Looking to move in a few years

[bstagy]

I'm looking to relocate to paradise, but I understand there's no avoiding the expense. Living in NY I'm used to high cost, but it seems Hawaii is even more expensive. I am do a few different things and cannot seem to pick a career and stick with it. I am a massage therapist, cook, waiter, bartender, IT professionally certified, certified martial artist, guitar player, Qi Kung and meditation practitioner, and I enjoy doing all these things. I just get bored after a while and need to leave it, but I always come back. True I may need a therapist, but I'm getting used to the idea that I may never make alot of money. And since I'm going to be poor anyway, I figure why not be poor in paradise. Atleast when I'm not working, I can head down to the beach or hike in the mountains. I'm wondering realistically how much will I need to have saved. If I left now I can go with 7,000. I figure I can get a job working in a restaurant or hotel, but are the wages ridiculously low? I think it would be tough to have a restaurant job lined up without having a residence there. I must be out of my mind, but I feel drawn to a lifestyle that is simple, laid back and all about people. ~Brad

[LikaNui]

Re: Looking to move in a few years

And since I'm going to be poor anyway, I figure why not be poor in paradise.

Oh Gawd, not again!
Be advised, that attitude will not make you any friends in Hawai`i and will, more likely, get you into some big trouble.
Reality check:
That $7,000 you said you had will last you maybe one month here. As much as half of it will be gone instantly in getting a place to live, with first month's rent and security deposit. And you absolutely must save enough to buy a return flight for when you discover that Hawai`i is not paradise, it simply has great weather and great people. Like most newcomers, you will return home in a year or so, if you can last that long, even.
And in the meantime, it's our tax dollars that will have to support you when things go to hell for you.
No, sir. Not a good idea. Not a good idea at all.

[arturo_h]

Re: Looking to move in a few years

I'm sorry to say but LikaNui is right. Many people who "experience" Hawai'i, experience Waikiki or something similar to what Waikiki represents. But in reality, Hawai'i is nothing like Waikiki. Waikiki is a just a facade. The rest of Hawai’i is like any other city (except the weather and the people like LikaNui said). The only difference is the cost of living is higher. There are many cultural differences as well and many “mainlanders” have a hard time adjusting to these differences. Although the pictures may show Hawai’i as “paradise” when you live here you have a hard time experiencing this “paradise.” Most of the time you are just working hard enough to survive and may not see the beach or any type of paradise for a while. I think what LikaNui was trying to say was you need a better reason to move here rather than just for the “paradise.”
Arturo

[pzarquon]

Re: Looking to move in a few years

Brad, I'm sorry that the intial responses to your inquiry are so negative and blunt, but I have to say, your description of your circumstance raises so many red flags, the only responsible answer would have to be to discourage you from relocating.

I can more than understand the restlessness and need to move around -- geographically and professionally -- but Hawaii is not the place to go on a whim, or out of some idle curiosity. Choose any other state, and you know that abject failure only means you need to catch a bus somewhere else, or at least a very long walk. Failing in Hawaii is a terrible fate, and one that is very, very difficult to escape.

Hawaii can be paradise, but as a person who has to work for a living, you might see very little of that. There won't be much time for the beach as you struggle to make ends meet. And that's if you get a job, keep that job (a challenge if you're being honest about your tendencies), and find a place to live that you can afford. (I agree, $7,000 is at best a month's cushion.)

We don't need or want someone else to arrive on our shores figuring they'd at least "be poor in paradise," when homelessness is front page news (right now in particular) and there are endless stories of people who have full-time jobs, or several of them, and still end up on the street, subject to crime, drugs, harassment...

Trying to move to Hawaii without a serious plan, nor significant savings, is irresponsible. No one can't stop you, but from what you've said so far, I don't know if anyone would encourage you.

[tutusue]

Re: Looking to move in a few years

Yep...what pzarquon said, exactly. You can search the homeless situation at this newspaper and this one. This is the new breed of homeless...people who are employed. I honestly don't know how you'd avoid ending up in the same situation.