[chirojeremy]

Talk to me about living in Hawaii. I am going to graduate from Chiropractic College in 2 years and I am considering where I want to live. My mom and dad are both dead and basically have no family. I do have a step grandmother that lives in Hawaii, but I am not close with her, although I could be. I have never been to Hawaii other than a brief stop over on my way to Guam. I loved the weather when I was there though. My dad lived there for a year when he was young. I am a white male so I have heard the locals wont like me. I know it is expensive, but maybe with a successful practice I could afford to live out there. I also have a friend who lives out there who is a pilot for Continental Airlines so maybe I could get on my feet with him and my grandmother out there.

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[Pobble.808]

OK, since nobody else is checking in...

There's no simple answer to your question. Lots of variables are involved. If you're an outgoing type you'll make connections, if not it'll be harder. I don't know much about chiropractors but I'm guessing that a lot are in private practice so you won't have the built-in networking possibilities that come with the military or university or some other workplaces. Locals already have their own lives, often already very full with both the good things (family, friends, activities, work) and the stressers (work, traffic, economic challenges) and so may not be much into expanding their networks. Some do feel more comfortable with other locals, some are more open, and there are lots of people who haven't been here that long,

Another variable: which island? Oahu obviously the most densely populated, Big Island has most wide open spaces if that's important to you. Maui seems to be the one most favored by migrants from other states & Canada but I don't know much about living there.

Economic problems are for real. Prices are high and pay scale is not commensurate. Check out the real estate section of the Honolulu Advertiser on line (or Craigslist?) and you may be in sticker shock compared to Texas. People complain about traffic a lot and it's definitely worse than it used to be but depending on where you're coming from it may not be that much worse than what you're used to.

Riding --relatively limited selection of routes but some really nice ones. Several roadie training groups/ teams you could join if you're into that.

Bottom line: some people come here and thrive. Some don't. Good luck!

[Sprocket Man]

Pobble covered a lot of it and his observations are on the mark. Let me address this one:

I am a white male so I have heard the locals wont like me.

This is a big misconception. Local people (in general) don't have any inherent animosity towards white people. Our current governor is white. Honolulu's former mayor is a white male. Many of our elected officials and civic leaders are white.

I think that most people who leave thinking the people of Hawaii hate white people have themselves to blame. We have too many people coming here from the mainland who think that local people are ignorant and treat them as such. They act as if they're somehow superior and when they get some backlash because of it, they attribute it to being white. I can understand, because it's so much easier to think, "They hate me because of my race", rather than "They hate me because I'm an obnoxious jerk."

This is not to say that if you come to Hawaii, you'll never experience any negative behavior because of your race. It happens sometimes. If you surround yourself with educated people, you're not likely to experience it very often. Over here, we're all ethnic minorities.

Regarding the chiropractic industry here, I know one chiro and he seems to be thriving financially. He has all the appearances of success (expensive car, luxury home, kids in private school), but who knows - he might be in debt up to his ears!

What I've always thought was odd in Hawaii is that pay scales are really different from the mainland. Blue collar workers here get paid more than their counterparts on the mainland, while white collar workers tend to make much less. I know several stevedores (dock workers) who are making upwards of $120k/year. I also know a few doctors and attorneys who are making less than $75k/year. People I've spoken to who've lived both here and the mainland have noticed the same thing.

Good luck if you decide to come here to live. It's a pretty nice place to live, but you will pay a lot for the priviledge.

[t4mv]

Well said, Pobble and SM, I agree on all counts, and as one who also contemplated a move because of family, I can confirm that there is something whacked about the compensation structure in HI... I'll just blame it on it being a blue state with strong unions... ;)

[Kimmitt]

Heh, nah, you're just paying for sunshine.

The big thing I recommend is to visit first, then move. Hawai'i is very different from other places, and it may really suit you or it may not work for you.

[chirojeremy]

I dont know what would not suit me about Hawai'i. It seems like paradise to me. I grew up in CA so I know about expensive. My dad also lived in Guam so I kind of know about island life when I went out there to visit him. I think it would be much better than Guam because it is MUCH less humid. I can not stand that humidity...

[roadfix]

If you can't stand humidity you'll be better off in L.A.

[mrt10x]

I have been here for almost a year.. it is starting to grow on me a bit.. but I would still take So Cal over it any day of the week.

There are definately parts of Oahu where being a white male will get you in trouble w/o you being a jerk. They are limited and usually a bit remote, generally I do not notice any rampant racism directed my way.

The cycling here is average at best. Lots of wind, few decent shoulders, lots of tourists looking at beaches and not looking for bicyclists.

Cost of living is outrageous.. gallon of milk is pushing $7.50 out in town.

I will enjoy my couple of years here.. and jump for joy when I can return to the mainland. IMHO

[bkrownd]

Sounds like you have a handle on it, for the most part. I can't advise on the job aspect. Took me about a year and a half to adjust to Hilo...if it can be called that. Lack of seasons is still hard for me. I can't stand being in town, so I spend all my free time up in the wilderness on the mountainsides where it's nice and cool. Lots of things that were staples of my previous life don't exist here. No way I could live on most of the other islands, or even on the other side of this island.

What is "milk"? :) If you insist on eating processed foods and 'dairy' products your grocery bills will be horrible. However, if you adapt your diet to whatever's cheap and fresh it isn't expensive. (A liter of good soymilk for your morning coffee is about $2. :) )

Hopefully in a couple more years I'll return to Minnesota or backwoods New England.

[Kimmitt]

If you liked Guam, you should be well at home somewhere in the islands here.

[chirojeremy]

Guam was ok. Obviously the best part was the scenery, mountains, ocean, waterfalls and jungles. I could hike, bike, mountain bike, scuba, snorkel, swim etc there till my hearts content...

[chirojeremy]

Australia and the philipines are not too far away too from Guam. That would make traveling fun. Japan is only about 4 hours away.