provide a better life for my kids. I grew up on Kauai. Family moved back to Oahu. Went college mainland then came back and maybe I had outgrown HI. I was over the victim attitude, the I'm Hawaiian I like hand outs and overpopulation. FT. I wanted to move to a place that offered a stress free lifestyle, quality education, social medicare, job opportunity and no judgement and fear mongering. In 1993 @ 31 years old, I migrated to Perth, Western Australia. It's been a great adventure. In 2015, I moved to a small coastal town with a population of 2300. It's chilly during the winter but this spot reminds me of Hanalei, like back in the 70's.I have a permanent job at the Agricultural boarding college here in town. I'm a chef. I have two kids. My son, a tradesman; works for Shell on the gas mines and my daughter is in third year at the University Of Notre Dame here in WA. I visit HI often, to visit mum and my siblings. Both are great places for a holiday.
Mahalo for sharing. Glad you experienced life outside of Hawaii and come back to visit. Australia sounds great.
@@HelloFromHawaii What helps my feel at home is the surf, fishing, camping and general outdoors stuff.
Thank you for making these videos. I am fortunate enough to have a remote job (the one good thing to come from this pandemic) that I'm able to visit my parents for six weeks from the mainland... but that "hybrid visitor" line was really spot on. The question "are you from here or just visiting?" is never a simple answer. I may not live in Hawaii but it will always be my home. Aloha!
Great that you can visit and work remote. Tough to navigate that visitor vs moving home mindset. But whenever I would go back to the mainland, I just went on with my life. Hawaii will still be home.
New subscriber aloha from Kaneohe yeeeeah it’s ok we can make it we Hawaii strong 💪 😊🎉
Thanks for subbing!
I moved to Vegas back in 97. Now alot of my cousins and other family are up here. We all have our own homes and its easier to take care of our children when we are not struggling to make ends meet. In fact we all make more than 110k which is decent here. It broke my heart when I went back last year and saw nothing but buildings and Condos. I definatley dont belong there anymore. Food, Family and fishing thats all I miss.
Home is in the heart
I’m from Japan. I was lucky enough to move to Hawaii with my then 14-year-old daughter in 2011 when Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant exploded after the tsunami. I knew no one here. My daughter and I had to start a new life from zero. It was a scary place to be. But you guys, the local Hawaiians welcomed us with open arms and made us feel at home. I am eternally grateful for you. It is sad to see those very people are having a hard time staying.. It is ironic in a way, that it is people like us outsiders who contribute to higher prices in Hawaii. I want you guys to stay and be happy . How do we do that?
Not sure what can be done. But glad that you felt welcomed when you moved here.
Very thoughtful video. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I left 4 months ago after 27 years. It’s been pretty hard.
I keep Shaka waving at people, it’s so sad.
Maybe they'll shaka back one day 🤙
@@HelloFromHawaii
🤙🏽🤙🏻❤️🤙🏼👍🏾 mahalo!☺️
I have been away since 1990. I still 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼 every where I go. Please never change. Aloha lives where ever you bring it.
@@syvajarvi2289 thank you, I really needed that reminder. 🌴🤙🏽🌺
@@mauimarianne I’m glad I could help and spread some Aloha. I was talking to the people I work with and they thought I was weird until I started talking about how I grew up. I lived on O’ahu for a total of six years. When I was very little, then again for a while during high school. I don’t claim to be local, but I claim Hawai’i as home. I felt safe and loved there. I embraced the spirit and pass it around every where I can. Just because you left doesn’t mean that the Kama’aina spirit is gone, it just means you get to share it with new people. 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼 🌴🌴🌺🌺
Family is so important! We always wanted to move to a warmer climate after upon retirement. We still live up north, why? Our grandchildren are here and they are much more important than easy winters.
Nice video. I understand. We've been working on moving back since we left. It's looking g like 2024 is going to be the year we move back. The cool thing about living on da 9th Island is that there's lots of HI peeps here. Moving to the mainland gave us a boost economically. We left in 2002, and the plan was to return in 2012. 💪😁🌴🤙 2024!
I'm sure there are plenty of locals up in Vegas. Recognize them by the 'Hawaii walk'?
I love your channel, I Just found you. Love your stories. I was born and raised in Maui and moved to Las Vegas in 94 when I was 24yo. I love it here and when I go home to Maui to visit, I can only handle about a 2 weeks stay before I want to come back to LV😂. The only regret I have is my daughters are now the “mainland cousins” but I guess with texting and Instagram they talk to their cousins all the time but definitely not the same. Thanks for your relatable stories. ❤
Mahalo for sharing. Glad you found the channel. And yes, technology can keep us connected better now than when I was growing up.
We moved to Texas 9 years ago and haven't looked back. We prefer to vacation there versus live there. I was born and raised there, I'm part Hawaiian, alot of my family is still there but the good has certainly outweighed the bad. I've made so much more progress in my career, have bought a house, traveled more
..it goes on and on. Do we miss it? Of course! But we are at peace with our decision and don't regret it.
I think you hit the nail on it's head, Hawaii is too expensive to just stay for the weather and beauty, but family and community usually supersedes that. Getting together with family and friends is all good.
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Family and friends can get together anywhere for reunion.. Economics should be num 1 priority
@@MikeyzFoodieLair I agree. If family won't understand then they truly aren't family.
Went to Maui last August. Beautiful island. People were friendly, good really good. Did notice a lot of homeless people. They were begging for money like in CA.
A lot of homeless save up airfare to fly to Maui from seattle and Portland- then they camp out and beg.
Yeah, we have a lot of homeless on Oahu too.
This subject has nothing to do with Hawaii. It's the same for anyplace on Earth. People struggle to leave where they're family is, which is a real struggle. You're right in your thinking! Stay and enjoy your family as much as you can! That love is all we have in life.
I think what's sad is that the local people, born and raised in Hawaii, forced to move. That's sad.
Locals for 40 years. In 2010 we took 20% pay cuts to live in SA TX which was 40% lower cost of living (housing, food, gas, utilities). My kids had experiences we could not have afforded if we stayed in HI. We saved for their college (no student debt). My husband and I have retirement savings. All would have been impossible had we stayed in HI. We try to visit home every 2 yrs. So many places to see and experience. HI will always be home, but we’re thankful for the decision we made.
Mahalo for sharing. Sounds great. Lots of opportunity in cheaper places and you can always visit Hawaii.
Hey Sue...are you here to vote for the same Democrats ,that caused you to leave Hawaii???
Moved from San Antonio to Oahu in 2007. Bought my house in SA off Judson and 1604 for $90K in 2002. Had more money than I knew what to do with cost of living was so low. But my God there was nothing to do there. Most boring place on earth unless you're willing to drive to Austin all the time. I'm much happier being less well off but in this paradise wonderland with endless things to do.
im at the point im thinking im going to have to leave the end of this year its realy hurts and is hard to think about but im pretty sure its the right thing to do if i end up moving im pretty sure i might any tips ?
If you or other people do leave, please consider who you vote for. Don’t vote for the same thing you’re running away from. If you vote woke, we will all go broke.
❄️Aloha from Minnesota...Malia, a hybrid over here lol...I was just thinking to myself how relatable I find your perspective...I not even sure if you are going to see this but maybe somebody else will...I apologize in advance for the long comment yeah...I talk a lot...anyway...a bit about me...
My mom has lived in Minnesota her whole life, my dad was born and raised in Hawaii...my dad moved to Minnesota in ‘82...my parents married in ‘92...i was born in ‘95...I think I calculated I’ve spent under a year collectively over the course of my 27 years on Earth(that’s 7-10days a year...270days-give or take some years and days especially with covid I haven’t been home since ‘19)...I totally understand what you say by being the “mainland cousin”...it’s so true...that is how my cousins introduce me as lol...I am tho lol...every visit my family always asks me “when are you gonna move to Hawaii?”...I know they don’t mean disrespect by it and that was always the plan...it’s hard to leave your family...really tho it’s been hard to leave my parents...I always said that after I graduate high school I was gonna move to Hawaii and help with my grandma...I spent 18 years around my Mom’s family it would be really nice to really get to know my Dad’s family...you know one where you’re not anticipating the inevitable goodbye...it always seems like once I settle in and feel at home it’s time to drive back to Kona to catch a long 12 hour flight to take a connecting flight where you finally land back home in Minnesota or something like that the travel time takes a day out of your trip on itself yeah...halfway through my senior year of high school my grandmother on my mom’s side passed away...we have dedicated a lot of time to taking care of the family and plans really changed when my grandma passed away...my parents had taken on a lot of new responsibilities and I felt compelled to stay...fast forward 9 years and I’m still living in Minnesota visiting Hawaii and everyday I feel the pull more and more to move home but Minnesota is also home so it’s like how do I choose...I have always wanted my kids to grow up knowing more than I did and well do know about Hawaii and the older I get it just intensives and on the other hand how could I not want them to grow up around my parents...Minnesota is beautiful too...it was and still is a very hard thing for my dad to just up and leave Hawaii...my grandpa really didn’t approve but in the end it was what my dad needed to do and ultimately my grandpa respected him for it...my dad left behind the opportunity to own the family ranch giving it to my uncle...my dad moved to Minnesota because his first wife was from Minnesota...they had a son together who a week after graduating high school moved back to Hawaii where he was 7 when they moved to Minnesota...he now lives in Honolulu with his wife and kids...how do I choose lol...I am so torn between the two that it leaves me on pause or I just stop all together because I feel like it’s so final...but as you mentioned you were able to understand that going to the mainland for college was 4 years out your life and temporary...Before covid I was thinking about spending a summer in Hawaii...never spent more than 2 weeks there so it be kinda interesting to see how I’d feel after a month...Minnesota is home too yeah... I have all my familiar hangout spots...schools... jobs...friends...family...and not to mention all 4 seasons...I been hearing all the Minnesota jokes that are coming my way...somedays it’s hard to see past a minute and some days I’ve planned my whole week out...when one separates from Hawaii a place they only ever knew it really changes a person and like you said you’re splitting or separating the two... I have only spent around a week a year in Hawaii sometimes I feel like an imposter because I really don’t understand it like someone who was born and raised in Hawaii...but you miss the things that remind you why Hawaii feels like or is home...you can take the Hawaiian out of Hawaii but you cannot take the Aloha out of the Hawaiian...unfortunately I believe you can...when I am not surrounded by that magic I used to say I need a recharge and the ocean is the best medicine around... Minnesota nice is a thing but there’s nothing quite like the Aloha spirit...from the smell to the sounds to the heat...it can’t be beat...its home...I am really into culinary and and growing things that I have been considering talking to my uncle about helping him on the Ranch...he could use the help and it could really be something I fall in love with...with all that being said...maybe one day I’ll have a rainbow license🌈🤙🏽 or maybe raise snow babies who occasionally turn into beach babies...🌊☃️
Mahalo for your videos...I enjoy every second of the beach shots btw...good to see glimpses of the islands
Mahalo for the comment. Haven't been to Minnesota, but sounds very different than here. Amazing your dad could acclimate. And hope that you still feel connected to Hawaii, even that far away. 🤙
Lived in Hawaii for 25 years and we moved to Texas 8 years ago. We're loving it. So much less financial stress here and people here are actually more chill and so much less stressed. Still, I dream about surfing almost every night.
Yeah, it must be nice to not have the financial stress. 🤙
I feel for you, but if it were me, I'd move to the mainland & buy a mansion in a nice suburb & enroll my kids in a really good public school district so they can get the best education possible. I lived for 2 years in HI in a constant state of sticker shock at the cost of those tiny dilapidated shacks on a tenth of an acre. They ALL looked cheaply built, and none were remodeled at all. We moved to Clay county in NE Florida and bought a 3,500 sq ft dream house mansion w/lots of privacy in a gated golf course neighborhood on 3/4 acre w/screened in pool and hot tub for less than $550K (Feb 2020) and we have some of the best school districts in the country here. I just wish we could've brought all our Hawaii neighbors with us. I miss my Aiea Heights neighbors soooo much.
Sounds great. Yeah, a lot of the homes are old, but people are starting to knock them down and build up and out.
There’s not only a brain drain when people leave Hawaii but also a cultural/Aloha one as well. Unfortunately, some of those who can move there (not always the case) from the main land are the ones who don’t care or even refuse to learn the Aloha spirit. They are entitled here and will be entitled there. I for one am glad that you are there and would like to remain there because you seem to embody that great spirit and want it to continue. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and yes you may make more money on the main land but that will come at a cost, a cost to the soul in a sense. The minimalist movement reminds us that we work so hard for stuff we don’t need to impress people we don’t even like…so much truth in that. Stay strong and keep doing what you’re doing.
Mahalo for the comment. Agree that the brain drain is also a cultural drain as well.
We say the same thing about living in Santa Barbara California. Gorgeous weather, beach (cold) close by, mountain ranger-“American Riviera.” Can’t buy a home under a million dollars. A one bedroom is $2,400. The price of paradise? Being on Section 8 is one way to make it.
That's how some can afford to live here.
Family is more important than money
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A lot of people from Hawaii move to Las Vegas Nevada.
Hawaii - in reverse: fantasy vs reality.
My wife and I had a tiny trailer in the mountains of northern California in our early 20's. My parents got us a loan to buy the trailer on a half acre in a very desirable area. We loved it, and so did our kids. But, after 6 years, my mother got really anxious about the loan, and wanted us to pay it off, but we couldn't, and we couldn't get a new loan on our own. So, we sold our little home and moved to Hilo, and had some equity from the sale of our tiny home. We tried to buy another tiny home, in Puna (this was back in 1989), but it would have taken all our savings. We didn't have jobs, and while our kids were at school in Hilo, we drove around Puna looking for vacant land instead of buying a house. Eventually over the course of about 5 months, we bought and resold 4 vacant lots. We also started substitute teaching at lots of schools in Hilo and surrounding areas (my wife and I were not teachers!). We stayed in Hawaii, Hilo, for a year. No one, none of our families or friends from Calif. came to visit us! My wife was worried our kids were speaking pidgin. We were getting cabin fever - it was raining for weeks and weeks it seemed. And there were other little things that started us thinking about moving back to CA. We made lots of good friends in Hilo, and belonged to great church in Hilo. We never did buy a property for ourselves, but we sure had a great time exploring and getting to know the subdivisions of Puna, and enjoyed investing what little money we had, in vacant lots.
We moved back to California, to a little retirement/resort community. We found a little cabin that needed some basic repairs, and we paid cash for it - thanks to the investments we made in Puna. Unintentionally, we flipped a few houses over the years, and always increased our net worth. We thought different times over the years that we could now move back to Hawaii and afford a real house. But, like I have always told people who have the dream of moving to Hawaii, you have to separate fantasy from reality. The reality is, you'll leave friends and family behind, Hawaii is expensive - even on the Big Island, making new friends takes time and effort, if you're not retired (like we are now) - you still have to go to work, take the kids to school, go shopping, pay bills, etc.
You need to be very flexible, and be able to think outside the box - i.e. looking for opportunities that local people do not recognize exist, that you can seize upon to make the money that you need to support yourself when what you used to do is not going to work for you in Hawaii. (I had created a great little, highly profitable business in Calif. that did not work in Hawaii. So I had to do something else.)
In retrospect, we could have stayed in Hawaii and made a very good living. We were always poor, but we lived well because we were frugal. Anyway, we moved on after Hawaii, and always missed it. We've been back to visit. Initially, we went to Hawaii in 1975 with our bicycles and rode all around (literally) the Big Island for a month, camping WITHOUT a tent. After working a construction job on Maui so I could buy a return ticket (we bought one-way tickets to Hawaii), we returned to Calif. after 3 months - broke.
Hawaii changed our lives. The people in Hawaii changed our lives. We did Hawaii on the cheap to make it happen, and it paid off for us (not the first time, anyway). We still think about moving back, but we still have to separate fantasy from reality.
An adventurous life. You took risks.
I'd say California is pretty diverse within the mainland. Don't have to worry about being Asian and standing out there.
But yes, I moved from California to the Midwest.... Got the whole change
Well, your right about the cost of living, we are right up there in costs living here in Alaska. Food is going to be hard to get to you in Hawaii and Alaska. Your out there all alone, buy a good boat..
It’s wonderful to listen to you process the pros and cons of staying or leaving. It seems that your highest values are your family and being close to all of them. That’s important to know! That is awesome. And your heart and mind are open. Your family is lucky to have you.
I connect with many of the sentiments expressed in this video, as I have left my native state for my spouse's new career opportunity. I will feel weird visiting my native state in a matter of weeks for work, but it is something I am having to come to terms with.
So I was here in the 90s, left and came back. There is definitely a financial issue but east coast living is not all it's cracked up to be. Kid's comfort is primary for sure
I identify with the same challenges when I left Hawaii for college back in 1980. Hawaii has this fantastic culture which builds an identity in us and we love identifying ourselves with Hawaii, and the longing to return never ever leaves... and visits just never satisfy. I know of no other state that has this powerful effect...but maybe other states have that effect, especially those states with a distinctive and unique culture, history, diversity and food.
Mahalo for sharing
Went to Waikiki, Beautiful place but after one week I couldn't wait to come back home to California. The weather was just too clammy in September.
Yeah, it can be humid.
I had purchased plane tickets. The research was done and a new home located. We were leaving our home town for greener pastures. That was more than twenty years ago and I never got on that flight. What happened that could make me abruptly change course? You already know the answer.
I just went shopping at Kunia times: two small steaks and three bags of premixed vegetables $45. It’s crazy!
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I lived on Oahu for 2 years and was fortunate enough to make somewhere around 100k a year at the time. Which was 8 years ago. Even then, it felt like a struggle to live comfortably. I worked 80-100 hrs a week. 1 job. Had no time to enjoy life in Hawaii. The only times I was ever truly happy was when work took me to the big island. Away from the chaos of Honolulu. I went back again for work a couple years later for 2 weeks. I was sad by what I saw.. The beaches were filthy. Tents and trash everywhere.. 😕
Yeah, it's tough to make it, even with that income. Also tough to enjoy Hawaii when you're working so hard.
"Looking out upon the ciiiity lights.." If you know you know.
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If you move, don't come to Colorado. It's gotten so expensive with all the California's and Texan's moving here.
Even northern Colorado?
@@HelloFromHawaii I'm not a realtor but prices are way up everywhere since we got here. It's almost impossible to find a single family home for under $500k anywhere.
I just came back from Hawaii as a tourist . It’s heart breaking to learn that people thinking of leaving Hawaii. I understand that cost of living is a deal breaker but leaving Hawaii for mainland ?
Mahalo! I have watched this dynamic for years and wish there was an answer that we could all reach out and touch. Something we could find to change this ongoing situation. At one point in my life, I was looking at my checking account and had $6.23 in it until my next paycheck. I was literally looking at the gas in my car, the food in my house and thinking, "Ok I am alright". My other thought was how many are not alright? Fast forward from then (It was 1995 in Hawaii) and I am better, and doing fine. My wishes go out to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation. Sometimes life just has a way of working out.
Mahalo for the Super Thanks. I wonder about those that are struggling too. With the holidays approaching, I hope people are budgeting and not spending what they don't have. 🤙
yeah I moved to Maui in 1991 with $300 in my account
I stayed another 12 years and only left to visit family
when I LEFT maui my rent was $300 a month , my landlord was so cool
Breaks my heart, as a Hawaiian, to think about moving to the mainland
I lived in Hawaii, for four years, back in the early 60's. My dad was in the Navy and stationed at Pearl. Hawaii was a wonderland of enchantment for me back then. Every day was a new adventure. My dad hated living there. He was from a very close knit family and being separated by an ocean was not a good thing, especially around holidays (really bad case of island fever). He told me later that Hawaii was a great place to visit on vacation, but working there was not his cup of tea. Through the years I have been back to the Hawaiian Islands over twenty times and always love it. Though it has changed quite a bit from the 60's (not always for the better) it is still a land of enchantment for me.
Mahalo for sharing 🤙
Mahalo for this and all your videos Chris. I have been away for a very long time and don't visit as much since my parents passed away. These videos keep me connected.
Mahalo. Glad these videos help 🤙
If you re-settle in California, in the major cities, you will not feel ethnically out of place. I remember going to college in the Midwest and sure, I often felt self-conscious and out-of-place. But it wasn't so bad and I didn't let it become bad. Most people starring at me did so out of curiosity and not hostility. I realized they were looking at me exactly because I looked out of place to them as well.
FYI, I listened to "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Justin Young so many times while editing this video. 😆🤙If you're local, you know how great this cover is.
ruclips.net/video/0fCyxjlpM1g/видео.html&ab_channel=manakotuifua
Kaua'i is definitely getting up there. We Killin it tho.
I grew up in puna on the big island and know I live in Northern California… it was hard to leave and I miss it everyday … but I have a great life here and I love it …
Come to Vegas, BIG Hawaiian community here.
Born and raised Hawaii all of the 1990s and all of the 2000s. 2 full decades of paradise bliss and (mostly) joy and happiness. Im forever grateful to my family for selecting Hawaii of all American states to live in back in the day because it made my childhood and teenhood unmatched in enjoyment.
That said I currently live in an unknown underrated part of the state of Texas now with only a small partial amount of family because it just got too expensive. We gave in on October 13th 2021. So technically I've existed on Hawaii for officially 3 decades.
Not too bad for a local style boy who didn't make much of himself.
With all that said though. Like what Chris said at the end. No matter what. Hawaii will always be my... no. Our home. The economy, evil government and secret societies can and ultimately will take most of everything away from us. But they'll never take away our pride and love for where we came from.
Aloha. 🌺🌴
Mahalo for sharing. Yes, Hawaii will always be home.
Yes from those suckers…
By the way, Texas became one of the few remaining true American state alongside Florida these days 😢
The 90s was awesome in Maui.
My rent was $300 a month FROM 1991-2003
My aunt and uncle still live there but yeah the property and rent prices now are CRAZY !!
I got back from Maui about 3 weeks ago visiting my uncle/auntie and I nearly cried my eyes out at Kahului airport , leaving again.
Maui is so my home though , when I went back it was like a warm blanket surrounded me and all the Ohana , oh so good the feels there. Maui is where I became a man and lived life free and wild. I'm glad I got to experience the good days.
Sugar cane , pineapple , no costco , no wal mart , just local stores and local loving people. Oh man I better stop now gonna cry again. No worries
I miss plate lunches too!
@risinglotuswind umm . Its fact
@@TheAgentAssassin Those days are gone. I remember when rent was $400 mo and we thot that was high! 😂 Lol!! Back in the 70’s it was pristine! 65,000, maybe, people living Maui. I lived out North Shore side in Haiku near Jaws. There were No traffic lights back then, only 2 on island. One in Wailuku and one Lahaina side. And they went to flashing yellow after 5 pm!! and no traffic! Those were the days! I live in mainland now, SC. We left 3 years ago. It has been a very difficult transition for me😢. It’s cheaper. I miss Hawaii terribly. But also don’t want to go back because it’s too overcrowded and changed so much and has lost it’s small town island charm. I now have my memories of how it was when you could drive around the island without stopping at a traffic light or being stuck in traffic, and being able to enjoy the beaches, Hana, Haleakala, Poli Poli, and so many secret places with rarely anyone around. When you knew everyone @ Star Market or Ooka’s Grocery strore or Noda’s Market. And took the keiki to Hookipa with their friends and the dog. Those were the best days!♥️🌸Maui No Ka Oi!!🌺
It’s the same pretty much everywhere, everything costs more for less. It’s unaffordable.
Moved to the PNW a few years ago for the improved quality of life due to the lower cost of living. I think you take Hawaii with you and meet lots of ex-pats in during daily activities (kept my HI phone number). All of us love it here but do return to the islands as much as possible. My kids were raised in Hawaii while my sister lived in Cali. I kinda used to envy the places they got to drive to on vacations while Hawaii people usually are only able to save for Disney or Vegas. I keep a car in Hawaii to save on rental fees and even the car insurance is astronomical compared to the mainland. My situation is different from yours as I’m an old fart, but it does stick in my mind should I have done this sooner when the kids were young?
Mahalo for sharing. Too bad you couldn't borrow a car from a friend or family member. I can imagine that the insurance is a lot, but it beats those rental car prices these days.
@@HelloFromHawaii Haha, still “island style” and no like inconvenience anyone although many have offered!
Spot on! “I had to figure out who I was” whether you are on the mainland or in Hawaii..it’s really all about figuring out who you are. You’re identity isn’t Hawaii or the mainland. You are just you..no matter where you are!
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That was the mistake I made , I left Maui to be with my mainland family , but I had become a stranger to them cause when I left for Maui 12 years passed. In hindsight I should have stayed in Maui and just visited the mainland.
I thought I needed to change my environment to change , but really I was still me wherever I went.
I just got back from Maui this last month and it was amazing. All th good feels coming back from my wild days in the 90s there. Such a great time.
Back then there was no costco , no wal-mart , no big stores , no crowds , just local places and local stuff.
Still nice there now , Kahului is CRAZY busy now. Just miss the old days. At least I got to live them.
@@TheAgentAssassin me too! I was raised in Waikiki in the 60’s and there were only two hotels, the Moana and the Royal Hawaiian. It was classic old Hawaii and I always think I was so fortunate to have experienced the old days in Waikiki.
Surfing everyday and listening to beach boys play ukulele on the beach. I’ve realized that family is most important ( as long as you get along with them that is lol) . When I was on Oahu I had no one and it got pretty lonely. It took therapy for me to realize I have to take ME along with ME wherever I go. So I sure as hell better love myself first!
Moved from Hawaii at 18 and... always looked back. Its hard to reconcile the difference between choosing what's comfortable (staying from Hawaii), to choosing to try something new (going to the mainland). Ultimately, I chose the mainland and I, for one, am better for it. There were just no opportunities for advancement (social, financial) on the Big Island. 95% of people I knew were in survival mode, so I left. In a way I didn't, though; I moved to one of the most expensive and culturally diverse parts of the mainland, so that part still feels familiar! A lot of people I grew up with who left and came back all succumbed to the false equivalence of being either "grown" or "flown" and couldn't cope with the feeling of being "flown" while living in the mainland. That inflated ego ultimately goes away with enough time, as one beings to realize that we're not "this", "that" or "the other kine", but rather a pastiche of our experiences. While I've lived longer on the mainland than in Hawaii, I'll always consider Hawaii a second home, and who knows, maybe one day I'll actually be able to afford to live there!
Props for choosing to live there, especially for your kids. I can't think of any better place to grow up than Hawaii.
Mahalo for sharing. It's a tough decision to move back or stay, especially when so many have left.
Inflation is everywhere. California is just as costly as the Islands.
I agree. My property tax is literally thru the roof. Gas is cheaper in Hawai’i. People are awesome.
I was working in Key West , Florida. 18months later I was transferred to Oahu. I met my wife a Native from Kailua, Oahu. I thought Florida was expensive , Oahu made the Florida Keys look cheap this was 1992 mind you. My wife and I now reside in Montana , she misses her home on Oahu but not the expense of it....
I left Hawaii in 97. I just couldn't make it even working 3 fast food jobs. I joined the military seeking a better life. My wife, kids, and I visited Hawaii in 2019. It was even more expensive since I last left in 97. And there were so much homeless people...
Hawai'i is a lovely space and good people. It is good for visit but too expensive to live there.
I left Hawaii at the end of June 2000 and no regrets, the past two to three years have been very difficult for lots of people in Hawaii and I would have been in the same situation if I was still living in Hawaii.
What's been happening there in the last two / three years?
Born and raised in Hawaii, 7 years ago I took early retirement. Saw things were turning for the worse there, high prices, politicians making bad decisions. Moved to the mountain west and I do not regret it. Things are cheaper (well they were till inflation hit). People here for the most part are very friendly and welcoming. Get Hawaiian food here (almost as good but not quite), plenty poly's in the area as well as Hawaiian clubs. All in all, I do miss the islands, the weather, the people and the food. But I would not be able to make a go of it there today had I stayed (fixed income). Plus I can drive wherever I like...lol ...like Vegas.
I liked Colorado. Great location and friendly people.
Married into a family with lots of Hawaii ohana / ties... I know there's is (like so many places) wistfulness for how it was. Just talking about the cultural landscape, but in addition, the aforementioned economics make it so difficult. And with crippling recession, there are lots of folks hurting more all over the country, more recently; and headed to states with better economies/jobs. I hope that the Aloha spirit stays alive in Hawaii. Feel for you, brother.
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Brah, where were you filming from, Sand Island? I too have been living in Tokyo, too long and it's definitely cheaper to live here now. I really miss the islands and want to move back but when I look at the real estate market, I just can't believe how crazy it is to try to purchase a place on Oahu!!! Somethis is extremely wrong with the housing market and the cost of living in Hawaii!!!
It's Keahi Lagoon. Pretty dry, but nice open space.
@@HelloFromHawaii I was in the islands visiting family and friends during the summer and definitely there was a drougtht! As a kid, my father took me to the lagoon to watch him throw net to catch fish. I still remember the big mullets and large schools of papio he tried to catch. Hid did catch some!
I moved to the East Coast to attend college, and have lived away from Hawaii ever since. However, I always tell people that I will be forever conflicted. I love my life on the mainland, but Hawaii will always be "Home." Hawaii is the one place that I feel completely myself, where I truly blend in and belong and can relax, and I visit almost every year. At the same time, my wanderlust and constant desire to explore the world are what drove me out of Hawaii in the first place, and I think I would go crazy living on an island again long-term.
Plus, the older I get, the less tolerant I am of cold weather. I used to drive around in the winter with my car window down. No longer! Lol!
I don't mind the cold weather, but I can't stand the ice on the windshield. 😆
Hawaii will always be home for me too. Family moved when i was ten and I'm 69 now. I try to stay in shape so I can hike , swim and eat plate lunches 2-3 times a year when i come back.
Is it not possible to make more money to cover the additional living costs in Hawaii .
Salaries in Hawaii are often lower than in other parts of the country, especially when cost of living is factored in.
I was raised in Oahu majority of my life and left when I joined the military, yet I decided to retire to American Samoa. I miss Hawaii, and I still have two daughters working and going to college in Hawaii and they don't want to leave because they consider Hawaii home. Their journey reminds me of yours and appreciate your evaluations on your channel. Aloha, Brother.
We would stay there... with family - Family is everything
Born and raised (Mililani). After 40 years, uprooted to Seattle. Coming up on 8years in SEA going continue the grind so I can go back home to retire. Ngl much easier to live than being back home, for now.
I hope you and others can continue to be home forever. Awesome vlog. Mahalo plenty!
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@@HelloFromHawaii Howzit! Replies? 🤙🏽
I am Alaska native n stayed on the Big island for a short while. I miss that place and it helped me health wise in a big way. My daughter's mother-in-law is from Maui. I miss the smell and heat (I never thought I'd miss the heat but I do). I miss fresh ahi and fruit. Especially swimming! A turtle swam right next to me all the way to the shore line. Yes I miss it....God bless you all 💝 and I have a new grandson half AK native (German) and Hawaiian.
Congratulations on the new grandson 🤙
@@HelloFromHawaii Mahalo nui loa 🤙quyanna
Beautifully said. Such a sad situation for Hawaiian people. It's always been my dream to move there to become part of the Aloha community. Sadly, greed and stratification has made it impossible for those who are not rich to live there. I'm glad you're making it work.
Mahalo for the comment. Yes, still trying to make it work, like many locals.
We actually bought a house on the big island that was more affordable than being a house on the east coast, where we lived at the time. There are, or maybe now only were? still some affordable locations. Of course, surely, not Oahu
@@hollypietruszka3102 I really love Maui, but it's real estate has gotten ridiculous. But I also love The Big Island. I was just there in July. My husband is from there. Kahena stole my heart as did the north end of the island. Parts of Kona are nice. The beach just north of Costco was bliss.
If only they'd put a Costco in Hilo! And the hospitals and doctors were a bit better. And food more fresh and reasonable. Costco had the best food that i could find on the Big Island. Restaurants were overpriced and mediocre for the most part.
I love the water and live on the Chesapeake in a small home with a beautiful view. I'd want something with a ocean view. That's expensive even on the Big Island. So i might just continue to appreciate what i have.
@@johnatyoutube try Cost U Less in Hilo - it's a bootlegged Costco
Wasn’t my only option but left anyway. Traded in a huge mortgage for the next 20 years for a fully paid off house. Opportunities, travel, cost of living is way better! Quality of life is huge.
Huge quality of life upgrade 🤙
I was in Hawaii for a couple of months, stayed on kona. I can understand why the locals really dont all the people with money that come there. They dont have respect for the hardships the locals have to deal with and dont see the problems they deal with when youre working regular jobs. I didnt really feel like i fit in because i hate to go somewhere and put on the culture and act like a local. I rather wait my turn and feel invited into the culture . Many good people there glad i went.
Mahalo for sharing. Although you felt like you didn't fit in, hope you still enjoyed your time here.
@@HelloFromHawaii I enjoyed seeing the real part of Hawaii. It takes time to fit in any new place. Enjoyed the locals, much respect.
I moved here and left nothing behind on the mainland, because I approached living in Hawaii was failure is not an option. Yes it’s expensive, and sometimes monotonous,especially big island living where everything closes by 9pm and beaches overtaken by tourists and housing being bought up at artificially inflated prices by people who don’t live here but rent out their places and like predators take money out of our economy. But the people and culture of local living is what it’s about, something the average Joe will never understand.
'Left home this past Summer for better job and education opportunities in CONUS. We'll come back to visit a few times per year, but seriously... NO CAN make a reasonable living in Honolulu anymore, and the future prospects are bleak at best.
Seeing news about all the recent cray-cray in Waikiki and Chinatown just reinforced my decision made was a good one. Good luck trying to stay in Hawaii. I'm out, and probably won't be back until after Old Boy Democrat rule is miraculously disrupted.
I really hope the Hawaiians and kama'aina who left, come back better. I realized that my south/east coast work ethic was highly prized in outer island Hawai'i. I have a bachelors degree, but would rather work in tourism. Small businesses, restaurants and tour jobs are just mo' fun and I made just enough in that field to support my life. No new car, no expensive clothes/bags etc. Just enough for rent, food, gas and fun for the holo holo days. What really matters in life? Find your ikigai. Find your niche that can work in Hawai'i and put your time in. Live within your means. I absolutely love the Hawaiian culture, the family culture, the pono culture, and of course the aloha spirit. I do think the rent/housing issue is the main problem, and if they can solve this issue, more will stay and maybe more will come back.
Hawaiian is what I am no matter where I live.
Born and raised in Hawaii, my fiance and I are feeling choked by the things you mentioned in this video. We're planning to move to LV by spring of next year. It's too hard being a young person here. It's been a lot of struggling and hating the compromises it takes to stay here. Who knows if it will be a permanent move, we just want more out of life than what is here. Good luck to anyone trying to survive in HI let alone buy a home. This is the depressing reality we live in. I love you Hi but its getting to be enough is enough.
I left HI in 86’ to attend college and play football in CA. After graduating, I ended up staying. I seen both my parents struggle growing up. They encouraged me to pursue a better life. I took every opportunity and ran with it. 36 years later, It’s the best decision I ever made. I’ll be retiring in 2 years with a pension of 90% of my highest paid year. I currently own properties in CA, NV and recently closed escrow this past April on my third home in AZ where I’ll be retiring. Been married for 23 years and have 2 daughters. My oldest is married and the youngest is now in College.
I truly believe you’re making the right decision. Good luck in your journey and your new life in LV 🤙🏽
@@maxfit68906 Nice that's the kind of plan we're hoping to pursue also..we'll definitely come back to visit. My dad has been saying the same things about HI since I was a child and the struggle here is only gonna get worse as usual. and Thanks! We are dreaming of room to breathe elsewhere.
Yeah, getting tough for younger families. LV will be nice, though. No income tax and plenty of local people there.
@@Nicky96792 Yes. Struggle is good if there’s a specific goal that is attainable to reach. It’s when the struggles continue and the effort and sacrifices yield nothing in return. If you’ve exhausted all the alternatives back home then moving to the mainland where theres ample opportunities to afford a home, obtain a good paying job, save money and raise a family then it’s the right decision. It’s definitely not for everyone.
Home is where you hang your hat. Like you said, you can always fly back and visit. I promise you this. Your trips back home will be more satisfying when you know that you are no longer struggling but rather living a life that you and your family have always wanted and earned.
One of those young people leaving Hawaii just bought my oldest daughter's house in VA. I was so surprised that it was someone from Hawaii who bought it. Talk about a small world since my husband I are from Hawaii but moved to NY decades ago when we were your age. Your video just told me a lot about why the buyers are leaving Hawaii. I miss Hawaii and I am one of those that are now the Mainland Auntie and now the mainland grandma. My 2nd daughter moved to Hawaii from NY and just had a baby. Talk about full circles!!
BTW, about that one bedroom with 2 kids -- we raised 4 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment in NYC. Costs are crazy in NYC too for real estate. Looking back I don't know how we did it but you do what you have to do! We gave the kids the master bedroom and we made do!
Mahalo for sharing. VA and NC are popular places for locals to move, even though far away. Great that your daughter had a baby here. Great place to raise a family, assuming you can afford it.
@@HelloFromHawaii We tried to warn them about cost of living but NYC is pretty awful too. They are actually in a better situation than they were in NYC. It's like my daughter and Son in law were meant to be in Hawaii. I thought oh -- they have to find jobs this will take awhile but bam -- they both found jobs right before the Pandemic hit and moved literally 2 weeks before it all shut down. They used to spend every vacation going back to Hawaii. It was meant to be and now I have another reason to go home to Hawaii!!
My husband is Korean and we’ve lived on the mainland and in Hawaii. I think if you can make a decent salary in Hawaii it’s worth staying. As an Asian male, my husband felt uncomfortable on the mainland and was discriminated against often. We were on the east coast. While Hawaii has its flaws with high cost of living and dumb politics, there’s also lots of ways to not spend a lot of money and still have a lot of joy in life. When we were on the east coast, we had to have nice vehicles and spend a lot of money and time traveling on days off because there wasn’t much to do where we lived. Whereas in Hawaii you can just meet family or friends and hangout outside somewhere and enjoy the beauty and genuine people. And having an expensive car isn’t really necessary on island and no one seems to judges you for not “keeping up with the Jone’s” . At least I never experienced that. As someone that has moved around a lot, based on what I’ve experienced, there is NO place that compares to Hawaii and those of you that have family there are very blessed. Your people picked the best place. If my family was in HI, I’d never leave. That was my only struggle since I grew up on the east coast.
God bless you all. I hope and pray for a bright future for Hawaii.
Mahalo for sharing. Hawaii is definitely a special place. No place like it. 😁
Dude, same here in California too expensive. This is earth. There is nothing you can do.
Sorry to hear about how Exspensive it is in your beautiful state
Love your videos! You tell the truth to Locals who grew up here. I think you and I are around the same age and I totally agree with all your videos. Keep up the great content baddah!
🤙 Appreciate it