Which is better way to experience Hawaii?

Ever lived in Hawaii?

• we are a military couple with one 16 yr old boy. There are a lot of jobs for my husbands rate Hawaii (currently live in Calif). I am trying to decide (husband and son is fine either way) if I want to move to Hawaii for three years. I am a vet tech and wondering about the jobs in Oahu. I know the jobs in Hawaii are more tourist related and I am not guaranteed a job in my field. Hubby will be gone on the ship a lot which doesn't really bother me. I am independent. Not sure if moving to Hawaii will be a good experience with living on an island I cannot drive off of and may not get a job in my field (working with animals). Any military or civilians that LIVED there that can give me a clue? Did you get "Island Fever" or just bored?

• Answer:

  This is my standard answer that I give. There are good things about living in Hawaii and there are some not so good thing about living in in Hawaii. Living here is not a 24/7 vacation there are no grass shacks on the beach. I say this because people come here expecting it. And when they find out the truth they go back to the mainland disappointed and complaining about Hawaii. Don't come here to be homeless. it is illegal and annoying.Have money saved. Oahu is the most populated. There are areas where it really crowded. And other areas where it less crowded. The weather great it does not get bellow 60 degrees. Hawaii does have it share of natural disasters. Hawaii is expensive. Ninety percent of everything is shipped in this is the main reason it cost more. Gas prices are in the four dollar range. Visiting Hawaii is different then living here when you visit you don't pay rent or utilities. Right now our unemployment rate is quite high . If you want to work in tourism it good to know another language. With out an college education you will need to work more than one minimum wage job to survive.Another think about jobs. If you are only going to be here for a short time jobs will go to Locals first. Our Public Educational system is lacking. It goes way beyond the Furlough Fridays. Hawaii is just as safe as anywhere else maybe safer. That is not to say Hawaii does not have crime. One of out biggest problems is with illegal drugs .We have everything the mainland has except for a few restaurants and stores. The water that surrounds us does not make much of a difference. No Daylight Savings Time we never move out clock forward or back. We have an excellent bus system on Oahu. If you are willing to take the time then it will cut down on gas costs. You can have car but you might want to take the bus most of the time and use a car only when really needed. Right now gas is in the mid to high three dollar range. I have seen gas at $3.49. Hawaii is one of most culturally diverse place in America. We have several cultures here. Hawaiians being the most obvious. We also have a diverse Asian population; Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese (sp?). All these culture differ. And it is best if you learn the differences. If you love food Hawaii is one of the best places to be. Due to our many cultures we have many different kinds of food. Try them all. Since we have many different cultures in Hawaii there are many set of "rules" all of them slightly different. Make an effort to learn. When you make an effort to learn the the differences then you will be accepted. There is racism in Hawaii, racism is everywhere. Some of the racism is aimed at Whites. Racism at White is not all that common so you will get Whites saying that all Locals and or Hawaiian are racist. That is not true. The Locals and Hawaiians who are racist toward Whites tend to be racist against other cultures. Racism is not right. But it does exist. Not everybody who lives in Hawaii is Hawaiian. To be Hawaiian to must have Hawaiian blood. Or be of Hawaiian ancestry. If you are like me and have lived in Hawaii all their life but have no Hawaiian blood you are considered a Local. Do not call anyone in Hawaii "natives" if you have to say Native Hawaiian. We also have a dialect of Pidgin Creole English. Or it is called Pidgin for short. This language was created during the plantation days. We had workers from all over Asia and the Pacific they all spoke different languages and the needed a way to communicate. So a new language grew and was created.There a some who hear Pidgin an the equate it with lack of intelligence. Do not do this! Then there is what can be called "Rock Fever" some people tend to feel trapped because they can't drive anywhere else but Hawaii. There is no way you can drive into another state. If you need to fly home to the Mainland then 1) take more time because you have to fly over an ocean first. 2) Will cost more because you have fly hom