Something I experienced having been born and raised in Hawaii was island fever. Many of my high school friends also had this, and it was one of the reasons why we all moved to the mainland for school. Living on an island for 18 years can get boring, not to mention that everyone knows everyone. Many people have big families that have been here for decades and their relatives are spread across the island. You run into people easily. It can get annoying at times, especially when those people aren’t the highest on your favorability list. Here are three tips for handling the Hawaiian island fever.
How to Handle Island Fever Tip #1: Mix Up Your Beach Outings.
Living on the east side of the island gives you a selection of amazing beaches within close proximity to your home. Hence, I tended to alternate between these two beaches every weekend. It was one or the other, and it got old really quick. I encourage people to travel to different beaches, even if they are out of your immediate driving zone. Venture to the North Shore or the Lanikai Kailua area, it helps to keep variety in your weekend beach routines. When I would go to the same two beaches every weekend it got tiring and redundant. I think that could be one reason why I got beach fever. I don’t like driving and that’s why I typically stayed on my side of the island, but I wish I had explored more.
IMG_2847 by Ben Schmitt is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
How to Handle Island Fever Tip #2: Don’t go to the Beach Every Weekend.
I know it can be tempting to hit the beach every weekend because, hey you live in paradise, why not! This is typically what people do while on vacation in the islands because of their limited time here, so they want as much time in the sun as possible. That makes sense. But when you live here and have unlimited access to the beaches each weekend, I would suggest trying other weekend activities also. This is because you don’t want to burn out your beach time immediately, enjoy it. This is an ideal that people love to admire in the islands, “hang loose.” It’s because we like to enjoy things as slowly as we need to, instead of rushing to fill an immediate craving.
Napali Coast – Mona-01 by 29357789@N06 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
How to Handle Island Fever Tip #3: Travel.
The best way to avoid feeling trapped on an island is to venture off the island at least once or twice a year. It’s important to get exposure to other parts of the world. However, this can get expensive especially if traveling with a small family. But there are always inter-island trips that locals take and that can be less expensive than traveling to the mainland. This may be why working for airline companies can be attractive to locals because of the added benefits of discounted flights and travel fares.
Enjoy the simple things in life, like rainbows.
Waipio’o Valley by Andy Gippetti is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original
