- I was born and raised in Hawaii. Living here full-time has its pros and cons.
- The islands are filled with adventure and beauty, but the cost of living in Hawaii is high.
- I really feel blessed to live here, but traffic and overtourism are also frustrating issues.
After growing up in Hawaii and moving to the contiguous US for college, the first thing most people asked me was: “Why would you ever leave Maui?”
My honest answer is that it was always my goal to get off “the rock,” the nickname that my friends and I used to call the island. Now that I’ve returned as an adult, I have a new perspective.
Even though it’s not flawless, I feel extremely lucky to call Hawaii home — but I also have a better understanding of why it’s not always the picturesque paradise that many imagine.
Here are the six best and six worst things about living in Hawaii.
