Hawaii - the wrap up

After 18 months in Oahu, we have returned to the mainland. Our move was bittersweet because in another life, another time, the outcome may have been different. Moving to an island during a pandemic wasn't our best decision. Hawaii was shut down for most of that eighteen months, except for a very short two month period over the Summer. The area we lived in was also affected somewhat by the Red Hill water issue - some of the restaurants near us closed for about six months. Ironically, the restaurants and Hawaii reopened two days before we flew off island. 

There is a lot that we will miss about Hawaii - the rich Asian culture, the manapua man, the relaxed lifestyle and hotdog musubi but we realized while we were there that having a good support system nearby is worth more than living in a paradise that we couldn't really afford to enjoy. I've heard that Hawaii is a great place to visit but visiting and living there are two separate things. Had our eighteen months been spent in an airconditioned, less expensive, bug-free, spacious apartment, which is what most tourists experience, we may have decided to stay. But it wasn't. We were lucky - there were only three of us in our 703 square foot apartment. Many of our neighbors had four to 8 people living in their small two bedroom, one bath apartments. And, the sad thing is that many people are working at least two or more jobs to pay for those small spaces. It's just a Hawaiian reality.

I saw on an Hawaii relocation blog that not everyone who moves to Hawaii stays there. That, sometimes, the island spits them out. We don't feel like the island has dispelled us - we feel more like those celebrity couples who have decided to remain amicable but go their own ways. Lol. We are so thankful for our time in Hawaii. We would have regretted not moving. But, we are thrilled to begin our new adventure. In the four days that we have been here, our life has already been fuller. We are surrounded by family/friends who have gone way out of their way to make our transition to Vegas that much smoother. Lo started her job on Wednesday and I start mine, officially, on Monday. We are ready to move forward. And, of course, we will keep you posted.

Mahalo Hawaii! Aloha Las Vegas! Let our new adventure begin....