I found my spot, and my spot is in Hawaii. I grew up in Massachusetts, and by the time I was 18, I hated the crowds, the cold, the snow, and the general rudeness of the people. I was fortunate that my family moved to Louisiana, where all of these problems seemed to be gone. We still lived in the suburbs, and they were not quiet as crowded. I could also get to rural areas quickly. Needless to say, there were no issues with cold or snow. And the people! Yes, the South is friendly, much friendlier than most places. As I grew through adulthood, I realized that, even though I liked Louisiana better than Massachusetts, something still was not right. I was still searching.
Hawaii
I had never had much interest in Hawaii, but my dad asked me to go to Maui with him. A beach vacation sounded like a good idea. As warm as Louisiana is, there are almost no beaches. The swamp just eventually turns into the Gulf of Mexico. I was blown away by Maui. It was absolutely beautiful. The view were stunning, no matter where you turned.
Over the next few years, I traveled to each of the Hawaiian islands. They are all very different from each other. They all had beautiful beaches and mountains, but it all looked slightly different. Part of that has to do with the age of the islands. Kauai is the oldest and because of that, it is the most lush. It is full of jungle, much of which is difficult to navigate. The island of Hawaii (called the Big Island) is the newest: in fact it is the only U.S. state that is still growing. Kilauea is an active volcano and often has lava flowing into the sea.
Of all the islands, the Big Island called to me the most. It is about 4,000 square miles and much of it is ranch land, or rough terrain. I love riding horses and the Big Island boasts land where you can pretend you are a cowboy (or paniolo, as they are called in Hawaiian). In many ways, the Big Island reminds me of Wyoming (another of my favorite places). Many of the meadows, and ranch land that are about 3,000 feet above sea level seem like they could have been scooped up and dropped from Wyoming.
Finding my spot in Hawaii
Over the years, I watched all of the “Hawaii Life” series. It is one of those shows where people look at three houses and then decide which to buy. I stalked houses and condos on the various realtor apps.
I was lucky enough to retire at 55 and the Big Island was in my sights. As the “Hawaii Life” show says, “you just have to want it.” I knew what my spot was going to be, but the question was how to make it happen.
It is not easy to move to Hawaii. Shipping costs can be ridiculous. Purchasing things there is an option, but not always easy. Good Lord, finding a couch on this island was a huge hurtle. But in Hawaii, they have something called the Aloha Spirit. You probably know that the Hawaiian word “Aloha” means both hello, and goodbye. But the Aloha Spirit is so much more. It appears in the friendliness of the people. Not just the native Hawaiians, but in the KamaÊ»Äina. This literally means, “child of the land,” but it is used to describe anyone who is not of Hawaiian descent but lives here and loves these islands. The simplest way I have seen the Aloha Spirit manifest? People seldom honk their car horn. If traffic is not moving to speed, they just relax and accept it.
I decided it was time to get moving, so I planned a trip, and set up time with a realtor. I was lucky enough to find an amazing lady who seemed to be putting all of her energy into my search.
I found a condo I loved and made an offer. It was accepted, but I now had to navigate my way through getting a loan and actually purchasing the property. Hawaii does things a little differently, but I finally did a closing, and moved myself there.
My first night was at a hotel, because I simply couldn’t sleep in a completely empty condo. The next day, I purchased an inflatable mattress, and from there on, I was home.
Packages and furniture began arriving daily, and I got myself set up. But it was a process. I seemed to always be cutting boxes down into small pieces to fit in the dumpster!
But I did it. I found my spot and I absolutely love it here. I have tried to spend about half the day working on the condo and half the day doing something fun. Laying on the beach, hiking, and yes, horseback riding. I am ready to spend the rest of my life here.
Here is what I have learned about finding my spot: you have to get moving and make it happen. You are not just going to magically appear where you want to be. You have to take the initiative and work to get your dream to be a reality. Your spot could be a place (like mine), or it could be that different job you have always dreamed of having. It does not matter what your spot is, you have to be the one to get off your butt and make it happen.
Aloha!
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