Quit your Job, Move to Hawaii: Some final Thoughts
This is a guest post from my good friend Ryan Martin. He is the author of the very popular Location180 series “Quit your Job, Move to Hawaii”. This will be his final post on his time in Hawaii, however you will probably be seeing more posts about his next adventure beginning early next year.
So it has been a few months since I have written for Sean. As a recap, I’ve been on Maui for almost 5 months now. I moved here with no job and no real expectations except to try something new and have an adventure. Now, I work at a hotel in sales, make decent money, and more or less am living the stereotypical island lifestyle. Every day I am reminded of how lucky I am to be living in such a gorgeous place, but that isn’t to say it comes without a price.
Although Hawaii is considered by most to be an island paradise, it does have obstacles to overcome when living here. The most apparent of which is the fact that “Howlies” (white foreigners), are often treated differently than the locals. In some cases this can be good (employment), while in others it can be bad (state licensure, service). Now, I don’t want to come across as if I dislike Hawaii, because the fact is, I love it here. However, it has taken some getting used to the fact that as a Howlie, I frequently get dirty looks and at times have been harassed by the locals. I am sure this is rooted in the fact that 50 years ago the island was not nearly the tourist hot spot it is today; hell if I were them, I would be mad about that too! Yet I suppose this can be a lesson for all of us who strive to become location independent and see exotic and foreign places. By dealing with this type of adversity one can learn more about themselves and other cultures, and in the end, peacefully coexist.
Something else that one must consider when moving to a new place, is the fact that it can get lonely on the road. I am certainly not trying to throw a pity party for myself, but I have learned that many times I have to be able to entertain myself. By working in the hotel industry I am constantly meeting people from all over the world, yet they always leave just as quickly as they arrived. This has made it really difficult to maintain a core group of friends. Maui has proven to me that it is a haven for both tourists and vagabonds alike. When you factor those people out, there is a very small percentage of people I have met that are here for good, and an even smaller percentage that is of similar age and interest. Due to this, I have found it imperative to be open-minded when meeting new people, as well as being OK with being alone, because it definitely gets lonely at times.
Many people who move to Maui get “Island fever” at one point or another. Essentially, this is getting the feeling of claustrophobia from being stuck on this rock 3,000 miles out in the middle of open ocean. I would be lying if I said I haven’t felt it myself. Sometimes it feels as though there is only so much you can do here, and only so far you can go. This is when creativity is vital. Instead of dwelling on the fact that you are on a desolate piece of rock, you go out and explore. Finding new places, hobbies and meeting new people has become a way of life for me.
I have talked to many people from various backgrounds, and there always seems to be one common thread to their thinking. When life is all said and done, what else do you have other than your experiences? You can’t take that nice car or house with you to the grave, but your memories and stories will live on forever.
I consider myself very lucky to be living in Hawaii. It’s natural beauty is fabulous and the recreational opportunities are endless. I just hope this opens your eyes to the fact that although it is awesome here, there are certainly some tough obstacles to overcome. Things aren’t always fun and games, but I certainly hope that more often than not it is.
If you haven’t read them yet, be sure to check out Quit your Job, Move to Hawaii Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Also if you enjoyed this post, I would love for you to subscribe to my email updates and RSS Feed.
Great post! It’s cool to hear your point of view, because me and my girlfriend have been talking about moving to Hawaii. Nothing is made up yet, just some basic talks between us. I’ll be reading through the first three parts of the series this morning. Great job!
Congrats to you for making that jump and making it work, despite the loneliness, island fever and prejudice that comes with it!
So are you planning on sticking around in Hawaii for a while, or is it just the first leg of a longer journey?
Mate, if you want to go somewhere different, but can meet a good core of friends, be they Chinese or expats, then come to China. I’ve been in Tianjin, China for nearly 7 years and have found it to be such a cool place. I’ve met so many interesting people from all over the world here. We welcome you!
Great to hear such cool life excursion. I think testing such lifestyle out in Hawaii was a great idea and one more people should try. The opportunity of being in a ‘foreign land’ but still with your countries borders makes taking such a huge lifestyle leap a little easier.
It was awesome to hear your experience Ryan. I will be looking forward to your next guest post on a new adventure come the turn of the year.
Dave
LifeExcursion
That Ryan is so awesome!!!!!!!!!
Editor’s Note: Thanks Nick, notice how I did not delete your comment this time!
I hadn’t ever considered moving to Hawaii, having only seen it from the tourist perspective. I did date a Samoan once who was from one of the smaller islands and your description of the oh-so-loving locals versus the Howlies is much more true than I had realized before. There is definitely a rift from the culture and the history. I wonder if that is amplified because of the seclusion.
When does the next leg of this journey begin for you?
Great to hear different perspectives on Hawaii. All my friends I know have loved their time there. Maybe it’s time for me to check it out.
What up ya’ll? The next leg should begin January 2010. A world trip is in the plans. Basically, head south from Portland through Mexico, Central America, South America, then east to South Africa for the world cup, up the east coast of Africa, Eastern Europe, India, SE Asia, Australia, and NZ. Ambitious, I know and plans are being made to bring Sean along. Lets all get behind him and push him to make the jump!
I always enjoy reading posts about people living in unique places. It always reminds me of how different various places in the world are. Ryan, I know I am definitely looking forward to your future posts, and hopefully this time being a part of them!
So what is next, Ryan? I am a reader of Location 180 but never contributed before. With a great story like yours and a wealth of life experience don’t you think you can translate that into a career? Or at least should be able to?
Wow
Sounds amazing!
I’ve heard stories from a few people now who have gone and lived in Hawaii with almost no cash, and had an awesome time. Find a temp job, make friends with others, I think it’s very possible to enjoy life with little cost.
Thanks for the post
Great article Ryan.
I think it is important to remember that a vagabond lifestyle is damn hard. Most people are not cut out for the loneliness and sacrifice of a constant nomadic existence. It is fun for short breaks but it is really nice to have a home base to return to.
I have never been to Hawaii though. I think it would be great to have an apartment there just because of its location between Asia and North America.
[...] finish out the month Ryan Martin submitted his final Quit your Job, Move to Hawaii guest post. As the series has been one of the more popular topics on the site, I am really [...]
Love this post. Please write more about Hawaii! I love Hawaii and have several friends there.
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