I figured, it might be neat to share how we made the giant leap and moved to Hawaii from California. Bottom line…we’re crazy, we’re dreamers, we are doers (when it feels right) and we never ever ever want to be “what if-ers“. So this is our story…
It all started with a trip to Maui for my husband’s 30th birthday with our little boy…
While there we went to just look at real estate, just to check it out. We ended up leaving 5 days later with a house in escrow.
With a 120 day escrow this allowed us time to get our chocolate Lab, Buddy, through quarantine and for us to sell almost everything we owned. We moved in March with a crate that was 5 feet by 8 feet. That’s it’s. That was our life…in a box. It’s amazing what little you can live with and how good it feels to clean out everything, in a really big way.
Our dog, Buddy made the trek out a month after we arrived.
Oh, and we did keep our cars and shipped them out as well.
I found out I was pregnant in January just as we were going though and selling all of our life possessions. We were excited…our little one would be born in Maui!
I made the move at 3 months pregnant.
Flying out of San Diego alone with my little boy (my husband went before we did to get things set up and to start his new job) with a one way ticket to paradise.
I went from this…(pic taken at about 4 months pregnant)
To this…(full term…thank goodness!)
Six months later, after a bout of pre-term labor at 32 weeks, that led me to fly on a metavac flight at 3 a.m. in the middle of the night, a 5 day stay in an Oahu hospital on IVs and then another 2.5 weeks living in Oahu in case I went in to labor (my son and husband stayed on Maui – that was the toughest!)….we had our baby girl, Leah Marley. She actually came past due after all that…the stinker!
Fast forward to today…our first born Cam the man is almost 4 and in preschool. He’s loving it and making friends. Leah is 14 months, walking, and chatting up a storm.
My husband has since started his own company, all while working a full-full time job, and I have ventured into the “inventor” status and am in the midst of creating a fabulous product for busy bathrooms everywhere! And in my spare time…I write for Ohana Mama :)
And that is how this California native Mama became an Ohana Mama living in Maui!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
You know how I feel about you lady!! Follow your dreams! It’ totally in the cards for me and my hub and son one day too :).
Your little ones are just precious in these pics :)
Aloha. We are going through the beginning stages of something very similar at the moment. It’s nice to see that things are working out for you.
Thanks for sharing your story–we honey-mooned in Maui, and tried to come up with a plan to stay…it didn’t work out for us at the time, but it is always in the back of our minds.
I really envy you. I could never make such a leap myself, I’m just a big chicken without the feathers.
Thanks for sharing that girl!!! Great story and I’m so glad it worked out for you!
I’m in freezing cold Ohio right now. Hawaii is on my list of places I need to visit in this lifetime! Right about now would be preferable, ha ha :-).
Awesome story. I loved Hawaii and want to go back one day. I think our next big trip is Australia though. Imagine if we bought a house there during the trip. LOL.
Thanks for filling us in on your inspirational story. My husband (along with the 3 kids) dream of a similar goal someday (to the caribbean). It really takes guts and I truly admire that. Now if I can just get my husband to go along.
What an inspiring story to follow our dreams! My hubby and I dream of the day we can move to a place with the ocean close by!
yay! thanks for sharing your story!
that's a great story! thanks for sharing.
hopefully it won't be too different from me & my husband's moving experience. my family just bought a house in Maui, now we just need to find jobs! You're story brings me hope of a smooth transition.
good for you!~ took the plunge!
I went the other way, from Hawaii to the Mainland. Boy do I miss the ocean!!!! My brother lives in Maui, he is a police officer! Right now he is going thru cancer. They have had some fund raisers for him, I don’t know if you ever heard about that. Anyway, I haven’t been to Maui in years! I’m more of an Oahu kinda girl!
I'm such a sucker!! This made me tear up. Seeing little Cam, and your Leah belly, and then baby Leah turn to big girl Leah. It's all so much! How do they grow so fast?!?!
I <3 U!
What an awesome story! So glad to have met you through #gno. I will definitely visit you the next time I am in Maui. I need to introduce you to my friend. Her family is all from Maui and they have the biggest hearts. You’d love her.
Aloha
Just found your blog through momversation. Congrats on getting featured!
The story of how you made the big move is comforting. My husband and I really want to move our little family some place warm and tropical. We are afraid of the finances and leaving our family and friends behind, but we know it would be a great adventure and makes us happy. We’ve thought of Miami, San Diego, and Hawaii (our daughter is named Moanna because of our love of the water). It’s just seems so overwhelming to even think about making such a huge change.
.-= Renee´s last blog ..While cleaning Moanna’s Room… =-.
Twitter: momdot
March 28, 2010 at 12:29 am
was it expensive to just move and get a house there?
trisha
.-= trisha´s last blog ..Small Talk Six: Puppy Love =-.
Twitter: TheOhanaMama
March 28, 2010 at 12:39 am
@trisha,
Yes. But actually no more expensive than buying a house in California at the time. And in CA we couldn’t get an ocean view, 5 minute walk from the beach house for what we got our house here. Crazy.
The thing that’s really expensive here isn’t necessarily moving here but living here. We went though our nest egg really quickly. Energy alone is CRAZY expensive. Then there’s learning how to shop for groceries so that you won’t break the bank.
I need to write a post on that.
Twitter: momdot
March 28, 2010 at 12:42 am
@Sarah, my dad wants to move to hawaii..he probably will in a few years. He goes out there yearly. So im going to direct him to your blog post.
.-= trisha´s last blog ..Small Talk Six: Puppy Love =-.
Twitter: TheOhanaMama
March 28, 2010 at 10:27 am
@trisha, I’ll write more on cost of living – it is different based on island too though. Tell him to email me anytime if he needs info or advice too!
Twitter: 5minutesformom
April 11, 2010 at 8:25 am
SOOOOO jealous!!!! I LOVE Hawaii. We live in Vancouver BC and my parents went to Hawaii every year – and sometimes they brought us. :)
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