This is an email from a woman in Oregon that has been to Hawaii multiple times, and is now considering living in the islands.

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Sharon: Hi Peter!

me: Hi ___! I will call her “Sharon”, not her real name, but in the interest of privacy and all.

Sharon: Thank you so much for writing your Moving to Hawaii guide! I have been lucky enough to visit Hawaii a couple of times since moving to Portland, Oregon. I enjoyed myself so much that I once spaced out and almost missed my flight back!

me:  I enjoyed writing the ebook (found here). It was a good effort, but the writing brought me back to one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve known people to miss their flights back on purpose – yeah. By accident? NOPE!

Sharon: Now, after many adventures (including producing my own mini documentary, currently being edited) I am wondering whether Hawaii would be a good place for an adventurous, laid back person. I don’t have children ( would like to adopt though) and I paid off all my student loans, so I think I would be the kind of person who would be a good candidate.

me:  Sounds like Hawaii is for you. There is a lot more to it of course, you can plan a lifestyle that is full of stress, or it might even hit you accidentally. Traffic is a bummer. Air quality in Waikiki is sometimes not great during rush hours. Things are expensive… there are people that can mellow out quite comfortably in the islands though – probably you are one of them.

Sharon: From what I saw, Hawaiians are INCREDIBLY hardworking and have talent up the wazoo. My sincere issue is whether my skill set is something that can be offered to Hawaiian economy.

me:  That is always the issue! Jobs are the biggest concern for most because we’re not living off a twenty million dollar trust fund. The truth is, you are not going to know if there are jobs for you until you arrive and see for yourself. You’ve got to really push to find one. Don’t let up, don’t spend weekends at the beach – spend weekends calling and visiting potential job sites. Talk to as many people about jobs as you can!

Let me give a list of things I can do and do very well:

  • Video Camera operation
  • Video/Film editing with Final Cut and Avid
  • Customer Service work- problem solving and product education
  • Sales: Selling to perceived need
  • Web site/ Blog construction and development
  • Microsoft Office- including certification
  • Project management
  • Cleaning
  • Vegan/Vegetarian cooking!

I am thinking that I should contact the Department of Employment and check out the jobs available and start marketing myself!

me:  Wow, you have a variable skill-set. I don’t think you’d have a problem if you were willing to take a job doing any of the above. Your main problem might be putting together different resumes that target jobs you want without having the extra stuff in there, detracting from the focus.

Sharon: In terms of being a minority, I am already a minority and got no negative vibes for being Afro- latina while in local neighborhoods BUT I was clearly a tourist.

me:  Find yourself some slippahs and local kine threads. Half the island will think you’re Hawaiian. Can you say, “Ho brah, wuttabout da kine Sandys dis weekend?”

Sharon: I ride my bike and use a scooter for longer trips; I am wondering if it would be cheaper to buy a scooter once there.

me:  I was thinking about a motorcycle when I return, and they seem to be priced right and plentiful. There are many military, and others that like scooters. I think there is a big market for 2nd hand. Traffic can be a buggah though!

Sharon: As for neighborhoods, I liked Punchbowl, Moana Valley, and yes, Kahala (tee hee!) but I know those places would be out of reach for a while, if not forever!

me:  The Kahala Hilton back in the day… wow, what an awesome place. Kahana is great… Diamond Head on the beach is nice! lol. My friend stays in the Punchbowl area and likes it well enough.

Sharon: What are your thoughts regarding a single girl moving out to Hawaii ( I know you are not a single lady, still…)

me:  You didn’t mention your age. I do know that it is hard as a single person, to find dates in the island if not local, Japanese, hapa, etc. It seems there are few to choose from. Most are married or living together to afford their lifestyles. On the other hand, singles tend to find each other (same-sex) because you’re all in the same boat and would like to make friends and find a steady group to spend time with. There are many social groups, sports groups, activity groups, that you can join or create – and find friends that way. I think the islands are not necessarily dangerous for a single girl, it just depends what you do for fun. If fun means getting too drunk to walk, screaming at waitresses and getting in fights, finally finding some stranger to take you home from the club – life in Hawaii can be considered dangerous for you. I think most people living on any of the islands wouldn’t call it dangerous. No more dangerous than any big city in the states.

Sharon:  Hope to hear from ya!

Aloha!

me:  Aloha! Hope you get on well, let me know how it all goes for you if you remember!