Everyone is leaving Hawaii. I have more and more friends to visit on the mailnand every year, mostly because people are finding it too hard to get by here. And the momentum keeps growing. By this time next year I have 2 other friends who plan to be gone, and that worries me some. After my brief stint in LA, I figured I'd be ready to settle here in Hawaii, grateful for all the benefits this island has to offer.
But Oil prices keep rising. I visit the north shore every 4 months rather than every month now, and that benefit like many others seem to be occurring with less frequency. Its becoming more and more difficult to visualize a happy life here, where we all take on part-time jobs to pay for a cost of living that is far out-pacing our regular salaries. Weekend getaways are a thing of the past, and our longstanding relationship with Vegas will begin to dissolve when the oil cartel gauges prices high enough.
If anything, this MBA I'm working for will allow me to stay, and survive just above the poverty line. The only ones who will be able to afford to stay, will be the ones working for the luxury hotels who cater to clients still rich enough to visit. And that'll be me, working for the Hyatt Regency Kaimuki (when Waikiki is underwater), renting a shitty roach-infested 4th story walk-up aptartment for 3000/mo., paying 13.oo/gal for gas for my moped, and selling crack to rich tourist kids on the side to pay for my spicy ahi habbit.
But Oil prices keep rising. I visit the north shore every 4 months rather than every month now, and that benefit like many others seem to be occurring with less frequency. Its becoming more and more difficult to visualize a happy life here, where we all take on part-time jobs to pay for a cost of living that is far out-pacing our regular salaries. Weekend getaways are a thing of the past, and our longstanding relationship with Vegas will begin to dissolve when the oil cartel gauges prices high enough.
If anything, this MBA I'm working for will allow me to stay, and survive just above the poverty line. The only ones who will be able to afford to stay, will be the ones working for the luxury hotels who cater to clients still rich enough to visit. And that'll be me, working for the Hyatt Regency Kaimuki (when Waikiki is underwater), renting a shitty roach-infested 4th story walk-up aptartment for 3000/mo., paying 13.oo/gal for gas for my moped, and selling crack to rich tourist kids on the side to pay for my spicy ahi habbit.
This said, I vow to count all the blessings we have here now and go on more hikes on the weekends, get out to the ocean to swim and surf, and dangint - I'm going to Vegas as soon as I can scrape up enough to do it, while our purple, pink, and white planes are still in the air.
Lucky we live Hawaii eh?
2 comments:
i hear ya, at least you're in a somewhat stable industry. maybe you should get a motorcycle. you'll save on gas and look really cool too!
DUDE! I love this post...I agree 1million percent! It's a good thing you'll have your MBA...people like me who are scared of that 4th floor walk up with the roaches are gonna jump ship soon. Counting blessings...counting blessings...
You da bomb.
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