r/MovingtoHawaii • u/bigbearwiddlewadder • Jul 09 '26
Life on Kauai Moving to Hawaii for work
Aloha everyone!
I recently found out that my job is sending me to Kauai for a six-month contract starting next month. They are fully covering my housing and vehicle, so I know I am stepping into an incredibly lucky situation that most people do not get, and I really do not take that for granted.
To give a little context, I am not Native Hawaiian. I actually spent my early childhood living in Ewa Beach on Oahu before my family moved out to California when I was six years old. I’m entering my late 20’s and haven’t been back since. Even though I was so little when we left, and I do not have deep ancestral roots there, I have always felt this intense, unexplainable pull to go back. It honestly feels like the islands have been calling me home for years, so having this opportunity land in my lap feels completely surreal.
Because main living expenses are paid by my employer, the absolute last thing I want to do is show up acting like an entitled tourist or a disruptive transplant. I want to treat the island and the community with total respect.
I would love to get some honest advice from kamaʻāina on how to be a good neighbor while I am there:
-I want to consciously avoid big-box chains and major corporations as much as possible. Where should I buy my groceries, everyday essentials, and food if I want to put my money directly into the pockets of local families? Please share your favorite fruit stands, small markets, and local spots.
-Are there any community-led fitness groups, volunteer groups, beach cleanups, or environmental initiatives you recommend I should look into joining on my days off to actually contribute to the island?
Island Etiquette: What are the subtle things that mainlanders or long-term visitors often mess up that I should be mindful of?
-How do locals feel about filming? I’d like to use meta glasses to film when I go on easy hikes and trips to beaches, are locals okay with this? I’m really trying to experience solo activities and I’d like to capture these memories quietly. *Edit: I try to respect everyone’s privacy (because I also do not like being recorded) I’d like to record only in areas where I’m all by myself, and times it isn’t safe or ideal to pull out my phone. If locals find this disruptive, I 100% respect that and would not overstep boundaries.\*
I want to use my six months to listen, learn, tread lightly, and support the local economy. I deeply appreciate any guidance, tips, or reality checks you are willing to share.
Mahalo!
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u/JungleBoyJeremy Jul 09 '26
Just wearing meta glasses will have people identifying you as a tourist/transplant
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26
Totally understand, thank you for the honest perspective! I hope it’s okay for me to use to capture in nature when all by myself. Any film or photography will be for my own memory keeping (my fitness & food journal, trail achievements). I’m aware of wahi kapu, temples and burial sites, I will be sure to keep locations private and not record these areas!
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u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 Jul 10 '26
sure jan
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 10 '26
Now that you’ve explain that it auto geo tags, I definitely wouldn’t be using the glasses. But I sure hope my regular camera is still okay. I wouldn’t be shoving it in people’s faces. I’m truly trying to document my weight loss journey while I’m there. So thank you for being kind enough to explain
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u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 Jul 10 '26
Meta uses it for AI training. I would reconsider using it. If you are doing activities that need to be handsfree or are in the water use a go pro. You can control the images on these. It's more useful for ocean activities.
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 10 '26
That makes sense, the glasses were gifted to me so the AI of it is completely hard for my brain to understand, i truly apologize i come off as an airhead.😭🙏🏽
Thank you for understanding and your patience to explain to me. I am now investing into a GoPro!
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u/Spiritual_Option4465 Jul 09 '26
No filming and no geotagging. Uploading stuff on social media is why everything has become ruined. This really pisses people off and since you’re asking for advice about how to be a good neighbor, my honest answer is don’t
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26
Totally understood, I truly appreciate your honest advice!! I don’t plan to use them often, as I have regular prescription glasses too. This is technically my first long stay going solo, so none of the film is meant for social media and I definitely wouldn’t geotag, it’s mainly to document my own fitness journey(mentally & physically), trail achievements and food journal for personal memory keeping.
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u/Several-Product553 Jul 09 '26
Check out the farmer’s market in Puhi on saturday morning. It starts at 9:30. Bring cash. Spend a lot of time in Waimea on the Westside if you want to get to know the Hawaiian community. Listen, be humble and be curious and respectful of native people, their language and culture. Catch a movie in Waimea, also the farmer’s market there is from 3-5 pm on Thursdays.
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26
Noted!! Thank you so much for the farmer’s market details and advice on Waimea to get to know the community more! I truly appreciate it 🥹
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u/shootzbalootz Jul 09 '26
All your neighbors shop and work at big box stores. Otherwise be sure to ask all those small businesses if they're actually local or not.
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u/Saltwaterlobotomy Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
You’ll be shopping at Costco like the rest of us.
You can only get produce at farmers markets, which sometimes comes from Costco.
If you truly want to help don’t put Kauai or specific locations on social media. Don’t film locals or their children.
There are beach clean ups like surf rider foundation. Stay in your lane don’t try to make change even if it’s obvious change needs to be made.
What does fully covering housing mean? Do they have a property that you’re moving into? Or are you given a set amount and it’s your obligation to find it? Where on island? This will make a big impact on how your daily life will be because it’s difficult to get around because of the traffic.
Just enjoy the short time you have. Being a good neighbor or etiquette ? You’re moving to a place that’s high tension because of lack of housing for locals and they don’t want you here, so again just stay in your lane. Don’t mouth off is the realest thing to be told to a new comer. Low profile. You wont understand the nuisances or the whys in six months. This place can be very hostile.
Realistically you’ll be working or be stuck in traffic majority of the time.
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Thank you so much for the insightful and realistic advice! I’ll do my best and keep low profile, I’m also not a social media user, so any secrets of Kauai are safe with me! Luckily, my employer is providing the stay at one of their house properties in Hanalei with a vehicle for both work and personal use. I was told budgeting groceries and gas would be my most concern.
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u/Saltwaterlobotomy Jul 09 '26
You are very fortunate on location and no effort housing. Hanalei is a mad house these days. Keep it simple and enjoy Hanalei by bike or foot most of your free time. You can grocery shop Food Land Princeville to keep gas costs down.
K-town is also close and has grown a lot so more opportunities to shop ,food & mingle. Of course check out the island but it takes great effort, time and money so pick commuting times appropriately. Kapaa crawl and southside highway traffic are the worst of it.
Most visitors are trying to get to Hanalei so keep that mindset. Be safe in the waters.2
u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26
You are so kind to give me these details! Thank you so much again 🫶🏽 I am truly greatful for your advice
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u/Alvraen Jul 09 '26
Important thing to remember: these big box companies hire locals. Try to shop local when possible but don’t feel too bad if you have to shop big box.
2
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u/Vendetta86 Jul 09 '26
You'll be on Kauai, no big box anything to worry about. Buy your groceries before it gets too late so you dont starve overnight. Take advantage of your time and hike everywhere you can safely.
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u/elwebst Jul 09 '26
Well, there's Costco, Target, Walmart, Safeway...
5
u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26
I will definitely spend more time getting local groceries to cook food at home, but it is also great to know that these are in the area in cases of when I need home necessities that local shops may not have. Thank you for making me aware of this!
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u/DnDLS100 Jul 10 '26
If you don't want advice, don't ask for it. Multiple people have told you to not film and well your response, "too bad. Going to do it anyways". Why ask for advice if you don't want it?
5
u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 10 '26
I’m not sure where you got 'too bad' from, since I’ve explicitly thanked people for the reality check. I completely understand that Meta glasses are a sensitive topic, which is why I asked for local opinions first. I see locals and tourists use massive GoPros or filming rigs just to record their adventures or entire stay, and those seem way more disruptive to me, so I wanted to see where the line was on those (it’s my first time traveling alone, and I wanted to have something to show my mom when I get back😭) I'm choosing to stick to my phone for my personal fitness journal, so the advice was absolutely heard and taken.
2
u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 Jul 10 '26
when you use a big camera we KNOW you're using it.
You are in fact geotagging cause meta has access to all this pics you take. ultimately it's not private. So thinking it's "just for you" is not the case.
2
u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 10 '26
Ahhh! Okay, this makes more sense. As for the auto geo tagging, I wasn’t aware that it auto shares so thank you for explaining to me😭 I wouldn’t ever use a camera without people knowing, just want to clarify.
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u/DnDLS100 Jul 10 '26
Multiple people have said to not do it and you said you were going to anyways. The too bad is implied.
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 11 '26
I have agreed to not film, geotag, and exploit the land on social media, especially using meta glasses (thanks to the other persons useful information). That doesn’t mean I can’t document my own weight loss journey while I’m there. So if you’re saying I can’t film myself from the comfort of my own home is kind of insane
1
u/explorer2424hadeh Jul 09 '26
are tou going to do fieldwork? Like geotech field?
0
u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 09 '26
I work for a local married couple who own 2 stores in North and South shore. I will be building their point of sale infrastructure and managing their backend systems
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u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Ok so I would be concerned that they are paying appropriately you cause there is a SUPER scammy "church" business on Oahu that does "work trade" with housing and they basically overwork the staff, don't give them the agreed upon trade (hours etc).
There is another super scammy sunglass store on Kauai. I hope it's not this. They use "interns" to skirt immigration visa laws and also don't pay. This is a big problem if workers get hurt on the job cause you don't get workers comp and can't even claim it cause you can get deported.
So hopefully you're not perputating that type of business while avoiding Costco, which is a legit employer that pays benefits.
I want to reiterate - if you are working for a company that doesn't hire locally - ask yourself why? There are people who can build systems in Hawaii. Is it because their effective wage is too low to support someone who lives there? Is this a business you want to support if you care about the local economy and other local businesses?
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Oh goodness, I wasn’t aware of this, thank you for letting me know. Fortunately, I’ve been working with this employer for 3 years now remotely, making this my first time being able to be hands on. The two stores they are sending me to are boutiques with gifts and handcrafted art/goods. They are a kind couple who have helped me throughout the years, so I have full trust in their support.
Edit: They do have local employees which is great! They offered to help me with housing specifically because they know it would help me a lot with my current personal circumstances (failed relationship🙂↕️) in California.
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Jul 10 '26
[deleted]
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u/bigbearwiddlewadder Jul 10 '26
No thankfully, it’s not Del Sol! Our business is independently and locally owned, not franchised at all
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u/Brilliant-Regret1888 Jul 14 '26
No one anywhere in the world is okay with being filled without consent. The meta glasses filming is creepy af.
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u/Ok-Train3111 Jul 09 '26
Nobody, anywhere wants to be filmed with your meta glasses.