If you’ve received orders to Hawaii, congratulations! Pack away your winter clothes and stock up on beachwear because paradise awaits. The island can be intimidating, but the good news is that it’s HAWAII and incredible places to live are plentiful.

After the initial celebration that comes with orders to Hawaii comes the daunting task of researching where to live. This tropical archipelago can seem like a foreign land, and with good reason! Multiple languages are spoken on the islands, many distinct and culturally rich ethnic groups are represented, and “mainlanders” are regarded as tourists or visitors. The overwhelming advice we’ve received from military spouses who have been stationed here is to embrace the culture and customs of the island! The sooner you shed your “mainland eyes” and reframe your perspective, the sooner your love affair with this duty station can begin.

Yes, homes are more expensive here, but it’s a tropical paradise.

Yes, it’s practically like moving to a foreign country, but soak in that magnificently rich culture and history.

Yes, houses and construction practices are very different and few homes have central A/C, but you will eventually acclimate to the climate and learn to love your breezy lanai.

Yes, open windows and doors invite guests of the critter variety, but the geckos eat mosquitos (circle of life, Ohana, all that...). 

Embrace the aloha spirit and go ahead and get on island time. Keep an open mind and a positive spirit and take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunities! You’ll leave the island better for it.

Housing

The first task to tackle is where to live. At almost 600 square miles, the island of Oahu is huge, and getting around isn’t terribly convenient. Figure out what your priorities are (beaches, places to hike, quiet refuge, etc.), and then start narrowing down locations from there. On-base housing is in extremely high demand, and it’s likely that you’ll be on a waiting list for a few weeks to several months! There is a healthy supply of short-term and vacation rentals available for this reason. Focus on where to live more so than the style or quality of the home. Location definitely trumps the size of the home, its age, and whether or not it has air conditioning (it probably won’t). Home values appreciate consistently here, so it’s not a terrible idea to go ahead and invest in a property. If you’ll be here for a few years, plan to rent it out when you PCS again. If you think you may return in retirement, it’s a great idea to look into purchasing a home. Be prepared for sticker shock, though. Spending $600,000 for a tiny fixer upper or upwards of $1M+ on a new home is not unheard of.

Traffic

The traffic on Oahu is something you should really spend some time on, so consider this your crash course.

Lesson 1: Directions 

Hawaiians give directions based on landmarks, and the navigational descriptors they use date back to the way their ancestors oriented themselves on the island. Exchange east and west for windward and leeward. The island is home to the glorious Ko’olau Mountain Range that runs north/south, bisecting the island. Anything to the east of the mountains (Kaneohe, Kailua, MCBH) is considered to be on the windward side—the mountains block the incoming trade winds. Furthermore, you’ll also hear mauka (MOW-kah), meaning “mountain side” and makai (ma-KAI), meaning “oceanside.” These terms are used frequently to distinguish which side of the road or direction is in reference. Cross over, or through, the mountains and you’re on the leeward side, which is pretty much everything from Honolulu (or “town”) and beyond. The terminus for each of the highways is also interchanged for cardinal points (N, S, E, W). For example, “From town, go Ewa-bound on the freeway” means that from Honolulu you’ll get on H1 heading west.

Lesson 2: Highways

There are only three main highways on the island: H1, H2, and H3. The main north/south artery is H2, and it connects the North Shore to Pearl City, where it then converges with H1. To get from the leeward side of the island (western coast) to “town” (Honolulu), you’ll take H1. Near Tripler Army Medical Center, H3 branches off of H1 and continues out to the windward side (eastern coast) to Kaneohe. Generally speaking, going east to west is considered reverse commuting, and if you can limit your time on the H1 and H2 (Honolulu traffic) you’ll be spending more time on the beach and less time in the car.

Lesson 3: Etiquette

Because there are very few ways to get around, an accident or jam on one of the highways can cause major delays. Also, remember you’re on island time. Most drivers truly embody this, driving at or below the speed limits and allowing everyone to merge. Aloha spirit. Just take a deep breath and go with it! If you’re accustomed to city traffic, Oahu traffic shouldn’t be that much a departure from your norm, but if you can’t wrap your head around driving for 30 minutes to travel five miles, you’ll definitely want to make commute times a priority when looking for a home. Learn to give and accept the “shaka” hand sign in traffic! It’s basically a “my bad” or “thank you” for merging and is exchanged frequently. Make a fist, extend your thumb and pinky, and give a little wiggle—instant aloha spirit!

Schools

One of the top influencers for PCSing families when deciding where to live is school choice. We know how daunting this decision can be and want to help! Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. with a unified school system, meaning state taxes are distributed to all of the schools without regard to districts. Variance in class size, language barriers, and socioeconomic disparities are going to all be factors when looking at test scores and third-party rating systems. Many spouses report that the rankings don’t always reflect a school’s quality of education. While school ratings are a fantastic resource for test scores, class sizes, and a plethora of other data, they only tell part of the story. Interview the school, identify your child’s needs, weigh pros and cons of commute/specials/class sizes, and look for military-friendly staff and programs at the school. Private schools are popular and costly, and if you would prefer to opt private, you’ll find more variety and selection closer to Honolulu.

Pets

Fido has to “do some time” before he can enjoy the beach. To keep the island rabies-free, there is a mandatory quarantine for pets coming to Hawaii. Most pets should qualify for the five-days-or-less program, but some animals could spend up to 120 days in quarantine.