Honolulu or Bust

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The best piece of advice I’ve ever received was to do nothing and stay in Hawaii. As a twenty-nine year resident of San Francisco I thought it would be a good idea to go move back there now that COVID is over—to find my heart—and be reunited with it.

I moved to Honolulu during the Covid lockdown in 2020 because Mayor London Breed closed down the gyms for the third time in October, and I was angry about it and said that I was going to swim in the Pacific Ocean in Waikiki.

I didn’t think they would close down the beaches, but little did I know, they did. If I had asked for advice, they would probably have said no—and to just go ahead and visit for a couple of weeks. This never dawned on me!

Getting a case of island fever, I decided to move back to the mainland last month. I didn’t like how my electric bill was so high and how warm it was outside in the afternoon here in August and September. I was also shocked at what happened in Maui from the weather and wind from a passing storm.

My family and friends, however, convinced me to stay in paradise. The hassle of moving back and forth was not worth the time and effort, and the suggestion to stay and visit San Francisco occasionally seemed like good advice.

Many times the best choice is to do nothing. Not to move can be the best option. It isn’t easy to live on Oahu, but it is very easy to find gratitude here, especially after a rainy spell—when a rainbow suddenly appears.