Lahaina, Hawaii

Anonymous
7mo ago
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I’m born and raised in Maui, Lahaina in fact. I was visiting my family for a funeral the day before the fires happened. And flew back to the mainland the night prior to it starting. Currently live in the mainland now but my first 19 years of life has been nothing but living on the island.

I would say the benefits outweigh the inconvenience. Especially if you said you don’t have any financial worries. That’s pretty much the main thing anybody has to worry about for Hawaii. Just like most people said the public (and you could argue some private) schools are trash. A lot of the older generations of teachers are retiring and these younger newer ones are not the same in my opinion ( my mom was a teacher so I hung around her school for all my childhood and got to know and understand the teaching community and whatnot). I went to Kamehameha Maui (class of 2018) but if I could recommend any school it would probably be Seabury or Maui High. You could try your best for Kamehameha but they are a Hawaiian school and give enrollment priority to those with Hawaiian ancestry.

Depending on which side of the island you’re going to live in (I’m guessing Wailuku since it’s central hub with the only main hospital) you’re going to be close to the main malls (kaahumanu and Maui mall) but ever since covid and inflation, a lot of the stores have closed down.

ChuckTheWebster
7mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

I lived on Oahu for four years and do plan to return in the future. I did not really experience island fever, BUT I was living with my little brother and have 14 family members on Maui including my father (my cousin’s house actually burned down in the fires). I also had a massive and highly fun social circle (think burning man fire spinners, beach raves, and kiteboarders).

I eventually sought out the mountains again (and it’s hard to meet life partners in Hawaii, so I’ve been in cold places for the last two years…) but, I have come to the determination that Hawaii wins (or just nice weather in general). Seasons are overrated. Just fly to Snow, don’t live in it. I will be seeking out nice weather from now on.

People that left Maui after living there

I can write a book about the complexities that make up my decision to leave. I may do so.

I am grateful for the “windfall” that my home has brought me and my ohana. In a perfect world I would stay. I have family and a lifetime of friends I am leaving behind. It’s not easy. However I have a child about to start school. Schools on Maui suck. The teachers are over worked and underpaid. The melting pot that makes Maui so awesome also makes the schools difficult for a number of reasons. I am quarter Hawaiian. Which means my daughter has Hawaiian blood. However she looks like my Irish wife. Watching her get called “fucking haole” by Japanese, Filipino and Micronesian immigrants guts me. We are local. She is Hawaiian. It’s not fair to her. What am I going to do, scrap with these kids parents? Also all the newcomers want to change the island. The airport area looks like SoCal. Kihei is a wasteland of transplants, druggies, tourists and locals just trying to hang on. I haven’t gone Lahaina or Hana in years because of traffic. It makes me so sad.

I understand progress. And people migrate to beautiful areas. I get it. But Hawaii is special. And what makes it special is dying. Maybe I am part of the problem by leaving. I will spread aloha in my new home. I will tell the stories of what Maui used to be. There is no going back so might as well move on. It’s so complicated. Unless you are local and have roots I don’t think you can fully understand.

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