|
|
| *Vultures Knob>>>Bike Race |
Single Mom move to Hawaii? |
Hello all, I currently live in Chicago and have lived here all my life. I want to get away from the ridiculous societal expectations that this city offers. I don't want to live anywhere near rich people. I want to make a change. I have a six year old daughter and I feel all of what we are subjected to here needs to change. I want her to be able to walk into our backyard and look for lizards and frogs. I am currently in my fifth year of college. I am graduating in may 08 with a BA in Special Education. I plan on staying here through spring of 2009. I then want to leave. I plan on getting my grad degree while I am there. I first want to get a teaching position so my daughter and I am able to survive. I am a poor white woman, and my daughter is mixed with black and white, will we have any problems with race? I have heard that the cost of living is high, I don't really want to live the high life, I don't want to drive I rather take my bike or ride the bus. I just want to be happy? Help? Hi, I think you need to do a LOT of research before you move here. I too am a single parent of one child and financially, things are rough here. I am a professional with a master's degree and I get generous child support from my ex-husband and it's still tight. You shouldn't have a problem getting a job in special ed. here (it's also what I do -- I'm a speech therapist) but the pay isn't great. Quite a bit less than in many mainland states, actually. Race shouldn't be a problem. We are Caucasian and don't experience any real difficulties. If you plan to ride your bike to work or take the bus, you will probably need to live on Oahu where the public transportation is good. It's sketchy on the outer islands. The person above me who posted about her son on Maui is very mistaken about several things. First, gasoline is NOT upwards of $5 a gallon here. It's $3.29 at Costco and about a dime more than that everywhere else. My ex-husband lives in Los Angeles and says even their gas is more expensive than ours! If you have a Costco membership, you can get your staples (bread, eggs, milk, etc.) much cheaper than she mentioned as well. I don't know why her son is paying $300-400/month for utilities unless he leaves his A/C on all day and night long -- that's ridiculous. Very few people have A/C here and those that do generally use it sparingly because electricity costs *are* high, but not that high! As for the schools being "terrible" -- I love it when people who know nothing about the schools here (e.g., have no firsthand experience) comment on how lousy they are. I have worked in two schools in Hawaii -- one in Kona and one on Kauai -- and have been very impressed by the level of education and dedication of the teachers. Are there some bad teachers? Sure...just like there are in every other state in the country. The schools are rated poorly here but the state is on an improvement program that is really working. Test scores have risen over the last few years and all of the schools are working on their reading programs. My son is a first grader and, with help at home of course, he is reading quite well. Look into areas in which you might want to live and start researching rentals. Many people will not rent to you if you don't have a local phone number or address (I know, it's a Catch-22), but if you have a job secured when you come over, that will be a big help. Pare down your belongings and only bring the basic necessities. Consider transportation when you decide where to live and find out where you will be working. I will include the Department of Education's website address for you so you know where to look for a job when it's time. Aloha and good luck! Source(s): www.doe.k12.hi.us I think you won't have a problem with race, because most of the people have mixed blood, Japanese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Chinese. But the cost of living is so high, you should think this through, making it on 1 income even with a college degree is hard. Florida is still a good deal financial wise, and usually the weather is nice. I am a married mother of a 6 year old girl who hunts lizard EVERY night in our back yard, here in Hawaii. It is a great place to live and raise your precious gift. AND money, alls you need is to pay the bills, have enough money to buy some meat for the grill and the rest is free and beautiful. THE ONE down fall, it is in the middle of the ocean and if you don't have family or friends it can get a bit lonely at times! Good luck and good for you for wanting more out of life with your daughter.....the world is yours! Aloha Oh and by the way, "Race" isn't even a word out here! Come one come all..... My son has lived on Maui for 8 years and this is his take on things. He LOVES Hawaii and will never move away. However, everything is very expensive; 2 or 3 times what you would pay in Chicago. Eggs are $3.00 a dozen, bread $3.00 a loaf, etc. You MUST have a good paying job to afford to live there. His 1 bedroom small apartment in Lahaina is $1400.00 a month and doesn't include utilities. He pays another 3-400.00 for phone and electricity. Gasoline is upwards of $5.00 a gallon (he took his motorcyle with him and gets around that way). He said the public school system is terrible and Hawaii has one of the lowest ratings for public schools. However, the University of Hawaii and Brigham Young are highly regarded. Hawaii is beautiful....but it is NOT a paradise. Depending upon where you live, you will be in a crowded traffic-clogged area or in a remote area where there is no public transportation. If I were considering a move with a young child, I would certainly do some research on schools, living costs and other things before taking the leap. There are other places in the U.S. where you could go and have a good life without flying 7000 miles from home. My son says so many people "move" to Hawaii and 6 months later are trying to make enough money for a one-way ticket back to the mainland. Lots of people sleep on the beach or in the back of their pickup truck because they have no means to afford a place to stay. I grew up on the island of Oahu. You will have no problem with race. Just keep in mind to treat the locals with respect and they will do the same for you as it is everywhere else. As far as the school system there. I have three children and they were all on the honor roll and in advance classes. The cost of living is very high. If you check your local newspaper and check out the ads you will do fine. Safeway always has a lot of good deals. Check out this site www.honoluluadvertiser.com, it is the local paper. You can do a little research on housing and the job market out here. Best of luck to you. |
| Tags |
| Cycling Bike Race Bike Insurance Bike Repair Bicycle Shop Bike Tours Trail Map |
Bike Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |