My daughter is leaving the islands and the only thing we can't ship through mail is her beloved antique dresser. What is the cheapest way to ship only one piece of furniture? We are hoping to combine with another container and can pack it ourselves.

#Shipping Hawaii to mainland #Share container from Hawaii

Heya folks, thanks very much to everyone who responded on my previous post - just wanted to give an update now that some time has gone by for people to respond.

The short version: Very little will change, the rules will mostly stay as they are.

The longer version:

• Regarding "posters should have a job or source of income" - we are not going to make this an explicit rule, but we will be enforcing the existing "have a plan" rule more strictly, and many posts that would have fallen under that new rule fall under this existing one, as well.
• Job posts - we will continue to allow job posts in regards to specific industries or jobs. We will not allow generic job search posts, similar to how we already do not allow generic roommate/housing search posts.
• No posts on topics that are already in the wiki - we do plan on expanding the wiki, and posts that have a factual answer will be locked in favor of pointing to the wiki pages. Posts which are more opinionated will be left open for comment, even if there is a related wiki page.
• "Have housing figured out already" - this was a dumb proposal from the very start on my part, it will not be applied in any way.

Hope this post follows all the rules. My wife and I were looking at properties in Hawaii quite seriously for awhile. Then we discovered Puerto Rico. Like Hawaii in a lot of ways.

1. Tropical Island that is part of America**
2. Still super isolated from the rest of the U.S.
3. Swap volcano danger for hurricane danger.
4. More affordable housing in Puerto Rico vs. Hawaii by a landslide.
5. Lower cost of living in Puerto Rico.
6. Taxes are much much lower in Puerto Rico.
7. About half of Puerto Rico speaks English.
8. The weather is a bit nicer in Hawaii. Less humid.
9. One is closeish to the East Coast, other to the West Coast.
10. Excursions are about a third the cost in Puerto Rico vs. Hawaii.

Hello Everyone. Sorry in advance as this will probably be a long post. My family and I live in So CA, L.A. County, and we are hearing of ICE raids around us. We are a Mexican-American family and all natural born citizens. My husband is retired, I am an elementary school teacher, and my children are in college. We are darker complexed and could not pass for white (no that we want to). English is our first language but we also speak Spanish. With the current political climate my children have become afraid of accidentally being caught up in a raid at school, as they are now open to ICE. I grew up going to Hawaii almost very summer and brought my family to your beautiful islands. We talked about moving to the Big Island when they were in high school as they love the islands but they were afraid of job scarcity. Fast forward to now and my daughter is getting her degree in conservation botany, she wants to save native plant species, and my son is getting his degree in seismology. They thought CA would be good place to work in their respective field but they are now on edge with everything that is happening. I know I would have to take extra classes to get a Hawaiian Teaching credential but would there be opportunities for them on your islands? Do you think ICE will be as aggressive in Hawaii as they are in California? My daughter is so fearful she wants to carry her passport with her everywhere. Any advice?

Hi! I'm a 30 y/o female moving solo to Hawaii. I'm not bringing a car but open to public transportation and/or buying a scooter in town. I work remotely, so really my only requirement is reliable wifi. Ive spent countless hours reading reddit posts and talking to friends, and am struggling deciding where to start. I want to be near a beach to learn to surf, I'm an avid hiker, and I love camping. Nightlife could be nice but not necessary so I'd be fine traveling when I feel the urge to. My salary is about avg, so Im looking for "budget" housing (I know HI is expensive), but Im fine with renting just a small room. Just need to make sure it's a relatively safe area. Does anyone have recommendations for which island and area to stay in? I mostly keep coming across Wakiki, Kona, and Hilo.

Hello everyone,

I am considering an internship on O'ahu from June to August. I am from the mainland and have never visited Hawaii before. I will be working near Mililani.

I am looking for any advice on the following:

- Good areas to live in (only for 3 months)

- Best living options for one person, needs to be furnished with a kitchen

- Best transportation options (only for 3 months)

I'd prefer to live 10-20 minutes away, give or take, but it's not a huge deal.

I was born and raised on a small coastal island and have spent my life outdoors, so I am used to the water/beaches/foliage. I understand locals and those who live here take pride in their culture and environment, and I respect that.

Any other advice that I should know about is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

My husband and I have been seriously considering moving to Big Island. We've been there once and we went to Kaua'i last year. We are both child-free, have two dogs (yes, I know about the quarantine) and make a combined income of about $130,000. We both work remote jobs. I'm a software developer and he is a political consultant.

We've been looking at homes and, for example, saw this home on Big Island for only $275,000 which makes me think, "This can't be real, right? The mortgage is cheaper than renting on Big Island! There's gotta be something wrong with it." We've been looking for homes here in Oklahoma for $340,000-ish so $275,000 is well in our budget. So, people who live in Big Island, is this for real? Are house prices this cheap? If so, we might move. Especially given the political climate right now. My husband being undocumented (well, in the process of getting his residency) is really scary for us here in Oklahoma. We live in rural Oklahoma and we're constantly on edge because of our neighbors.

I’ll try to summarize everything here. Your thoughts are valuable to me, so thank you in advance!

We are a family of 5 that currently resides in Utah. we have three girls, one in elementary and two in middle school. I’m an operating room nurse that is specialized in cardiovascular (open heart) surgery however I can do it all (scrub/first assist/circulate) in almost every specialty with the exception of neurosurgery. My husband is a well known executive chef of a high end restaurant. He also has resort experience, and can manage high volumes/large events. Together we make about $210,000 a year, and from the job listings we’ve seen in Honolulu, we could expect the same numbers.

Reasons we want to move to Hawaii:

We have been several times, and love it. (whomp-whomp, I know)

We are an active family that would take advantage of hiking, surfing, and other outdoor activities.

I currently keep a large backyard garden, and raise 20 chickens and one pig. The winter snow is so destructive on the hobbies I love, and I’m sick of it.

I breed ornamental goldfish, and would love to build a koi pond in a climate that supports it year round.

I want to raise my children in a supported sense of community. We currently give away our extra eggs and vegetables to our neighbors, and value teaching our kids about hard work and generosity.

My husband prefers eating and cooking foods of Asian influence, despite his training and current work which is focused on French-Belgian cuisine. For him, Hawaii is a paradise of flavors and ingredients.

Every year, I make it a point to give back at least 100 hours or so in free healthcare services to various organizations. Last year I went to Africa, but I’m eager to see what I could do for the local community in the Hawaiian islands. My husband also volunteers at soup kitchens to feed the homeless, and occasionally has auctioned off his services to benefit underserved populations.

I’ve read all the negatives. We would probably be slammed with outrageous grocery costs. My children may feel ostracized. They don’t present entirely Caucasian (whatever that means) because my husband is Native American Indian, but I know we would be considered mainlanders nonetheless. I heard the schools are struggling, and I’m not sure we could afford private school for all three of them.

Am I delusional? Or could this dream work? If we sold our home in Utah, we’d have about $520,000 in equity for a down payment on a home.

TIA.

Working in Hawaii for 6 months

I will be working at Pearl Harbor for around 6 months starting mid March.

I was just wondering if you guys could only give one tip such as things to bring or to do before leaving the mainland, what would it be? I have never been overseas, thanks so much!

Also tips on culture and what to do or not do would be greatly appreciated 🫡

Looking for some insight- my nursing license in Hawaii expired 6/2023. I’m trying to reactivate it. The website says to call or email for the reactivation application- I’ve emailed, I’ve called, I’ve waited on hold for 50+ min. No one ever gets back to me. Is it available online and I’m just missing it? Thanks

Lived in Hawaii for a few years during my childhood. Currently going through the process of a work-related move to Oahu. The office I'll work at is in downtown Honolulu, but I don't think I want to live in the city. Kahala, Hawaii Kai, and Kailua are all intriguing to me. My budget is up to 4k a month. Does anyone have recommendations for apartments in this range and in these areas?

Heya folks, it's been a couple months now since my last meta post after taking over the sub. I wanted to propose a couple further changes to the rules and get input from the community on one in particular.

Rules I'm planning on adding/modifying:

1. Posters should have a job or source of income - basically, no more "looking for work" or "is this industry hiring" posts. Find a job or have a source of income first; move after.
2. No posts on topics that are already in the wiki. We already have this rule, but my plan is to expand the wiki and start shutting down posts about things like budget and moving pets more aggressively.

There's a third rule I'm considering, but want to get input from the community. That rule would be have housing figured out already. This would essentially eliminate posts where people are inquiring about potential neighborhoods/towns/islands for their move. I'm on the fence about this one - is the point of the sub to help with questions like this, or is the purpose solely to answer questions on behalf of users who already have income and housing figured out and just have smaller questions?

In addition to feedback on these new rules, any other insights are appreciated. The truth is, a lot of the posts and comments on this sub leave a bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to shut it down because that would mean all these posts would clutter up r/Hawaii, I would like to figure out a way to make it a useful place for people who are moving with the intent to be a boon for the islands, rather than a drain, while being conscious of Hawaii's constant housing crisis.

Aloha! My GF and I (both in our late 20s) are considering moving from SW Florida to Oahu some time this year. Her mom currently lives here and works as a teacher. We have been here twice for long periods and don't do any touristy things really so we have gained a sense of what daily life here is like (CoL, traffic, people, grocery, housing, etc).

We both really align with the aloha culture/lifestyle here ~ very outdoorsy, eco-conscious, love the beach, prefer the slower/chill pace, and enjoy giving back to our community and helping the environment.

We both currently WFH in marketing-related roles - however if we moved here she would likely do a career switch to teaching or a more community-serving job. Currently we both make about a combined income of 150k and have good savings. Would likely rent an apartment or home with a max budget of 2800 for rent.

Looking for any potential advice/tips from either residents of Oahu or people who have moved to the island from the mainland. Anything is greatly appreciated!!

Mahalo :)

Aloha y’all! My partner and I are moving to Hawaii in June/July. I have a job at the federal courthouse that will last 2 years.

I was planning to ship my car out to Honolulu but the transmission gave out over Christmas (bummer).

Do folks have any suggestions on the best place to look for a used car? FB marketplace? Alternatively, we may consider leasing (especially if I’m lucky enough to secure a job after my two-year stint). We’re not looking for anything fancy: likely just a sedan to get us from point A to point B.

Any insights are welcome—mahalo!

Is it possible to rent an apt in Oahu 2 bedrooms rooms With 2,100? Where should I look into? Any recommendations I do have my wife & kid

Do you think anyone from the LA Fires will really move to Hawaii with FEMA Vouchers or Insurance Payments? The Governor of Hawaii has announced that they will open up Hotels and Rental Properties to California Fire Victims with FEMA Vouchers and Insurance Payments - Will anyone actually move to Hawaii that has been displaced or lost their homes recently? Hawaii already has a housing crisis - but the demographic that lost their homes have a lot of money to overcome the financial barriers.

I know 630 isn’t a great Credit score but I’m I able to rent with that score? What does landlord look into to rent?

Aloha, everyone! My family and I are migrating to Oahu, HI, this February from the Philippines. I wanted to ask if it’s possible to find an entry-level tech job on Oahu. I recently stopped my college studies (I’m a 3rd-year IT student) because of the move. I have AWS and Azure certifications and have been researching entry-level AWS cloud jobs or Cloud Support Associate positions, but I haven’t had much luck finding one.

Would you recommend that I start applying for jobs in Hawaii while I’m still in the Philippines and inform them that I’ll be moving to Hawaii in February?

Hello all, (28 M) I'm graduating from dental school in May and it's been my dream to start my career in Hawaii. I'm currently looking at two open positions in Kauai or Big Island and was wondering what are the biggest differences between the islands? I know cost of living in high everywhere in Hawaii, but I expect to be making $180-230k. Hopefully enough to live comfortably as a single guy. I want to spend a lot of time at the beach, learn how to surf, picking up scuba diving would be fun, lots of hiking, i enjoy nightlife but i see there's not much on the islands. It would be great to be around others around my age too. Thanks in advance!!

Hi there everyone. I have been reading posts for a while, I am hoping to get some advice please. I am thinking of moving back to Honolulu. I am a late 30s white female from a foreign country currently living in Seattle. I spent part of my childhood in Honolulu, some elementary and a few early high school years, before my family had to move away. I have been in Seattle for almost 6 years. Some of them were definitely good, but I’m now sick of the cold weather and I don’t have any reason to stay here, so I will be moving in July. With my work, I have several options of where I can go on the mainland, but I also have the option to move back to HI.  I really want a slower pace of life where it’s warm. I thought I had made my decision but now I’m having second thoughts. 

I am worried that I wont fit in there. It’s going to cost me tens of thousands to move down there, and I wont be able to move for several years if I don’t like it. Even though I consider myself to be partially ‘from’ HI, I know that other people won’t see it that way, as I wasn’t born there. Especially due to the fact that I was too young when I lived there to know things that would be relevant to an adult life. I have not been back there for a very long time. I might know one or two people there, but other than, I won’t have many connections. I am a very independent person who enjoys camping, running, paddle boarding, and swimming. Not super big on city life, I prefer to be in suburbs with access to city. 

I should mention, I have considered cost of living. I think it’s only going to be slightly higher than where I currently live, and I’ll be earning a bit more. I’d be looking to rent 3+ brm property as I do now (I’m aware this is not normal for single person, but I don’t feel compelled to explain).  Looking on Zillow, there aren’t tons of amazing options but it wouldn’t be too bad. 

The only thing that I can think of that might bother me besides not fitting in is that I won’t be able to go on road trips. I‘m used to driving long distances for trips when I feel like it. Though, I’d be willing to let this go.

Will people be welcoming to single white female and dog? What is the dating scene late 30s like? Do I stand a chance of making friends? I am introvert, but I have the ability to make myself do social things.  My work will be slightly related to Hawaiian ecosystems.

Thank you in advance for responses.

P.S. I hope mentioning my race is not inappropriate, I have seen some responses on here saying things are different if you are white...

Hello!

What does this mean? It wants id number, type, state and expiration

I was planning on using passport, but that wasn't given by a state 😅 maybe it's SSN? But it doesn't expire

Hi, I'm seeking to get my car inspection in Kapolei? I need to register my out of state car, called Oil changers and Firestone in Kapolei - no inspectors there. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

I am shipping my car with pasha, the car is on over the road transport to San Diego, and I keep getting notifications of the car being unlocked, relocated, the drivers side window being down, and then being rolled back up. I can see the location of the car, and there have been no extra mileage on the vehicle. Is this a normal practice for the car to be unlocked, or for a window to be rolled down? Thanks!

I'm currently living in San Diego and I'm comparing the costs of both housing and groceries and I feel like the cost of living kind of evens out between the two.. Hawaii groceries are more expensive (most items I buy at Whole Foods in San Diego are $1-$2 more at Whole Foods in Honolulu according to the Amazon app) but I can find a 2 or even 3 bedroom home in various parts of Oahu for less than a 1 bed or studio in San Diego. Ive also seen several apartments include utilities on Oahu which is almost unheard of in SD. Not to mention a parking spot in San Diego can add another $150+ a month to your rent.

I also notice a lot of people comment on how bad the traffic on Oahu is and how insanely crowded grocery stores like Wal Mart and Costco are. I was visiting this past June for about a week and didn't really notice a significant difference in the Walmart crowds and traffic didn't seem worse than SD traffic.

Are the people who complain mostly just coming from small towns with less crowds and lower cost of living? How much of a shock would it actually be for someone moving from SoCal? Looking for wisdom from anyone who has lived in both of these places recently, I've only been able to find similar posts made 5-10 years ago.

Hi all. We are just a few short days from closing on our house in Kalapana. A bit about us. Me 45m, and my wife 47f are moving to the big island to be close to my wifes family. They're in the Hawaiian acres area. We moved to FL in June from TN, and 10+ years of planning to do live aboard boat life was quickly changed when Hurricane helene decided we needed 6ft of water in our house. The wife says no way we are going back to FL.... My wife and kids are all born and raised Alaskans, and that's where we raised the kids. Now they're all grown and doing great in AK. But my wife and I definitely don't wanna go back to AK, so Hawaii family it is. Lol. And the kids and so far 1 grand baby, will definitely visit us. I've been working in Hawaii off and on (oahu) for the last 12ish years, so I'm pretty well versed on what to do, and not do, to make this move an easy decision for us. I'm mostly looking for any locals to chime in on your favorite activities, restaurants, hikes, not so secret snorkel spots, 4x4 trails , etc since I'm not as familiar with the big island. Excited to meet our new neighbors and settle back down a bit. I work in the helicopter industry, and this will be our 5th move since 2016, with 2 of those years being full time van lifers, so a sense of community is going to be a great feeling again. Thanks!

So, here’s my horror story about trying to get my dog to Hawaii, thanks to a cascade of miscommunications and inefficiencies.

It all started with SATO (the military travel agency) booking me a flight with United Airlines that didn’t allow dogs, even though they knew the entire time I had a dog. Strike one. I then tried using a pet shipping service, but they didn’t ask me for a temperature tolerance form, so my dog couldn’t be shipped. How is it possible a pet shipping company wouldn’t know about this form. My only option at that point was to leave her with my in-laws temporarily.

Determined to fix this myself, I flew out to get her. I had all her paperwork ready for months, and Hawaiian Airlines confirmed via phone I could bring her in-cabin. Or so I thought. The night before my flight back, I called to double-check her reservation, only for them to drop this bombshell: “We don’t allow dogs in-cabin from your departing location.”

Fine. I switched to Alaska Airlines, which allowed me to fly with her in-cabin and then connect with Hawaiian. Things seemed okay… until they announced it was a full flight and asked passengers to check their carry-on bags. I complied, not realizing they’d send all my dog’s paperwork straight to Hawaii. As we were getting off the plane I waited with the people who were getting their bags back.

Fast forward 9 hrs to my Hawaiian Airlines connection: they measured my dog’s carrier and declared it oversized by just 1 inch in length and 1.5 inches in height. I thought I was screwed, but Alaska Airlines saved the day, letting me book a new flight after a 13-hour layover.

When I finally landed in Hawaii at 3:30 PM, I had one hour to get my dog through the quarantine station. But of course, a plane blocked our gate, delaying us until 4:30 PM. Then they lost my bag (the one with my dog’s paperwork), and I spent hours chasing that down with no luck before turning my dog into quarantine.

The next day, I had to pick up rabies vaccine records from my Hawaii vet and race to the airport animal holding area. They sent me to the quarantine station 15 minutes away. The quarantine station didn’t open until 1 PM, and by the time I got seen, they told me holding had my dog until 2:30 PM, when she was moved to quarantine. After waiting in line at holding, they confirmed she was no longer there. Back and forth I went, and finally, at 4:20 PM, I turned in all the paperwork. But by then, it was too late—they don’t release animals after 4:30 PM.

The next day, I showed up early, ready to take her home… only to learn my vet had dated her health certificate wrong. Cue another round of calls, lines, and waiting.

Finally, FINALLY, I was reunited with my dog.

If you’re traveling with a pet, especially to Hawaii, learn from my experience: triple-check everything, and then check it again. It’s a nightmare you don’t want to live.

My biggest mistake when I tried to handle everything myself was not thoroughly reading the airline’s in-cabin pet travel policy, instead I relied on them to answer my questions via phone, which led to issues with the carrier size and the “departure city” restrictions problem. And, of course, I learned the hard way not to gate-check a bag with important paperwork.

At the quarantine station, the main document they need is an original, wet-ink-signed copy of your pet’s last two rabies vaccinations, which your primary vet can provide. The FAVN test results are sent directly to Hawaii by the lab, so as long as your pet is up to date on vaccinations, they should pass. If your pet isn’t current, vaccinate them after the test and ensure it’s done at least 30 days before arrival.

The health certificate can be faxed directly to Hawaii, but you’ll need to have it finalized before boarding the plane. For the quickest and most cost-effective release process, mail the original, wet-ink-signed rabies vaccination records in advance along with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture form and the required money order. Then, have your vet fax the health certificate directly to Hawaii once it’s issued. This will make your pet eligible for expedited release from the airport animal holding facility.

Please don't let my story discourage you from trying to bring your pets to Hawaii. It's not as hard as you might think once you know exactly what you're supposed to do.

TL;DR: Military travel agency and airlines repeatedly failed me, leading to a nightmare journey of missed flights, lost paperwork, quarantine chaos, and multiple delays before finally being reunited with my dog in Hawaii.

I was told to post this here rather than in r/Hawaii.

I keep seeing posts from native Hawaiians and people born and raised in Hawaii on here and Facebook hating on mainlanders coming to Hawaii. A while back I purchased two small lots on the Big Island, one lot is empty and I'd like to turn it in to a garden and the the other lot has a small cabin on it. Both lots are in the Puna district and were cheap. The small cabin is not designed for living there indefinitely, it is for temporary stays. There is no water catchment setup or electricity. I know I'm a mainlander visiting, but I just wanted to have a small cabin to disappear to in the rainforest from time to time and enjoy/commune with nature. I am not renting it out and have no plans to do so. I'm all for native Hawaiians having affordable housing, heck I'm all for affordable housing on the mainland...it is outrageous the costs anywhere now. My intention was not to purchase the land to take away from someone else, and from what I understand, most people don't even want to live permanently in the Puna district because of where it is. Am I being a white colonizer or a haole by doing this?

The reason I ask is because a few months ago someone who I thought was a friend whom I hadn't spoken to in a while reconnected and we talked about me having purchased a small cabin. A few weeks later out of the blue in the middle of the night, this person sent me a bunch of nasty messages accusing me of giving him food poisoning years ago and calling me a dumb American, white privileged colonizer, and told me that there was no way I could legally purchase the land not being native. The irony of him calling me a colonizer was not lost on me, him being a Caucasian/white immigrant to the US himself. I think this may have been a drunken tirade, but I blocked him and moved on.

I recently received a job offer in Hawaii. Initially, I was informed that it was a remote position, but after completing all interview rounds, I was told it would be on-site. The offered salary is $70,000 per year. Is this sufficient to live comfortably in Hawaii?