Embracing Island Life: Overcoming Isolation in Hawaii

I remember the looks on my mainland friends’ faces when I first discussed moving to Hawaii. A few of them immediately asked about island or rock fever, an actual ailment that can mentally affect anyone isolated, especially on an island thousands of miles away from the mainland. Of course, like any ailment, if you are experiencing medical issues, you should always call a trained professional immediately.

The Geography of Isolation

So, is this a natural thing for anyone who moves to Hawaii? It can be daunting when you stop and think about where we are in the middle of the ocean. We are, after all, 2471 miles away from California or about four and a half hours away by air. Going in the other direction, we are also over 4000 miles away from Japan and about the same way from Tahiti. Additionally, going down a rabbit hole is easy when you think we ship in most of our food supply, but I wish we didn’t. If something happens via weather or, in general, to the shipping lanes, we have days before the islands are in trouble from a food perspective. It is certainly easy to think of the negatives versus the positives. I prefer not to dwell on the negatives but embrace the positives.

Embracing Island Life

Yes, the islands are relatively small, and you certainly can drive from end to end of Oahu pretty quickly in a day, but it’s a beautiful ride. The upside for us living on the islands is that it is very easy to commute to the neighboring islands. We quickly travel to the neighboring islands for work, vacations, meetings, showings, or anything else. Yes, we need to go to the airport, but the islands are so close that the plane is descending once you get to altitude, get a beverage from the crew, and then drink it.

Diversity of Experience

Each island has a very different topography, feel, and experience. All the islands are incredibly different, making exploration a joy. We can get up in the morning and be at the airport in minutes and on a neighboring island in hours (including travel, parking, and waiting for the plane). Once there, you are in a completely different environment. It feels like you are thousands of miles away on vacation, not a short jump to a new place. Of course, playing tourist and doing things you would not normally do on your home island is always fun.

Accessing Exotic Destinations

Another fantastic experience is flying a little long to places such as New Zealand, Australia, Asia, or one of the closer Islands in the archipelago. Most living on the mainland do not entertain such exotic places for whatever reason. Sure, they think of Europe, but for us, we go west.

Maintaining Connections

Additionally, flights to and from the West Coast, Vegas, or one of the many direct flights from Hawaii to the mainland keep us connected with friends and family. I have come to enjoy the West Coast or Vegas flights and relax while the phones are off and watching a movie. Before you blink, it seems we are there.

Overcoming Island or Rock Fever

So, is island or rock fever real? It can be, for sure, but a quick drive to another beach or a flight makes this reality not such a concern in my mind. A short drive across the island to a new spot, restaurant, shop, or flight relieves the concerns. We are on a rock in the middle of the ocean, but what a beautiful rock it is. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else after all these years in Hawaii.

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