Many people have the dream of relocating to a tropical island at one time or another. Sipping Margaritas on breathtaking shores in the hot summer sun; hiking through jungles to remote waterfalls; enjoying the raw power and beauty of the ocean; it’s the vision of paradise. So, why don’t most people follow through with the dream? It’s not easy, that’s why. Assuming you get past the inherent fear of leaving your familiar, comfortable life behind and moving to a foreign world, there are still the financial issues, family and friends, relationships, and career concerns, especially for the people of our generation. This is the time we’re working our hardest to secure a strong career and forge long-term relationships. And to top it off, we usually don’t have a large supply of cash readily available. Still, we dream.
By their nature, tropical islands are isolated from the rest of the world. While that is part of the appeal, it poses problems as well. Family and friends can’t visit as easily or as often. Thanks to the extra costs of importing goods, it costs more for just about every modern convenience. Also, an island is generally not the best place to advance a career. Life is slower. If you’re in an industry that relies on current trends and technology, you can bet on a tropical island being a decade or more behind the times. Those are not necessarily bad things, just different. In fact, you can use some of those differences to your advantage.
If you’re still interested in making the dream a reality, I’m here to say it’s possible. However, you have to be willing to make sacrifices.
My wife Jana and I purchased one-way tickets to the island of Kauai 8 months in advance of our departure date. Our plan was to prepare as much as possible in the meantime, but to leave regardless of our situation. Though we hadn’t yet secured either jobs or a place to live in Hawaii, we knew if we didn’t purchase the tickets and set a definite date, there was the possibility that we would procrastinate until it was too late. The flight departed from L.A., and we were living in Orlando, FL at the time. We planned to make the trip to L.A. a month after Jana’s graduation from college.
Our biggest goal was to sell our condo before we left. In addition to hiring a Realtor, we were constantly placing flyers and signs around town and advertising the condo on craigslist.com. At the time, I was working for one of the top web design firms in the world. They didn’t pay well, but the promise of a successful career was there. Also, I was born and raised only 30 miles from where we lived, so most of my friends and all my family were in the Central Florida area. I was going to be leaving everything familiar to me.
We did our best to cut down to only the bare essentials. Jana and I avoided purchasing anything too large to take easily to Hawaii. We were constantly selling, giving away, or donating everything we could. In the meantime, we were also trying to sell our condo in the middle of a real estate market crash and nationwide recession. Most people either considered us crazy or were convinced we were going through a “phase” and wouldn’t follow through with our plans. Personally, when somebody tells me I can’t accomplish something, that’s just more fuel to the fire.
The time was drawing near. Jana had just graduated. I left my job, and shortly thereafter was hired to work a contract job for 6 months in order to save for Hawaii. Our material possessions had been narrowed down to only the bare essentials. Eventually, we found a buyer for our condo. We were talking with companies in Hawaii, and were gaining great clients with our new design company,Muku Studios. We sold both our cars, and purchased a new one to make the journey across the country before catching our flight. All the paperwork was in order to bring our dog Taj without having to put him through quarantine. All the stars seemed to be aligning in our favor.
We packed our Honda Element with survival gear, laptops, and surfboards strapped to the roof, and hit the road. We had just finished camping in the Great Smoky Mountains when our plans started to fall apart. The buyer for our condo backed out of the deal after he had already signed the contract. We were faced with hard questions at that moment on the road: Do we turn back now and wait for another buyer? Were the past 8 months of preparation in vain? If we did turn back, would we regret it for the rest of our lives?
We abandoned our condo in Orlando, and continued on our path to paradise. I’m sure that many people considered our decision irresponsible. But those people never sacrificed everything for a dream. However, we did change our flight path. We decided if we were going to continue paying for our condo while living in Hawaii, we would go instead to the island of Oahu, where we could secure better jobs if needed.
In our month-long journey across the states we slept in the car, camped at state parks, and stayed with family and friends. Every day was an adventure. We had no idea where we would be or sleep from one day to the next. There was one destination, and that was it. All other concerns were cast aside. It was the freedom of living in the moment.
After having arrived in Oahu, we slept in our rental car for a few days while looking for a place to live. It was almost 2 months before I found a job. We slept on the ground in sleeping bags for weeks, then upgraded to an air mattress, then a futon. (In fact, last night we just picked up some memory foam on the side of the road for a more comfortable night’s sleep.) We also found our TV by the road. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure around here. It’s not always easy in Hawaii and definitely not luxury, but we’re happy.
We’ve made great friends, many of them with similar experiences to our own. We have the opportunity to take walks along the most beautiful beaches in the world every day. I can surf or snorkel at almost any time, and we have a tan all year round. But most of all, we can take pride in knowing we accomplished what we set out to do. It’s given us the courage and confidence to achieve any goals we set for ourselves in life. Taking risks is no longer something for us to fear. Our family and friends still love us; our careers have not been hindered; and we can still afford to go out to eat or to the movies every week. All of our initial fears were overcome. We may move back to the mainland at some point, but Hawaii will always be a fond memory.
So, if you’re still dreaming, what are you waiting for? It’ll be worth any risks involved. Life is supposed to be an adventure, not a tedious task. Do whatever it takes to reach your version of paradise. If you set out with a sincere heart, the doors will open for you, and you may find it’s the path you were supposed to be on all along.
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