Why Do People Move Away From Hawaii
Why Do People Move Away From Hawaii?
People are led to believe that Hawaii is paradise. Living is easy, weather is nice all year around, and the locals are friendly. This may be true but yet many still choose to move away from the islands to start a new life in the mainland. Some may say this is odd, but that is before they understand the reasoning behind it. It is difficult to support a family financially well in Hawaii, traffic is one of the worst in the country, and the crime for drugs is huge.
Of course no matter where you choose to live, the cost of living is a main factor involved and in order to pay this off, a job is necessary but with the rise of population and decrease of places to work, finding employment and keeping that job is difficult. Many residents in Hawaii work two or maybe three jobs just to support their families and live in "million dollar shacks" which basically means …show more content…
some people pay thousands of dollars for a house that is barely intact and bugs constantly invite themselves freely into houses (Aloha Tony). Prices for food are pretty high, in Oahu a simple lunch plate that may be worth seven dollars can cost ten. That is one out of three meals of the day and eating on that expense weekly adds up quickly. Groceries aren 't cheap either because all products must be shipped into Hawaii from all over the world and shipping to the state is not cheap alone, so making homemade meals everyday isn 't an ideal thing for the average resident family.
Tourism in Hawaii adds to the problem of crowds and traffic which is another reason why many people choose to move away from Hawaii. Approximately seven and a half million people visit Hawaii each year and most of them visit the island of Oahu. One of the main stops that tourists make is into Waikiki where there is always something going on, a city footsteps away from a beach. With that adds the many residents that also go to Waikiki for work or other business. So many people go to Waikiki so now think how do they get there? Cars, taxis, buses, and trolleys go through the city every day coming from all over the island, causing an overwhelming amount of traffic alone (Around Hawaii). With so many people in one area cops have to always be on patrol because trouble and accidents are sure to happen which leads to fire trucks and ambulances causing more traffic on a daily. Being on an island, there should be a certain time of day that the whole island becomes relaxed and sleeps but Oahu has become so modernized that it never really rests. What Oahu has become, the outer neighbor islands are slowly changing to become as well.
Everything in Hawaii takes longer, hence the saying "I not late, I stay on Hawaiian time." Traffic is an everyday thing especially in the afternoon on the freeways it can get really bad so it takes a while to get home or where ever the destination is. Online purchases to Hawaii take days and sometimes even weeks to reach the mail, but for those that live in say New York it would be at the mail almost immediately the next day (Aim For Awesome). Some business practices in Hawaii will take weeks just to schedule an appointment. For example, it may take a month just to get a dentist appointment and some transactions don 't go through till two weeks later. Life in Hawaii moves slowly and sometimes that can be good, but it becomes a hassle when emergencies pop up.
People move away from Hawaii because the drug epidemic is rumored to be one of the biggest in America. The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) recognizes Hawaii as a high intensity drug trafficking area because marijuana and other drugs are distributed out from here to all over the world, mainly California and New Mexico. Specific main drug of choice in Hawaii is methamphetamine, which researchers say causes the user to reach a level of prolonged euphoria. This drug is widely popular among residents in the state; about one million are recreational users of meth or “ice.” Unlike marijuana, ice is perceived as a socially unacceptable drug that takes over a person’s life and causes tweaking, theft, and death (CBS News). Why would anyone want to put themself or their loved ones in an environment that temptation is literally right in front of their face?
Many surfing legends originate from Hawaii and people from all over the world recognize the beauty of this loved sport, but it is also criticized when connected with drugs.
With the death of legend, Andy Irons, caused by a mixture of cocaine and meth in his system has pushed the judgment between drugs and surfing even more. What many don’t understand is that back in the old days everyone did drugs, no one cared or said anything if you used, everyone just thought that as long as you can surf you’ll make it big in the world. Now things have changed, the islands have modernized and kids in Hawaii are more exposed to the results of drug addiction and how it can ruin a person’s future and life but still choose to do it. North shore resident professional surfer, Pancho Sullivan, states that “they know drugs have taken the lives of great surfers and ruined the lives of countless others. Drug use has been rampant in the surf culture and I think that there is just a greater awareness in general of how quickly you can lose everything in your life if you go down that path” (The
Inertia).
There are many places to go to with beautiful views and the weather is nice majority of the year, but there is also a lot of bad about Hawaii that tourists are blind to until they actually get here which relates to why many people choose to move away from Hawaii. Some of those reasons being that prices are high on pretty much everything, traffic and crowds are everywhere because areas are not meant for so many people at once, and lastly the drug epidemic is one of the hugest in the country. Like everywhere else in the world, drug addiction is a choice, but more so in Hawaii because people are constantly being exposed to drugs and pressured into doing drugs. But also consider the fact that when people are at the weakest they get involved into things that aren’t always necessarily good for them. Hawaii is most commonly known as the “Aloha State” but there is way more to Hawaii than the pictures people see in the post cards.
Works Cited
Gieseler Stephanie. "Don 't come! -A dozen reasons not to move to Hawaii." Around Hawaii. 01 April 2008. Web. 09 November 2013.
"10 things you should know before moving to Hawaii." Aloha Tony. Web. 09 November 2013.
"Why Do So Many People Leave Hawaii?" ETurboNews. 09 January 2011. Web. 09 November 2013.
Vern Lovic. "What Are The Worst Things About Hawaii? The Big 3!" Aim For Awesome. 30 December 2011. Web. 09 November 2013.
"Facts About Honolulu." Honolulu Hawaii Life. Web. 09 November 2013.
Jaymes Song. "Hawaii Has Huge Meth Mess." CBS News. 11 February 2009. Web. 09 November 2013.
Tetsuhiko Endo. “Drugs, Meth, and Hawaiian Surf Culture.” The Inertia. 20 December 2011. Web. 15 November 2013.
People are led to believe that Hawaii is paradise. Living is easy, weather is nice all year around, and the locals are friendly. This may be true but yet many still choose to move away from the islands to start a new life in the mainland. Some may say this is odd, but that is before they understand the reasoning behind it. It is difficult to support a family financially well in Hawaii, traffic is one of the worst in the country, and the crime for drugs is huge.
Of course no matter where you choose to live, the cost of living is a main factor involved and in order to pay this off, a job is necessary but with the rise of population and decrease of places to work, finding employment and keeping that job is difficult. Many residents in Hawaii work two or maybe three jobs just to support their families and live in "million dollar shacks" which basically means …show more content…
some people pay thousands of dollars for a house that is barely intact and bugs constantly invite themselves freely into houses (Aloha Tony). Prices for food are pretty high, in Oahu a simple lunch plate that may be worth seven dollars can cost ten. That is one out of three meals of the day and eating on that expense weekly adds up quickly. Groceries aren 't cheap either because all products must be shipped into Hawaii from all over the world and shipping to the state is not cheap alone, so making homemade meals everyday isn 't an ideal thing for the average resident family.
Tourism in Hawaii adds to the problem of crowds and traffic which is another reason why many people choose to move away from Hawaii. Approximately seven and a half million people visit Hawaii each year and most of them visit the island of Oahu. One of the main stops that tourists make is into Waikiki where there is always something going on, a city footsteps away from a beach. With that adds the many residents that also go to Waikiki for work or other business. So many people go to Waikiki so now think how do they get there? Cars, taxis, buses, and trolleys go through the city every day coming from all over the island, causing an overwhelming amount of traffic alone (Around Hawaii). With so many people in one area cops have to always be on patrol because trouble and accidents are sure to happen which leads to fire trucks and ambulances causing more traffic on a daily. Being on an island, there should be a certain time of day that the whole island becomes relaxed and sleeps but Oahu has become so modernized that it never really rests. What Oahu has become, the outer neighbor islands are slowly changing to become as well.
Everything in Hawaii takes longer, hence the saying "I not late, I stay on Hawaiian time." Traffic is an everyday thing especially in the afternoon on the freeways it can get really bad so it takes a while to get home or where ever the destination is. Online purchases to Hawaii take days and sometimes even weeks to reach the mail, but for those that live in say New York it would be at the mail almost immediately the next day (Aim For Awesome). Some business practices in Hawaii will take weeks just to schedule an appointment. For example, it may take a month just to get a dentist appointment and some transactions don 't go through till two weeks later. Life in Hawaii moves slowly and sometimes that can be good, but it becomes a hassle when emergencies pop up.
People move away from Hawaii because the drug epidemic is rumored to be one of the biggest in America. The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) recognizes Hawaii as a high intensity drug trafficking area because marijuana and other drugs are distributed out from here to all over the world, mainly California and New Mexico. Specific main drug of choice in Hawaii is methamphetamine, which researchers say causes the user to reach a level of prolonged euphoria. This drug is widely popular among residents in the state; about one million are recreational users of meth or “ice.” Unlike marijuana, ice is perceived as a socially unacceptable drug that takes over a person’s life and causes tweaking, theft, and death (CBS News). Why would anyone want to put themself or their loved ones in an environment that temptation is literally right in front of their face?
Many surfing legends originate from Hawaii and people from all over the world recognize the beauty of this loved sport, but it is also criticized when connected with drugs.
With the death of legend, Andy Irons, caused by a mixture of cocaine and meth in his system has pushed the judgment between drugs and surfing even more. What many don’t understand is that back in the old days everyone did drugs, no one cared or said anything if you used, everyone just thought that as long as you can surf you’ll make it big in the world. Now things have changed, the islands have modernized and kids in Hawaii are more exposed to the results of drug addiction and how it can ruin a person’s future and life but still choose to do it. North shore resident professional surfer, Pancho Sullivan, states that “they know drugs have taken the lives of great surfers and ruined the lives of countless others. Drug use has been rampant in the surf culture and I think that there is just a greater awareness in general of how quickly you can lose everything in your life if you go down that path” (The
Inertia).
There are many places to go to with beautiful views and the weather is nice majority of the year, but there is also a lot of bad about Hawaii that tourists are blind to until they actually get here which relates to why many people choose to move away from Hawaii. Some of those reasons being that prices are high on pretty much everything, traffic and crowds are everywhere because areas are not meant for so many people at once, and lastly the drug epidemic is one of the hugest in the country. Like everywhere else in the world, drug addiction is a choice, but more so in Hawaii because people are constantly being exposed to drugs and pressured into doing drugs. But also consider the fact that when people are at the weakest they get involved into things that aren’t always necessarily good for them. Hawaii is most commonly known as the “Aloha State” but there is way more to Hawaii than the pictures people see in the post cards.
Works Cited
Gieseler Stephanie. "Don 't come! -A dozen reasons not to move to Hawaii." Around Hawaii. 01 April 2008. Web. 09 November 2013.
"10 things you should know before moving to Hawaii." Aloha Tony. Web. 09 November 2013.
"Why Do So Many People Leave Hawaii?" ETurboNews. 09 January 2011. Web. 09 November 2013.
Vern Lovic. "What Are The Worst Things About Hawaii? The Big 3!" Aim For Awesome. 30 December 2011. Web. 09 November 2013.
"Facts About Honolulu." Honolulu Hawaii Life. Web. 09 November 2013.
Jaymes Song. "Hawaii Has Huge Meth Mess." CBS News. 11 February 2009. Web. 09 November 2013.
Tetsuhiko Endo. “Drugs, Meth, and Hawaiian Surf Culture.” The Inertia. 20 December 2011. Web. 15 November 2013.