BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Hawaii Hawaii - What's the Big Deal, Anyway?

Hawaii..........the name alone conjures images of sand and beach...palm fronds and hula........but Hawaii is more than just a place. It's a state of mind.

Living in Hawaii is not for everyone....some come over with expectations of living happily ever after and a few weeks into their move they are ready to scramble off this rock.....

It's not that only special people make it here.....it's that you need to know that things move at a slower pace, and you adapt yours to it.....it means becoming a part of the 'aina and the island ohana.....It means not continuing your mainland rat race or keeping up with the Joneses....What you wear and what you drive does not interest anyone around you......only who you are and how you live and if you can 'play well with others' ...... It means respecting the 'aina and the people, be they of any race, creed or color. It means cherishing the differences.....It means taking time to smell the pikake...... It means not trying to impose your own ideas of how things should be done just because that's the way they were done where you came from.......

You come here to get away from wherever you came...why bring it with you?

.........and finally, someone mentions in another thread the crime and drugs.......yes, they exist here just as they do anywhere else in the world....there is no more of it here than 'there'.....it's just because we are in a homier and smaller place that it is noticed more......Crime is NOT rampant....and if someone here doesn't like you, it's not due to race, color or creed, but just because they don't like you personally.

I have lived in two different countries and 5 different States........when I moved here, it was like coming home....and if I ever have to get off this rock it will be for reasons beyond my control and I will go kicking and screaming!
<img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Aloha Sonia,

I loved reading your post. It's so true. Although there is
some prejudice, it's true that most of the time if someone
doesn't like someone, it's because of the person not the
color or shape of the eyes :-)

I've lived in New England (Boston and rural areas), Southern Calif (suburbs of LA), Southern Oregon and Hawaii. I've had the pleasure of spending about 1/5 of my life (10 years) living in Hawaii. Even in Waimanalo, a very local area on Oahu, my child and I were welcome (and I've got light brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin).

Primarily we lived in Hilo and Puna areas on the
Big Island, again much more local than say Kona. I'm so excited because my son and I are moving back to the Big Island in mid-February - with three cats. Feb. 14, they will qualify for Hawaii's new direct release program - NO quarantine :-)

Aloha is alive and well in Hawaii nei. Check out this page on the Aloha Spirt: http://www.coconutroads.com/aloha.html.

What island do you live on Sonia?

A hui hou!
Cindy

I enjoyed the view of Honolulu from the top of Diamond Head crater.

BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

I dreamed of Maui for years and finally made it to the island of paradise. I definitely am happy and recommend the island life to anyone.

I was fortunate enough to actually grow up in Hawaii and I must say that after 38 years of not living there, I miss it terribly.

I lived in Kahala and went to Punahou. I found out last week that Barack Obama and I had the same 5th grade teacher. It was fun to read that in my school magazine that I get.

I miss the Palm trees and the air and the ocean.

Thanks for your post.

warm turquoise water to swim in. We flee to Hawaii every winter just to escape Milwaukee's winter. Four years in a row now. It's always hard to fathom that we're really going as we pack our swim fins and dive suits and look outside to our white landscape. This year we're going to the Big Island for a change. The condo we rented is just outside Kona and we have a new book called Hawaii the Big Island Trailblazer that we've been reading for the past week. Nice introduction to all there is to do there. There's an active volcano there and apparently the water is the cleanest because the shores are made of lava (a filter). Lots of diving in store.

We've been to Kauai twice and like to hike there. We've been to Maui and found it very tourist heavy but still had a good time.

The Big Deal? Exotic, safe, perfect weather, gorgeous sunsets, friendly locals, a place to have fun, the U.S.A.! Why we go.

check out: www.trailblazertravelbooks.com

What a cool post. I live 15 minutes from the beach and I never go there. I burn very easily and I can't swim. So, I never had the desire to visit Hawaii because I assumed it wouldn't be very different from CA.

I'm interested in visiting now, though. The slow pace and the lack of keeping up with the Joneses is very applealing. Thanks for the tip.

Cindy,
It was interesting hearing that they dropped the quarantine for your cats. That is awesome. Otherwise, I heard it was quite a long proces taking pets in the past.

Love Hawaii. Loved Kauai and Hilo. The Puna district of Hilo on the water is pretty cool.

I have visited Hawaii several times and really love it. It's absolutely beautiful. Probably my all time resort is on the big island called Kona Village Resort. I haven't been there is about 20 years but I still remember it. Beautiful huts, no tvs or telephones. Want something? Simply turn a shell over at your door step and someone will assist you. It was like a week in paradise. Although it's frightfully expensive now, I'm trying to save up to go with my family. If you can afford it, go.

I'm a birder and Hawaii is near the top of my list of places I want to go for the birds. And the scenery, and the water, and the people, etc.
One of my DDs had friends who lived there for several years and she visited often. Trouble was, they lived half way up a mountain in the cloud zone, and they rarely saw the sun and finally moved back to the mainland to dry out. No wonder their house was such a good buy!