Why Should You Move to the Hawaiian Islands??
Here Are 50 Amazing Reasons to Move to Hawaii!
Wailua Falls by Kris Arnold is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
1. Completely Change Your Life! You’re still in the USA, so normal creature comforts that you are accustomed to still exist. But the opportunity to radically change your life and breathe new air so to speak, is right in front of you if you choose it. You can change not only your home location, but your friends, your career, your hobbies, the food you eat, you can increase the exercise you do, lose weight, learn something completely different. There are so many opportunities for people to change their lives from black to rainbow that it deserves a whole chapter in our next book!
2. The Mai Tai’s are KILLER! One of the greatest alcoholic drinks ever made, are made very, very well in Hawaii. I don’t think I ever had a bad mai tai in Hawaii!
3. SHOP Until You DROP! If you’re a shopping fanatic, you’ll be right in your element by moving to Oahu. The island has fantastic shopping opportunities and the other islands are nothing to sneeze at either! Shopping options.
4. Good Private Schools for Kids! There are some very good private schools for kids of all ages in Hawaii. Our president went to one of them! While I wouldn’t recommend anyone bring their kids to Hawaii if they cannot put them in the private school system, if you have the money – you’ll find a number of great choices for schools on Oahu, Maui, and Big Island.
snorkel by Michael is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original
5. Best on the Planet Snorkeling and Diving! Well, in my own opinion. The warm water, the plentiful reefs, fish, turtles, whales and barracuda make the islands a great place to spend a lot of time in the water. See snorkeling in Hanauma Bay!
6. Unsurpassed Natural Beauty! See images here!
7. It is EASY to Find New Friends! Many people are new to the islands and are looking for friends, just like you will be when you arrive. If you make half-an-effort, you can definitely find friends you enjoy spending time with. Hawaii is one of the most social places I’ve ever been – one of the great reasons for moving to Hawaii when you can swing it. There’s something about sharing simple things like surfing, a walk on the beach, a picnic, or a hike through the hills that brings people together naturally. Finding friends, social life in Hawaii.
8. Unmatched Laid-back Lifestyle! At least in the USA, you won’t find anything like the casual approach to work and life as you will in the islands. There is an appreciation of the place by residents that transcends the importance of living. The seriousness of work is pushed to the side as people embrace the wilderness, the stunning beauty of the islands. More about what the lifestyle is like.
9. Bodyboarding or Surfing Big, Perfect Waves is something one never gets used to. It’s a mind-blowing experience every time. Read about my two near-death experiences in big waves!
Lani Kai Beach and the Mokes. Sounds like a band, right?
369 Lanikai Beach by Matt Sims is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original
Families relax at Bellows Beach on the northeast coast of Oahu near Kailua and the marine base, Kaneohe.10. Pacific Ocean Blues – the shades of blue of the Hawaiian waters are fascinating. Look at the photo above. The blue at Bellows Beach is really like that!
11. Low Emphasis on Money! Let me explain… There are people living on the islands that have more money than congress. They have decent homes and houses. The rest of us are not really that concerned with the house we live in or the car we’re driving. There is less emphasis on this sort of thing because there are so many people that just cannot compete, so they don’t try. It’s a great excuse for you to drop out of the rat-race too and downsize what you need. There is something to be said for the “Less is more” and minimalist attitudes. It feels great once you get into it. Save your money for inter-island or trips back to the mainland or abroad! Minimalist living in Hawaii.
12. Long Winding and Endless Trails – leading to remarkable views of the coast and ocean surrounding the islands. There are more than 50 hikes on Oahu alone, you won’t ever get bored, you can do one each weekend.
Appreciating the land is key. Image Copyright CyberCom, Inc.
13. The people of Hawaii are beautiful! The spirit of Aloha permeates the culture and you feel it nearly everywhere you go.
14. Living in Hawaii is MAGIC! There is something about living in the Hawaiian islands that is just magical. What is it? Find out here.
15. No Vehicle Needed! If you’re single and you can either land a job in Waikiki or in town, you may not need to own a vehicle at all. The Bus is a great resource to have for getting around and has regular schedules most people find very useful. Can you imagine being able to save on a car payment, gas, insurance, and maintenance of a vehicle? Even if only for a year, you can save $5,000 minimum. I know people that walk all over town and Waikiki. I know people who take bikes and even skateboards. If you want to explore other parts of the island on the weekends, just rent a scooter!
16. Local Hawaii Food! Local food doesn’t just mean Hawaiian food but local Korean, Japanese, Asian fusion, etc. There are so many different great foods to choose from in Hawaii, you could never tire of the choices of cuisine available to you. I tend to eat a lot of mahi-mahi sandwiches, ono (wahoo fish), ahi poke, huli chicken, Korean BBQ, Thai, and of course pizza from some of the amazing pizza shops.
17. Great Workouts! One of the best exercises for your body is climbing stairs, or climbing up steep paths. On Oahu there are many trails through the forest, but even more intense is a climb up the Koko Head stairs which rises about 900 feet into the sky. The views at the top are stunning. Do it a couple of times if you’re really fit! It’s hard to beat stairclimbing outdoors!
18. Where You Are Living Now Cannot Compare to Hawaii! I can’t think of another place in the USA that compares in any way to spending life in Hawaii. I just can’t. I mean, Key West is laid back, sure. But, there is very little natural beauty. No mountains. No volcanos. Boulder, Colorado has mountains. The temperatures there are anything but tropical. There’s no ocean. No dolphins. Few rainbows. Some places in California have the amazing Pacific Ocean and some mountains. They also have tens of millions of people more than Hawaii. Hawaii is an oasis. Come on out for a year, or a lifetime. See what you’ve been missing.
IMGP2556 copy by WeedPornDaily is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
19. The Ultimate Job – Growing Marijuana in Hawaii is Coming Soon! Coming soon to an island near you, Hawaii has passed new laws in 2015 and legal dispensaries of medical marijuana have opened. The island’s residents are dying for it. More info. And more.
20. More Affordable Than You Think It Is! There is a saying that Hawaii is as expensive as you make it. You could buy $4 Dasani water bottles or just the 90 cent alternative. They all go through the same health checks. You could buy $2 bananas in Waikiki, or get a bunch for $3 at the morning food market. You could dine at Roy’s for $100 per person, or grab something from the mobile food trucks that locals love. You can eat for a fraction of what you would at a nice restaurant. Cost of living in paradise.
21. $140 Inter-Island Flights! This happens occasionally, and it’s taken advantage of by a lot of Hawaii residents that were just waiting for it. Occasionally you might get super lucky and find a special like sixty-dollars for inter-island flights. Hard to beat that, but keep in mind it’s super rare! If you lived in Hawaii you could be taking advantage of the best inter-island travel deals because you’re there and can go almost anytime.
Image Copyright CyberCom, Inc.
22. Cozy White, Black, and Pink Sand Beaches! Hawaii’s beaches are almost always clean, well-maintained, and safe for swimmers and snorkelers.
23. See EVERY Beach! All of Hawaii’s beaches are public, and owners of land around them must provide access. Not so in some tropical areas of the world! If you live in the islands you can take your time and see all the beaches your heart desires.
24. Year-round Perfect Weather! If there’s one thing that really makes Hawaii one of the world’s perfect destinations, it’s the picture-perfect weather and temperatures. Sure it rains, but it’s sunny again in a few minutes. The winters are short and the temperatures drop a bit to really cool things off. I can’t think of a location with better weather and temperatures across the world.
25. What Better Place to Work Online? If you’re working at an online business, or have some work you can complete online or on your computer at home – what better place to do it than in Hawaii? This is something I’ve seen people doing for many years. I lived next to a computer programmer in a Hawaii condo in early 2016. He worked from 5 a.m. to around lunch time. Then he was out at the beach surfing Waikiki, Ala Moana, or Diamond Head. Ahh, the perfect life, right?
26. If You’re Retiring and Have Money, There is NOWHERE ELSE Better to Be! If you have enough saved for retirement, I don’t think there’s a place on the planet that will keep you happier than one of the islands in Hawaii. You can have everything you want, and then travel to get away when you need to, in order to avoid “island fever.” Have the best of all worlds, and retire right here in this Pacific paradise. One of the best reasons to move to Hawaii is retirement!
27. Clean and Refreshing Air to Breathe! I’ve lived a few places now, and I haven’t found better air quality than in the Hawaiian Islands. Sure there are places the air isn’t so good 100% of the time, like VOG (Volcanic fog) on the Big Island, or fumes from traffic in Waikiki, but outside of these places there are a whole lot of locations with air as good as it gets. Come get yourself some!
28. These 5 Smells! These are some of my favorite things to smell in the islands!
29. Happy People! There are more happy people in Hawaii than anywhere in the USA. At least some surveys have said that. Hawaii breeds smiling, happy people. Sure there is racism, people barely earning a living that are struggling to survive, but overall I think there are more people happy and grateful for what they have in Hawaii than people elsewhere. Come out and see for yourself. Let me know what you think.
30. No Snakes! The Hawaiian Islands are empty of dangerous snakes. There is one little completely harmless snake, the Brahminy Blind snake, but not only can it not see well above ground, but it couldn’t bite if it tried – the mouth is much too small.
31. Aloha Shirts and Muumuu Dresses! Want an excuse to dress down and wear something cool and comfortable instead of a long-sleeved shirt and tie or stiff suit? Somebody was really thinking in Hawaii because Aloha casual dress is OK for just about anything.
32. Choose a Hermit Lifestyle, or Fun Filled Nightlife! Hawaii has something for everyone. It is perfectly feasible to move to the islands and lock yourself away in your own private haven for reading books, practicing yoga, working on a farm for room and board, and dropping out of society. It is also just as easy to move to Oahu and party every night in Waikiki. Up to you!
33. Rainbows! A couple times a week, you will probably see rainbows while living in the United States most rainbow-packed state! Depending where you live, you might see a rainbow almost daily. I lived over past Lahaina, and I worked there in the small town. I saw rainbows daily near the West Maui Mountains in Lahaina. It’s an amazing, and magical place to live! OK, you know what a rainbow is… but What’s a MOONBOW?
34. Outdoor Adventures! Water skiing, jet skiing, para-sailing, para-gliding, hang-gliding, kite-surfing, boating, yachting, snorkeling, diving, swimming, bodyboarding, surfing, bodysurfing, free-diving, spear-fishing, shore fishing, fishing from cliffs, hiking, road running, ultra-running, hashing, biking, beach volleyball, kayaking, triathlons, biathlons, hunting, motorbike riding, off-roading (trucks), archery, dancing, sunning, finding shells, booze cruises, etc!
IMG_7365 by Ankarino is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original. Golfing on Kauai Island.
35. Endless GOLF Until You DROP! There are few places in the world, no wait. There isn’t a place in this big world that even touch the number of pristine, perfectly laid out golf courses we have in Hawaii. Check out our HUGE Golf Section here.
36. Spectacular Sea Life! Whales just off the coast, or a short boat ride away. Eels in just six feet deep water off Maui. Reef fish, octopus, and sea-turtles all within reach! Exploring Hawaii’s amazing sea-life is one thing you might get accustomed to doing when you have some free time.
37. Once You’re Living in Hawaii, It’s So Much Easier to Move to Another Island! What some people do is start out with a move to Oahu and use it as a jumping off point to explore the other islands. Some decide Oahu isn’t exactly what they were looking for, and move to one of the other islands – usually Maui or Big Island.
38. Where Else Are You Going to Learn Big-Wave Surfing? New Jersey?!!
Ramon Navarro by 13584435@N00 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
39. Stress Free Weekdays! After the workday is over your group might get together at a karaoke place, a restaurant, a beach, or just sit around the office and chill out a bit, drinking a beer and eating snacks or dinner. Pau hana! Is the little after work celebration that you all made it through another day. It’s a cool tradition, and some people take it to extremes, but usually there is a small group from each business that hangs out a bit after the workday and blows off some steam. This is part of a great tradition.
40. Even MORE Stress Free Weekends! Picnics in Waimanolo or at Ala Moana Beach Park is the norm on Oahu on the weekend. Usually a mix of family, friends, and co-workers get together and drop in on each other’s picnics. Good food, beer, and pupus!
41. Hawaiian Music! Did you ever hear of the Ka’au Crater Boys – Kawika? Click the link to hear one of their amazing songs. These are some of my favorite Hawaiian singers and maybe something you haven’t heard before.
42. Hawaiian Luaus! Given the choice between a night on Broadway in NYC, or sitting down on the ground at a luau in my Aloha shirt and slippahs, I’ll take the luau any day. Luaus are just great fun, whether you live in the islands or are just visiting.
Sunset On Magic Island by Edmund Garman is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
43. Mind-blowing Sunsets! I think people just naturally start taking a lot more sunset photos while living in Hawaii. I mean, you might not even own a camera, but then after a few mind-rattling sunsets, you go buy one like everyone else and shoot ’em!
44. You Will Never Know What It’s Like Until You Live Here! That’s the truth, there is nothing like it, so nothing you could compare it with. If you can afford it without much problem, I strongly advise you to pack your bags and come over for a year and see what you think. Explore the other islands – Kauai, Maui, Big Island, and even Lanai and Molokai. See what might fit your lifestyle the best. There is an island for everyone. Hopefully for you too!
45. Nature’s Fan! The near constant tradewinds blowing across Hawaii keeps us all cool enough that most of the time we don’t even need the air conditioner. Well, once you get used to the heat anyway. You can’t go from Minnesota or Vermont to Hawaii and be in your element right away. Give yourself a year, your blood thins a bit. After ten years of living on-island, you might never turn on the air conditioner at all.
Honu invasion by 97653236@N00 is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
46. Slippahs 24-7! Chances are, depending where you work, you can wear your sandals (flip-flops; slippahs) all day and night.
47. The Diverse Land Areas! Each island has a number of different terrains and ecosystems. There are places it rains often, and places that are dry. There are places that are often sunny, others that are often cloudy. There are hills on one part of the island, and it’s flat in another. There are ocean cliffs and mountain peaks. There is forest and desert. Hawaii’s land is quite diverse.
48. Hawaii Residents Love It! Nearly all of our respondents at our Hawaii Residents Survey revealed that they loved living on the islands. By far the thing cited most often as reason for wanting to continue to live in Hawaii was the weather. The weather really appeals to people!
Addiction in the making!
Colin on Surf Board – 4 by Colin Davis is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original
49. See and Do Things You’ve Never Imagined! There is so much to see, that you won’t see it all in a year. Unless you had a jam-packed year of just visiting attractions, beaches, special places in the islands, I don’t think you could do it in a year. There is so much to see and spend time doing. Blowholes, sea caves, toilet bowls, rocky cliffs, cliff-diving, hiking to mountain peaks on all the islands, seeing barracuda up close as you snorkel or dive. There is SO MUCH to see and experience! It’s worth moving to Hawaii just for this reason.
50. The 50th and BEST REASON to Move to Hawaii? BRUDDAH IZ LIVED HERE!
Come on, you know Bruddah Iz – Somewhere Over a Rainbow? That guy!
Still want to move to Hawaii? Find out if you’re ready and take the quiz.
Oh, and here are 12 Reasons YOU SHOULD NOT Move to Hawaii!
