On July 1st, 2008 my husband, my son and I should be at our new home in Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) on the Big Island of Hawaii. We've gone through the insane Quarantine laws for Hawaii in order to bring our pets (a dog and a couple of cats) along with us. We're about to get rid of just about everything we own (furniture, kitchen stuff, beds....) and our poor cats have to stay with family for 2 months before they come to live with us in Hawaii.
We haven't even arrived at our new home yet, but somehow I already feel the benefits of making our decision to reside on the East side of the Big Island.
Specifically we've chosen our own little palace in HPP, on an acre of land with plenty of fruit and vegetables to grow and eat! We don't have an ocean view and we're happy to stay clear of living too close to the ocean (due to tsunamis) but we sure aren't more than just a couple of miles from the land's edge either.
We're pretty close to the volcano too, which probably scares some people. After all, Mt. Kilauea hasn't stopped erupting for the last 25 years. But the truth is that no matter where you live in the world there are natural disasters threatening to obliterate its surroundings.
They say California may be literally broken off from the rest of the United States when the right earthquake strikes, and any volcanoes located in the mainland or other places around the world pose great threat to those living within hundreds of miles of their erupting points. At least with the constant flow of lava in Hawaii, there's a good chance you'll know its path.
Worries about living in any place in the world are legitimate and for good reason; there are lots of things to be wary of!
I'm aware that in Hawaii I'll live with coqui frogs, centipedes, spiders, ants and cockroaches. These things don't impress or intrigue me in any way, but it's all about balancing the good with the bad.
Where I live now (In Lincoln City, Oregon) we deal with raccoons that get into our trash and litter our yard, and pesky spiders that leave huge webbed homes inside of our house overnight.
However there are no bugs like roaches or ants in the house, and we've had pretty much a mosquito and pest free experience in the last few years that we've lived here. This isn’t to say we didn’t experience roaches in Las Vegas and mosquitoes in California and Washington.
But what we have had are endless winter seasons (even summer feels like winter here), very cold weather averages with high humidity on any given day, and miserable winters that reach 70 MPH winds. We live less than a ½ a mile from some beautiful beaches and we can’t enjoy them because it's too darn cold!
Hawaii may have warmer weather, but that wouldn't be enough to get me to move there. What I like about Hawaii is consistency. The ability to grow vegetables and anything else really, year round is a huge benefit thanks to Hawaii’s temperate and reliable weather. There isn't a need to wear coats, and if it gets too hot.. it’s time to go swimming!
The society found in Hawaii is similar to any other struggling community in the nation, and that's just fine with me. Whether it's Hawaii or Nevada... California or Miami... Missouri or Mississippi.. there are problems found in each and every state in America.
Drugs problems, low school scores, homelessness, gangs, theft, robberies, murder... you name it! It happens everywhere.. sure, some things more than others depending on where you choose to live. But the chances of any of these crimes happening to you (unless you are actively involved in shady dealings) are about the same as you getting into a car accident or having a heart attack.
The bottom line is that home is where you make it. It can be in Antarctica or in the Caribbean. As long as you feel like you belong there, that's all that matters. I look forward to enthusiastically immersing myself into the culture around me in Hawaii by joining the canoe club in Hilo, volunteering at the Kea'au humane society, and donating to the Hilo Food Bank on a regular basis.
I also look forward to attending the community college in Hilo and seeking a degree in early childhood development as well as taking basic Hawaiian language and history courses.
I'm excited for my son who shows great passion for the Japanese culture, and plans to learn the language fluently throughout high school (He will be a freshman this year!), and then visiting Japan during College and possibly beyond...
I'm also very happy to share this experience with my husband who has always seemed to feel like Hawaii was home. He grew up in California and has visited Maui and the Big Island frequently throughout his years, so getting him to commit to the move was pretty easy!
I'll update as things happen upon more plans for the move, our new home, our arrival and beyond.
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