Hawaii is a very unique place to live and I strongly believe there's no other place like in the world. Here are some of my reasons why I absolutely love living in Hawaii.
Reason #1: Local Food!
Considering Hawaii is a big melting pot of cultures like Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Porchugese, Vietnamise and more, the food here is a very unique blend of flavors. You can find food and snacks here in Hawaii that you won't find anywhere else! Some of our local foods include loco moco (hamburger and gravy over rice topped with a sunny side up egg), saimin (ramen like noodles in a salty, very tasty broth), poke (versions of marinated raw fish often accompanied by limu), manapua (steamed buns filled with delicious pork), huli huli chicken (huli means to turn so it literally translate to "turn turn chicken" or chicken that's seasoned and turned over and over to roast over an open fire), Malasadas (sugary deep fried dough), shave ice (finely shaved ice covered in sweet syrup), and the infamous spam musubi. Yes I said spam. Spam in Hawaii is a staple meat to have, and again yes, we consider spam meat. Spam musubis consist of a slice of spam on top of rice, wrapped in nori/seaweed.
Considering Hawaii is a big melting pot of cultures like Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Porchugese, Vietnamise and more, the food here is a very unique blend of flavors. You can find food and snacks here in Hawaii that you won't find anywhere else! Some of our local foods include loco moco (hamburger and gravy over rice topped with a sunny side up egg), saimin (ramen like noodles in a salty, very tasty broth), poke (versions of marinated raw fish often accompanied by limu), manapua (steamed buns filled with delicious pork), huli huli chicken (huli means to turn so it literally translate to "turn turn chicken" or chicken that's seasoned and turned over and over to roast over an open fire), Malasadas (sugary deep fried dough), shave ice (finely shaved ice covered in sweet syrup), and the infamous spam musubi. Yes I said spam. Spam in Hawaii is a staple meat to have, and again yes, we consider spam meat. Spam musubis consist of a slice of spam on top of rice, wrapped in nori/seaweed.
Foods listed from left to right starting with loco moco! (all images taken from internet sources)
Reason #2: Beaches!
As many of you folks know, Hawaii is home to some of the worlds most pristine beaches. You can start by taking a trip to the north shore and if you're lucky enough, there might be a surf tournament going on like the Eddie Aikau! Visiting the north shore of Oahu feels like traveling back in time a bit with the very laid back country lifestyle. I love going to some of my favorite beaches like Papailoa, Waimea Bay, Off the Walls, and Sunset Beach. After taking a mini road trip to the north shore, you can head over to the east side of the island to visit Kailua and Lanikai, our beach towns. There you will find the softest sand and extremely clear waters. Everyone there rides their bikes and walks around barefoot because why not? Anywhere along the shores of our islands would make the perfect beach day for you.
As many of you folks know, Hawaii is home to some of the worlds most pristine beaches. You can start by taking a trip to the north shore and if you're lucky enough, there might be a surf tournament going on like the Eddie Aikau! Visiting the north shore of Oahu feels like traveling back in time a bit with the very laid back country lifestyle. I love going to some of my favorite beaches like Papailoa, Waimea Bay, Off the Walls, and Sunset Beach. After taking a mini road trip to the north shore, you can head over to the east side of the island to visit Kailua and Lanikai, our beach towns. There you will find the softest sand and extremely clear waters. Everyone there rides their bikes and walks around barefoot because why not? Anywhere along the shores of our islands would make the perfect beach day for you.
(all images taken from internet sources)
Reason #3: Hiking!
Even though I may live on a tiny island, Oahu has never failed to provide amazing hikes ranging in difficulty. Our island has many many different hikes that will lead you to incredible views. Imagine hiking along the ridge of our Ko'olau mountain range where at the top you get an overview of the entire island. Amazing right? Hiking up Lanikai Pill Boxes to catch the sunrise, hiking through the mountains of Manoa to reach a waterfall, or even crawling through lavish forests with indigenous birds, Hawaii hiking will never disappoint. As a bonus Hawaii doesn't have snakes so you never need to worry about them along our trails!
Even though I may live on a tiny island, Oahu has never failed to provide amazing hikes ranging in difficulty. Our island has many many different hikes that will lead you to incredible views. Imagine hiking along the ridge of our Ko'olau mountain range where at the top you get an overview of the entire island. Amazing right? Hiking up Lanikai Pill Boxes to catch the sunrise, hiking through the mountains of Manoa to reach a waterfall, or even crawling through lavish forests with indigenous birds, Hawaii hiking will never disappoint. As a bonus Hawaii doesn't have snakes so you never need to worry about them along our trails!
Reason #4: Sunsets!
I'm sure many people have seen breath taking photos of Hawaiian sunsets. Well, one of the perks of living here on the islands is that I can watch the sunset every night! It's truly a moment in time when the sand's between your toes, the ocean waves are whispering along the shore, and in front you is the sun setting with colors of oranges, yellows, pinks, and sometimes even purples. No sunset is exactly like another which makes them special to me. It's a perfect time to sit on the beach with good company and relax as the sun says goodnight.
I'm sure many people have seen breath taking photos of Hawaiian sunsets. Well, one of the perks of living here on the islands is that I can watch the sunset every night! It's truly a moment in time when the sand's between your toes, the ocean waves are whispering along the shore, and in front you is the sun setting with colors of oranges, yellows, pinks, and sometimes even purples. No sunset is exactly like another which makes them special to me. It's a perfect time to sit on the beach with good company and relax as the sun says goodnight.
(My images)
Reason #5: Laid back life style
"Hawaiian time" is a term here on the islands that basically describes our pace of life. It's not city life, it's not country life, it's none of that. It's a very slow paced and peaceful way of life. Here on the islands most people aren't in a rush to get to destinations. Rather, we enjoy the journey! The work and life mood in Hawaii is definitely less intense than the mainland. You are constantly surrounded by laid back people that rub off on you in a positive way.
"Hawaiian time" is a term here on the islands that basically describes our pace of life. It's not city life, it's not country life, it's none of that. It's a very slow paced and peaceful way of life. Here on the islands most people aren't in a rush to get to destinations. Rather, we enjoy the journey! The work and life mood in Hawaii is definitely less intense than the mainland. You are constantly surrounded by laid back people that rub off on you in a positive way.
(Image taken from internet source)
Reason #6: Weather!
Imagine a year round summer... Well that's basically what you'll get when you live in Hawaii. Yes there are a few showers here and there but hey, that's what keeps our island so green and luscious. Any day is a beach day because the sun is always out, bright and shining. Perfect for tanning or just getting a bit of fresh air. Also something very unique to Hawaii is how often we can view rainbows! Hawaii weather is beautiful at any time of the day. From the cool sunrises to warm daytime hours and starry nights, weather in Hawaii is near perfect.
Imagine a year round summer... Well that's basically what you'll get when you live in Hawaii. Yes there are a few showers here and there but hey, that's what keeps our island so green and luscious. Any day is a beach day because the sun is always out, bright and shining. Perfect for tanning or just getting a bit of fresh air. Also something very unique to Hawaii is how often we can view rainbows! Hawaii weather is beautiful at any time of the day. From the cool sunrises to warm daytime hours and starry nights, weather in Hawaii is near perfect.
(Images taken from internet sources)
So next time you're thinking of places to go for vacation, maybe Hawaii would be a good choice for you. I have shared a bit of reasons for living in paradise and maybe one day you can too!