She wants to have some sort of connection to the Japanese medical community, but we want to stay in the U.S. How do she do that? Well, she would have to establish a practice in a U.S. city that has a large, migratory Japanese population. City choices are Columbus, OH, New York, NY, San Fransisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, or Honolulu, HI. Of those cities, Honolulu has the largest Japanese influence. So... Pros and cons of living on the islands:
Pro:
- It's freaking Hawaii
- Lots of stuff to do
- Learn how to fly helicopters
- $100 hamburger is on another island
- Great weather
- Half way to Japan
- Everything is expensive (Real Estate, utilities, gas)
- Horrific gun laws
- High Taxes
- Jobs are scarce, and have lots of competition
- Job mobility is difficult
- Crowded
- $100 hamburger is more like a $500 hamburger...
- Anti White racism
- High unemployment
- LIBERAL
- Isolated
- Any friend you ever had who comes to Hawaii wants to crash on your couch.
My biggest problems are the sky high taxes, and the horrific gun laws. I am less concerned with the job situation, as we would only move there if the wife has a doctor job. She would be making enough to cover our life style. So I could get work remotely to the mainland, or take my time looking for a job.
Hawaii has no concealed carry, and is very strict on how and when you can transport firearms. Their castle laws are not so draconian that you have to leave your house in case of a break in, cough California cough, but they are very strict.
Isolation is a big thing. Hawaii is out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 2550 miles from the mainland USA, and 3862 miles from Tokyo. At least a 6 hour ride in a jet, just to get your feet dry. You are two or three hours behind Pacific Standard Time, depending on daylight savings time, so most of the mainland is winding down with their late afternoon before you are even getting out of your jammies.
A natural disaster on the island would mean chaos very very quickly, and not a lot of help would be coming any time soon. Especially since most of the island relies on Government assistance. Remember what New Orleans looked like after Katrina? Yup, only with less drinking water and FIMA needing to ship supplies thousands of miles over the Pacific Ocean.
On the other hand... It is still Hawaii. Great weather, surf, lots of stuff to do. Wake up with your Kona Coffee, and take in Diamond Head as you sip away. The people are fit for the most part, so you have the activities that come along with that. Ocean Kayaking, Surfing, climbing.
Many of my friends that worked in Hawaii before got bored with the island after a while. They said that the weather was basically the same everyday, it was super crowded, and after you have done all of the tourist things, there just isn't a lot of new things to do.
I tend to discount these comments, as after you get done doing any of the tourist things in ANY city ANYWHERE, there isn't a lot of new things to do. It isn't like Oklahoma City is going to suddenly have a new amusement park somewhere, or open so many new golf courses that I won't be able to play them all. Routine is routine, and it makes little difference if the routine is in Omaha, Billings, or Honolulu. You find things to do in your circle of friends, and that just becomes your routine. If my golf buddies suddenly started to take up Muay Thai with me, that would be something new and exciting for them... If my Muay Thai buddies suddenly wanted to take up golf, same thing. Excitement is what you make of it. And it isn't like the wife and I will stop traveling. I very much doubt that we would not go on an annual ski trip if we lived on the island. The difference is that instead of going back to cold Oklahoma or Nebraska, we would be going back to sunny 80 degree Hawaii. Pretty awesome if you ask me!
At any rate, moving to Hawaii is at least 2 years off, if it happens at all, so there is little to do on this front, but speculate. It is likely that my wife will change her mind a few more times, especially when it comes to her fellowship. Perhaps she can do her fellowship in Hawaii... Hummmmmmmmmm
1 comment:
Keep in mind, Godzilla vacations there too...
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