No matter what the reason you are thinking of moving to Hawai’i, everyone questions the decision. Maybe I can help! Here are a few pros and cons on moving to the islands that I compiled while making this decision for myself twelve years ago.

CONS

• -The number 1 con I had was my family. You aren’t going to see them as often as before (which could be good or bad depending on your family, haha). For me, that was the hardest part.

• -Higher cost of living, from groceries to gas everything costs a little more in paradise. The main reason is due to everything being shipped here.

• -VOG or Volcanic pollution. VOG comes and goes with the trade winds in Hawai’i. In my opinion pick your poison there seems to be pollution of some kind almost anywhere.

• -Jobs, while Hawai’i is plentiful with careers surrounding tourism, it lacks in other careers. If you don’t wish to be in the tourism industry you’ll have to choose your profession wisely. There are many other great jobs to explore here but I’d advise doing some research on your profession in Hawai’i before you make the big move.

As you saw, there are few cons. I couldn’t help but laugh while making this list because truly, the pros out weighed the cons immensely in my eyes. Here is my great list of pros.

PROS

• -Visually amazing, you will live in one of the top island destinations in the world! Sometimes I still pinch myself that this is really where I live!

• -Safety is at the top of my pros! Being a mother really made this a priority for the town I live in. Being from “the mainland”, I know how it is to live in a beautiful, and somewhat safe neighborhood but on the same note being 20 minutes from an area, not so safe. Here most of the crime is somewhat minor situations. It must be the concept that if you are a criminal the last place to be is on an island where you need a plane to runaway from police. Just my personal views. There are always the few instances that make headlines regarding crime, but in comparison to “mainland” news it seems minimal.

• -Fresh, local produce, meat and fish. This is an amazing asset to the islands! Having the ability to drive to the local farmers market and purchase your food is something I don’t take for granted. Being a believer in good health and knowing the ingredients I consume is important to my family and many other families here. It’s a true pride in the land!

• -Climate! Of course this made the list, but maybe not for the reasons you think, of course there is the solid 80 degree weather year round that makes many want to live here. But I live on the Big Island of Hawai’i and here you can see snow the same day you go surfing. With an island so diverse having 11 of the worlds 13 possible climates you can choose your preferred temperature and still live within minutes of a beach!

• -“No Worries” is the saying here in Hawai’i. But basically statistics show Hawai’i is a happy place to live! How could you stress out looking at the ocean and beautiful sunsets every day?

• -The “aloha spirit” is around us, and you find yourself talking with others in line at the grocery store or letting cars go in front of you on the road. This is something I love so much, and quite possibly one of the biggest reasons I stayed here!

• -You will have a lot of vacations, or visitors if you move to Hawai’i! Being far means you are away from your loved ones, but trust me when everyone hears you moved to Hawai’i they will jump on the next plane! And it also means you get to do some traveling to visit your family!

I could go on and on about this as you can tell, but I’m sure you’ll have your own feelings about what you love about Hawai’i!