Living in Hawaii - Moving to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island

Guide to Maui – Free PDF

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:18:04 +0000

I’ve been writing back and forth with Jon Blum of MauiHawaii.org for the last couple of days. He built a 400+ page website full of tips for those living on, and visiting, the amazing island of Maui – my favorite, coincidentally. If you recently moved to Maui, or plan on visiting, you should have Jon’s [...]

Living Large in Hawaii

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Tue, 08 May 2012 04:51:16 +0000

There’s nothing like living large. Here (below) you can have a lovely 2 bedroom – 2 bath home that looks like it’s perched on a sea cliff – with 4500 acres of land – for just 55 Million USD. If you think about it – it sounds like the deal of the century – 4500 [...]

Living on Big Island, Hawaii for 7 Months

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:14:31 +0000

Living on Big Island, Hawaii is something I have not done. I’ve thought about it, but I have not been able to get a good feel for it. The videos that I’ve seen just don’t give me enough of the big picture about the island to decide if it’s somewhere I would consider along with [...]

Living in Hawaii Forum

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:39:22 +0000

I’ve spent so much time thinking about whether to have a Hawaii forum here at AimforAwesome.com – and if so, what topics to include… it’s a hard decision. Hard because it will take a toll on the server. Hard because it will take moderation – I don’t have much time to spend moderating posts and [...]

Why Live in Hawaii? The Beaches!

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:39:02 +0000

At 12 years old, in the middle of the Allegheny Forest in Pennsylvania during deer hunting season, after having sat in the 18 degree freezing air for 12+ hours without seeing my uncles that said they were coming back for me in 4 hours – I realized something. I am not staying in the cold [...]

Would You Use a Forum at Aim for Awesome?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:34:07 +0000

I posted this poll under the /forum section a while back to see what kind of response I’d get. At times I really want a Living in Hawaii forum, and at times I don’t at all. Forums are a lot of work and I think it can be overwhelming. Hopefully we’ll not have thousands and [...]

What is the Point of Life? Living in Hawaii!

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:41:32 +0000

Is it your desire in life – one of your top goals in life – to live in Hawaii? I wrote, “What is the Point of Life?” – a short ebook, a while back. So far it has been downloaded over 31,000 times, according to stats. I can believe it because I get a ton [...]

Moving to Hawaii to Work on a Farm

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:28:52 +0000

I found a couple of videos by a guy and his wife, Mike and Danielle Durkee, that moved to Big Island Hawaii to work on an organic coffee farm called “Konacopia” during 2009-2010 – at Kealakekua Bay, near the city of Kona. There are two videos below which show two different places they stayed at, [...]

Moving to Hawaii to Live Off the Land – Video

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:27:27 +0000

A dream of mine, years ago, was to move out into the wilderness in Hawaii and live off the land. Sure there would be necessities I’d need to buy from a store, I’m not Bear Grylls. Before I had a family though I thought I could make a run at something like in the video [...]

Absolute Worst State to Make a Living – Hawaii!

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:03:23 +0000

Each year moneyrates.com looks at best and worst states in the USA to make a living based on some criteria: average income state tax rate cost of living unemployment rate They use these to compute an adjusted average income amount. Is living in Hawaii all it is cracked up to be? The state isn’t doing [...]

Living in Portland, Moving to NYC and Moving to Hawaii

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:32:52 +0000

I received this email a while back, and I just haven’t been able to get to it. I’ve been getting lots of emails from people considering moving to Hawaii from the mainland. A couple people from New York City actually in the past few days. Something about realizing Spring is here and the weather will [...]

Tourists Exploring Red Sand Beach – Hana, Maui

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 05:24:48 +0000

Another red sand beach photo from the amazing island of Maui. This is located in Hana which is in the middle of a very long road “The Road to Hana” going East on Maui. It is an incredible drive to Hana, but if you’re prone to car sickness – this one will get you. Dramamine [...]

Black Sand Beach, Maui

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:06:53 +0000

This beach, is really beautiful. I cannot remember where exactly I was when we took this photo. It was the day we took the Road to Hana, but I think this was after Hana, and on the way back to civiliation – if you can call somewhere else in Maui “civilization”. The ride around East [...]

Red Sand Beach – Hana, Maui

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:09:45 +0000

As I’ve said probably too many times, Maui is my favorite island to live on – and to visit. It doesn’t get better than Maui for the great blend of natural mountain beauty – west Maui mountains and Haleakala, and the spectacular beaches. This is a very small, out of the way beach in Hana, [...]

Pono: Ancient Hawaiian Belief System Videos

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:57:19 +0000

I’m absolutely spellbound by this series of videos. I just watched the first two, and am queuing up the third. There are 6 videos in this Pono series. If you are interested in the ancient Hawaiian beliefs… you will love listening to this man talking about his experience growing up, the influence of his father, [...]

Molokai and Maui by Helicopter – Video

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:45:22 +0000

This looks like the same helicopter tour company I used when I was given a promotional freeby for the resort I was working for on Maui. I’d only been on a helicopter a few times before this, and the beauty of Maui, and Molokai from the air – cannot be overstated. Helicopter tours are the [...]

Flying to Molokai Video

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:20:13 +0000

No idea who this is narrating the video, would have been nice to put a credit here – but it isn’t in the video. This is a flight from Oahu over to Molokai on a small plane on a very windy day. The winds look severe – 20 knot gusts or so. I’ve been on [...]

Moving from Puerto Rico to Hawaii

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:04:43 +0000

Here is another email I received lately, and I thought I’d share. I changed the sender’s name. If you want to write in and tell about your situation and ask about things related to moving to or living in Hawaii – feel free. I don’t mind answering this way at all. ***** Aloha Vern, My [...]

Moving to Hawaii on a Minimalist Budget

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:47:43 +0000

Below is a reader’s email about a couple moving to Hawaii from Colorado and they are not too concerned with spending a lot of money for the finer things Hawaii has to offer. Neither should you… if money is a consideration when moving over, you can maybe still make it – but some sacrifices must [...]

Oahu Job – Social Media Specialist – $50,000 or More

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 12:35:40 +0000

Are you a Social Media Specialist that wants to work on Oahu, Hawaii? from craigslist | web/HTML/info design jobs in hawaii There are plenty of companies making big money on the Hawaiian Islands. Hotels and resorts, travel companies, and more. Many companies need social media experts to run their online campaigns. If you’ve wanted to go [...]

DAKINE Backpacks – One Hawaii Business Doing it Right

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:47:38 +0000

I was going to just send a pic of this backpack to my friend Jon – an Oahu native, now living in Thailand – but then I thought – this deserves a whole post. I bought this DAKINE backpack for about $140 USD at a small business on the right side of the street looking [...]

Moving to Kauai on $5,000+ Per Month – Doable?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:29:38 +0000

This is an email and my response, to a woman that was thinking about moving to Kauai with her husband. They have realistic expectations of what is needed and what they can do on the amazing isle of Kauai. Read our exchange below… * * * * * Aloha Karen, Thanks for writing – I’ll [...]

New Aim for Awesome Header – Diamond Head with Zach!

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 07:13:18 +0000

Zach Dischner, from Colorado, was cool enough to let us make a header (look at top of this and every page) of his awesome photo of him hanging out at the top of Diamond Head Volcano on Oahu – and use it for the site! So we are! That has got to be the greatest [...]

Two Beer Queers – Hawaii’s Beer Review Specialists

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:10:34 +0000

There is something very funny about these two local guys in Hawaii doing beer reviews of the most ridiculously named beers in the world. As a team, they have that perfect blend… funny and funny. I’m pretty sure I reviewed these guys on AimforAwesome before – I’ll have to look for that post. These two [...]

Maui Beach Sunset

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:22:27 +0000

While living on Maui I logged quite a few Maui beach sunsets all over the island, not necessarily where I had a straight shot to see the sun. The sky changes all over the island, so it’s always a special time to be at the beach and watching the waves as ambient light fades. I [...]

Best Beach on Oahu Island, Hawaii – Bellows Beach

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:04:45 +0000

Sometimes, sitting here at my desk and “working” – I think back to some of my favorite times in my life. I bring up Youtube and query using keywords to find places I’ve been and things I’ve done – usually in Hawaii. The best beach on Oahu is Bellows Beach (video below) – which is [...]

Biggest Daytime Party on Maui? Sundays at Little Beach

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:45:09 +0000

Don’t miss 5:18 when the guy’s from Spain show you how they do it in their country! How to find Maui’s Little Beach? It’s next to Big Beach, of course – everybody knows that! Little Beach, on days other than Sunday – is quiet and you probably won’t see more than a handful of people [...]

Things to Do on Maui – Ziplining

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:36:08 +0000

This is the biggest zipline in Maui – it has 2 miles of side-by-side zip lines so you can share your adventure with a friend at the same time. I have never done any ziplining – in Hawaii, or anywhere else – but I think it would be a good way to spend a lazy [...]

Lahaina Produce on Maui – Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:09:49 +0000

I lucked into this video while searching Youtube for something interesting about Hawaii. It’s great – she finds rambutans at the Lahaina Produce market (LahainaProduce.com) over by the Pu’ukolii Sugar Train Station. Rambutans are one of the most delicious fruits in the world. I have trouble deciding which is best – rambutan, dragon fruit, or [...]

Moving to Hawaii – In Preparation

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:07:28 +0000

Moving to Hawaii – Before You Go The first time I went to live in Hawaii, I was sent in the US Air Force. They arranged everything, and it couldn’t have been easier. I brought clothes in a suitcase, and my uniforms and other gear. That was about it… some photos of friends, and a [...]

Best Big Wave Video – Ever

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:06:21 +0000

Big waves are nothing to play with. I learned that when I tried to go from 6 footers to 12, and 15-20 feet waves showed up in a killer set and wrecked me. Though I’ve caught some amazing big waves before, the kind that are huge – 10+ feet and break slowly (so I can [...]

Is Hawaii Weather the Best on the Planet?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:59:51 +0000

Hawaii Weather – What is it Like? Picture the ultimate weather… mostly sunny, not usually too hot. Gentle breezes blowing. Never too cold. Cool nights. Some rain, but not usually too much. Welcome to Hawaii! The funny thing is that on the islands the forecast for each part of an island is often quite different. [...]

Living in Hawaii – Which Island is Right for You?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:39:19 +0000

Living in Hawaii – Which Island? The islands are quite diverse. If you like nightlife – you can only live on Oahu. If you like quiet, intimate gatherings on the weekend – you could live on any island, conceivably. You’ll need to visit all the islands if you want a big choice, otherwise try Oahu, [...]

Finding Employment in Hawaii – What is in Demand?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:59:05 +0000

Employment in Hawaii Employment is tough to find for most people. Jobs exist in certain career fields. If you’re a waiter-waitress, nurse or other healthcare worker, or you have worked in the travel industry, you can probably find a job in Hawaii. If not, it’s a serious struggle finding employment for most people that move [...]

New Book Release – Moving to Hawaii 2012 – Is Living in Paradise for You?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:58:24 +0000

Finishing up on the upgrade to the present Moving to Hawaii – 2011 book at Amazon. Should be ready to release tomorrow, and will be live on Amazon within 24 hours of uploading. Thanks to all who bought the 2011 guide, this new book adds a lot of information and updates things like cost of [...]

Language, Culture, Friends, and Social Life in Hawaii

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:30:49 +0000

Hawaii’s Laid Back Lifestyle Sure, everyone works in Hawaii. Well, most do. But, even though everyone is working here is this underlying attitude that life is not about work. The people living in Hawaii understand well that the secret to a happy life is about what you’re doing outside of work. Work-style is a little [...]

What Are Some Bad Reasons for Moving to Hawaii?

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:33:12 +0000

In my previous article I wrote about good reasons for moving to Hawaii. This article is about the other side of the coin – the bad reasons or motivations some people have when moving to the Hawaiian islands. Moving to Hawaii is not all that easy – it will take a monumental effort on your [...]

What Are Some Good Reasons for Moving to Hawaii

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:17:05 +0000

I was thinking today about people that make it when they move to Hawaii, and people that don’t. I mean, some people come to live in Hawaii and stay for the rest of their lives. Others, seem to give it a shot – realize it isn’t for them, and leave. Still others come, and rebound [...]

College Student Wants to Live in Hawaii

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:46:29 +0000

I received an email from a girl I’ll call, “Lorie”. She is a college student now and living on the mainland. She was thinking about going to live in Hawaii for college. She realizes it will be tough – but thought she would tough it out. Can a college student from the mainland USA go [...]

Physical Therapy Assistant Wants to Move to Hawaii Countryside

AimforAwesome@gmail.com (Vern L.) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:49:42 +0000

Here is another reader email – names changed to protect all involved – except me. This guy was about to graduate from school as a physical therapy assistant and he was thinking about moving to Hawaii. I’ve added “Vern” and “Tom” to designate who is doing the talking below. I like to comment within the [...]