If you read Part One of my Why I Hate Living In Hawaii Saga in completion, then you know I ended off informing you that part 2 would discuss the food and the bugs here. Before I get to that I must first clarify some things from Part 1.
I want to thank everyone who read my post in completion. I never expected so much feedback here or on the Fb Fan Page. I will say that while I accept everyone’s feedback whether negative or positive, I really can’t accept feedback from those who haven’t read this in entirety. If you read my blog posts I am nice but can be alittle overly blunt at times. That can be a positive or negative thing. With that said…I am completely over the get out and explore the island statement. I made it very clear in part one that I have and that I am a big fan of make the best where you are, but in some places making the best gets old. You see in order to explore somewhere (where ever it maybe) you have to “Want To” and you have to like it. Once your done exploring the things your comfortable with (because everyone isn’t into climbing up the side of volcanic mountains or diving with the sharks) what exactly is left to do?…go the beach…ooops I can’t I did that like 5 million times in one month.
For certain people (and I say certain because I don’t speak for everyone) being stuck on a rock in the middle of the ocean is their thing, it doesn’t phase them. For others like myself confinement does not work. When I get tired of Oahu , I’d like to be able to drive else where. Yes yes… I know what your going to say “But Army Wife 101 you can fly to another island”! Bam you just answered your own question, “it’s still another island! I hope I clarified this for those who think that I am a whiner and don’t get out. Best believe I’ve sought to spread my wings here, but there isn’t that much wing spreading in the world.
This brings me to the issue of food:
As you have seen from my pictures I am a pretty thick chick. One of my pleasures is indulging in different types of food. At the same time and on a military budget their is only so much indulging you can do here. You see before I PCS’ed to the this oh so glorious island, I had the pleasure of being stationed in a place that is a foodies dream…Savannah GA. Home of Paula Deen, home of the buffets and if I got tired of good ole down home country cooking (which by the way I don’t think that’s possible) then I had several options at my disposal. I am from Long Island NY and yes I have had what I like to call my “Sex in the City Moments” where my girlfriends and I wisked off into Manhattan and ate at upscale eateries like Soul Cafe (closed now) Chez Josephine ( that took a whole paycheck) and at the top of the spinning Marriot in Times Square, so I’m used to good food. Then reality set in and I got married and had 2 kids and a hubby in the military. While on the rare occasion we do treat our kids to top notch cuisine, 95% of the time on a Friday night in Savannah you could find us at our local Golden Corral where a family of four could umlimitedly stuff their faces for under $35 and still get dessert.
Let’s just say 2 keikei (That means kids in Hawaiian…see I’m embracing the language)meals and 2 adult meals at your local Chili’s are damn near $60 bucks;forget a dessert. If you love getting a bang for your buck and heading to the nearest all you can eat buffet (that actually taste good) well good luck on that, I haven’t managed to find one, not even a really good chinese buffet. Due to the location of Schofield, the only close options to have a decent family sit down dinner are Chilis and Ruby Tuesdays (that’s if you want more americanized cuisine). Now I would be wrong if I didn’t mention that you will have your fair share of Asian cuisine . This is not a bad thing, but damn can I get a Applebee’s , a Sonic , you know one of those places that Hawaii shows on tv commericals but we have none of them here. Yes Hawaii has a horrible habit of showing eateries that don’t exist here. Lest not forget all the specials that a certain chain restaurant will run but , because where in Hawaii for whatever reasons they don’t honor the special here.
Be prepared for rice with everything, rice with breakfast rice with lunch, rice with snack, rice with dinner, rice with ice cream (I’m kidding but they probably do have something like that). If carbs are not your friend you are going to have a hell of a time avoiding them here. Rice is just the beginning don’t forget the scoop of macaroni salad that comes with everything. If I see one more Blazin Steaks or greasy L&L BBQ I am going to scream (Don’t get me wrong I do eat their food, just tired of it).All I wanna do is have a choice of places to go to with easy parking that I can take a family. I don’t want to have to go to Honolulu all the time to do anything major. I asked several military spouses stationed here the other day where do they get the best Chinese food, no one could give me a good answer. The one place we thought might be ok got closed down for infestation, yes bugs.
Groceries:
All I can say is this truly the one place I don’t think I have ever brought food on the economy, with the exception of a loaf of bread at Walmart. Speaking of Walmart for those of you who have been stationed in the South, do not count on a Super Walmart, none here. I won’t go into alot of detail , as I think you’ve got the point by now. COLA is good , but I still say the prices suck 10x worse here.
Bug Situation:
When I say I am deathly afraid of bugs, I am not being dramatic , I am serious. I cry, hyperventilate and sweat if I see anything bigger then an ant. The first few weeks we were here I was greeted by several centipedes outside. Not a pretty site when you just happen to be walking and come up on one. Thank the lord one has never gotten in my house, you don’t even want to know the outcome of that.
Gecko’s O-M-G if I hear one more person tell me those damn things are good luck!!! They are all over, I can honestly say I have never had one in my house because my kids know that coming in and out the house is a hell to the noooo! If you want to avoid Gecko central I recommend not letting little Johnny hang out the front door or stand there with the door open. Nothing like hopping in the shower , with the thought of being greeted by a lizard.
Flies:
The flies here are in swarms, they fear no one or nothing. They seem bigger then usual. This is the only place that you could not open your door or windows for days and still have flies, they come out of nowhere . Forget sitting outside at a nice picnic they swarm around you and demand your food. The only place that I have seen them kept at bay have been around the yummy shrimp trucks. I don’t know if the smell of garlic keeps them away. I always tell spouses to not let the kids run in and out the house if you want to have an attempt at avoiding them.
Roaches:
The roaches here are the size of new born babies, I swear , their is no smashing them with a shoe. You have to spray them dead. They are big , they fly and they are not scared of you. This may not sound serious to bug lovers , but when your husband is deployed and all you’ve got is yourself and 2 scared kids, this kind of crap will make you hate a place. Lucky for me I haven’t rented a car with roaches or went out to my car at night to get an item from my car , only to open the door and be greeted by a family of roaches. For the record you don’t have to have a dirty home, they just exist here. Lucky for me I recommend keeping the gallon of Ortho Home Defense near by it works.
Maggots are awful here because it is always moist or humid ughhh…I’ll just leave it at that.
Last but not least and I mean no offense when I say this , because I am not Heidi Klume by any means. What really confuses about this place is , a majority of the local women here are sized like linebackers. These chicks are huge , like kick your man’s ass huge. You would think with people this size living here that finding a plus size store would not be a problem, it is. No Lane Bryant’s , no Torrids. My store of choice is Ross.
Because I am who I am , I will say that it is important to make do of where you are. With that said don’t ever feel guilty for not liking a place. Everywhere is not for everyone. I am sure there are people who are stationed in Europe and find it boring after a while too. Just because you are stationed here in what some consider paradise , doesn’t mean it will be paradise for you. Best bet get out explore what your into and at least when people say get out and explore you can say…I have!
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Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market.
She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries. 350 Comments on Part 2: Hawaii…Why I Hate Living Here…Bugs Mac Salad & Rice…
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I thank you sooo much for posting this!!! I live in Germany and my husband always says I sound ungrateful when I complain about certain things but come on there is only so much you could take in until after awhile it’s like ugh ok I’ve seen or eaten this a hundred times already!! Oh and Paris is not what the movies or whatever make it out to be but I’ll spare you detail.lol. Again thank you so much for your website & and big thank you to your husband & family for your service. Gob bless you(;
LMAO girl!!! I love your bluntness. I have read both postings in their entirety. Being on an island is not for everyone. I am of Irish descent and therefore have red hair and ghostly white skin…no lie! I burn at the thought of the sun. I hate the beach and would not even know what to do with myself if hubby were to be stationed on a tropical island. There is only so much you can do on an island and I know everything is expensive because it is on an island. I am sure Hawaii is beautiful to visit but not to live unless you love the beach and are a beach bum and have unlimited funds. Just my opinion. Have a wonderful day!!!!
@PatientlyWaiting LOL! So glad you enjoyed and that you understand…Thanks for stopping by :)
@ArambulasGirl See I knew it, I’ve heard many various account abouts grand ole Paris and alot of them were not the grand scenes I had in my head LOL…So glad to know someone understood my point and message. Thanks for visiting :)
@Katie Oh wow Alaska and Okinawa, how did you do it? I am sure they are both beautiful places, but I like you said I assume it does get alittle old . Thanks so much for stopping and commenting :)
So, what you are telling me is cross Hawaii off the list? We are in El Paso (Affectionately known as HELL Paso) right now and the roaches here could seriously carry my 23# cat away! I cannot stand roaches and they will NEVER EVER just become a part of life for me!!! I dream of Hawaii because of the water, there is none here….NONE! I am in the desert, just me, the kids, and the roaches. Which by the way, all the bug spray in the world don’t kill them; to quote the exterminator “It just makes them shiny”….. OK, going to dream of another place for hubby to request..preferrably bug free, with a small water source:) Oh yeah and here in El Paso they are too just a part of being here…nothing to do with dirty, my house has never been so clean!!!!!!
Oh no Becky well you just made me cross whatever base is there (Is it Fort Bliss?) off my list lol. I can’t handle bugs by any means lol!
Im stuck in El Paso as well :( I was goin to get in the shower one day and i too am deathly afraid of bugs and Thank God i looked down before getting in, a HUGE flying dead cockroach layin in my bath tub….it was dead somehow Thank God again but omg im soo glad i havent seen another since cuz i told the hubby if i see anymore we will be finding somewhere else to live. Even though im afraid of any bug i would rather a few occasional spiders over 1 roach any day….Trantulas people have them in their houses here and scorpions one girl said she has them bad in her house so bad she doesnt let her baby sleep in the bedroom alone her baby sleeps with her in her bed….FORGET THAT! i will b moving for sure if i see a scorpion….i also hate how there isnt ANYTHING to do here and there is NO WATER not even a lake! Now reading both her blogs i dont want to even go to Hawaii, but i never really did want to go. Funny how movies n commercials make everything out to be n look 100x better than it is in reality
I love both parts! I also love your blog!
Thank you Risque!
I, too, love your bluntness. You better believe when we are assigned another duty station I will be asking here about it!! We are heading to Eglin Air Force Base for one year of training first. Another warm and watery place which is just fine with us. If we get stationed in Alaska, you will here some whining all the way from wherever we are!! LOL
What a relief! Thank you so much for writing this for all of us who have lived there and know EXACTLY what you’re talking about. When shopping for a dining out dress the biggest sizes they had in neiman marcus was about 8 (for nice dresses), and the sales person showed me a grandmother dress to wear- the same generally goes for macy’s too- and I was 23, just looking for a 14!
Krystle: LMAO girl you always make me laugh about your dislike for Hawaii. I am to the point where I want to be anywhere but Fort Riley. Thanks for the info :). Maybe I’ll see you in Hawaii. lol
OMG! RIGHT?! I mean…being a plus size girl myself..there is NOTHING here…I mean some Jeans Warehouses have some plus size stuff…but most of it is not of high quality and falls apart. Ross really is the only thing we got here. BOOOO!!!!
I, too, hate these bugs. They are about 5-10x bigger than on the mainland…must be all that dang rice! The roaches really are the size of babies…and frankly…the come from NO WHERE…we live in historic (read:old old old) housing on Wheeler and they find their way in…I will totally be in on that Ortho stuff…
I am so so glad that I am not the only one who isn’t totally ‘in love’ with Hawaii. While the weather is nice…and yes there always is a beach…there are only so many times you can hunt for parking, hunt for a spot, and then spend hours digging sand outta your butt and hair. It is good to have someone who is blunt and doesn’t just sugar coat stuff…it is always appreciated…and if they don’t like it…they can stuff it somewhere! :)
I love your bluntness and your honesty. Hearing the good and the bad. I remember the first time I say a roach that flew….I never knew they did. My daughter was so scared she wouldn’t sleep in her room that night. Flying roaches is NUTS!!!
Thank you so much for your blog. ♥
LMBO! Thanks for the post! BOTH of them! You tell it like it is & I LOVE it. I’ve always been a chameleon of sorts, as I moved from city to city & traveled for leisure. However, there were a couple of places where I just could not hang. I made the effort, but the place(s) simply weren’t for me. The whole tsunami thing…wow, yeah, I get that! I would be petrified! I think I will keep Hawaii in consideration for a visit, but not too lengthy… because there ain’t no bugs on meee! (&I hate them, so it needs to stay that way! haha)
Anyway, thanks for the insight! Hang in there! =)
XO!
ARE WE TWINS!?!?!?
everything you dislike about this place is what i dislike too….and if one more person tells me geckos are good luck i may strangle them…i dont care if theyre good or bad luck i dont want them in my house!!!! uuuuurgh and i was just sittin at chili’s two days ago thinking god back home in Savannah, GA my husband and i could eat here for like 20 bucks!!!!! i miss Savannah so much and even though i grew up there and would sometimes want to leave i easily could and go to Hilton Head, Jacksonville, Atlanta…pretty much wherever i pleased!!! I’m ready to be PCS’d somewhere that isnt so isolated…..and if i never eat rice, mac salad, or see spam on a burger king menu it’d be too soon!!!!
LMAO @ “The roaches here are the size of new born babies, I swear!” That is so funny and I will have to use that one! You forgot to mention the meth addicts that stand behind your car and just walk all close to you! I was with my 2yr old the other day and we were bout to get out the car and this crazy looking woman, who I am sure was an addict just stood behind my car after I parked! I was so scared to get out so I sat there with the doors locked until she moved! I really hate trying to explain to people who dont live here why I hate it so much. They think Hawaii is what they see on tv, all palm trees and beautiful sandy beaches. Yeah at the resorts but newsflash I dont live at a resort, I live in horrible army housing that should be condemned!. I say it all the time I HATE HAWAII!!! I still have 2 more years till we PCS and I have been counting down the days. September 2012 cant get here soon enough!
Wow. I’ve been here in hawaii one year 2 months and 3 wks and 4 days. Navy wife. So glad to see that I’m not the only one that can’t wait to move. I miss the mainland ‘america’ I’m from midwest. Yeah I thought it would be a lot different here too. Love the orgeous beaches but don’t want to be a rinked prune by the time I leave here. You can only lay on the beach so much. Geez. Sounds like the south or east coast will be our dream sheet selection for next time so I feel like we have a normal life again
It’s keiki, not keikei.
As for the commercials of places we don’t have here, it’s not Hawaii’s fault. Per a conversation I had with a higher up at Oceanic Time Warner Cable, the shows you see here come on a tape with the national commercials already. It’s up to the local networks’ marketing teams to sell the space and override them with local commercials. If the marketing teams aren’t able to sell the commercial space, the national commercials will run. I’d hardly blame that on Hawaii. I was in Minnesota earlier this year and saw Jack In A Box commercials and guess what? No Jacks there. Do I hate Minnesota because of that? No way!
I do agree with you about the flies. They are awful! I can’t even open my screen door to bring in groceries without a fly coming into the house. And when those roaches start flying, I can’t help but scream! I’ve also went surprised by a few geckos when opening my cabinets. The bugs/critters/rodents here are the worst!
Hi Cynthia,
Keke Keikei However you spell it lol, I made the attempt. As far as the restaurants go I’ve never been anywhere else that advertised places that weren’t in driving distance. I appreciate you stopping by and I definitely agree about the bugs :)
Thanks so much for the insight.. The reality of PCSing to Hawaii is really sitting in, I’m more than excited to get out of Fort Sill, but at the same time have my mind set that after about the 1st week, being in Hawaii won’t be as exciting as family members think.
My husband was stationed at Schofield Barracks many years ago…1979-1981 to be exact. I remember hating the bugs and feeling claustophbic after awhile myself. But I also have many good memories of the place. The perfect weather…the beautiful beaches…and mostly …the smell of the air. I remember that by year 3…I couldn’t wait to get back to the mainland, but for the first couple of years I really liked it. I loved going to the beach and my husband and I took up scuba diving. I guess all that I am trying to say is that you may like it there for longer than a week…so give it a chance. It’s funny because when I was younger, I can remember complaing alot about the military life and the places that we were stationed at…but now that I am older and so much time has gone by…those times in my life hold some of my fondest memories.
I have been to Paris too. Let me just tell you know the streets are dirty and if you like the shoes you are wearing look before you step anywhere. Dogs and PEOPLE leave you little gifts… i will just leave it at that. I am so happy to have found this website my husband leaves for basic in just a couple of months and i am so nervous not knowing what to expect. Thank you so much for all your advice :D
Girl your site is the bomb. I have only been here at Schofield for a week and everything you have written I have found to be true already. I let my husband read it and we were in here rolling. Your posts are so funny and true. Also thanks for posting the pics of the new housing. And yes rice, rice, rice and more rice. Tired of it already.
I love your site by the way…Girl this is to helpful…Paridise doesnt seem like paridise to me but every where you go it has its flaws, cud be worse. Well im at Fort Polk, Louisiana and you cant get no worse than this place, and if so i dont want to be there. I got excited when we heard we are going to Schofeild Barrack. Im from Louisiana and my husband is from Arizona raised but born in Cali. The bugs are terrible here at Polk also but we dont get greated by them the way you say they are there. Centipeds they are going to freak me out and theu giecos. Flys are horrible to but they really disguse me also.The food issue I love to eat and cook cus im from the south so i want be eating out alot there and sure want be shoppin off post cus im a bargain saver…in other words I can be cheap when i want to. I have heard that gallon of milk is like 9 bucks…I refuse to pay that. I think I wud jus stick to the commisay for shopping. I just hope to make the best of Hawaii while im there. I beleive in its not where u at its what u make of it. I just hope to meet some really cool people. Most of all I hope i can deal with the island bugs and the heat !:) Thanks for the info
try paying attention during English class next time. It is called a spellcheck… Use it
LOL you must be a Hawaii lover or have a blog that sucks lol!
Thanks for increasing my traffic!
I really relate.. Moved here spring of 10 and thought omg I had reached paradise. Few weeks later looking for employment…either I was overqualified or not a call back. Have a degree and have been working all my life. OK… NP… Dealing with the drs office to get a prescription for cholestorol meds… was like pulling teeth.. Topper trying to get a taxi …called and made reservation…Called me and didn’t have my correct address and no clue of where I was….REALLY…I have found from all services… it is we serve them not their service to us…The roaches and such… are true. I have felt racism against me in local establishments. Now the great side. North Shore has wonderful beaches and the weather awesome. Sad enough the functioning homeless ( mom and dad with jobs kids in school) have to live in tents on the beaches near the west side of the island. No way for them to afford housing or their credit doesn’t fit. Bottom line… housing food and gas 60% or more than FL and salaries are 30% less. I talked to a lady in my community and she said the schools are very bad. Keep em dumb is what the government said. So they can make 7-8 $ and hour and we have many service workers to feed the tourism…Her words not mine. I would love to have made it mine and my hubby’s home… ? is how to retire… Mahalo KG
What? Your spelling and grammar are so bad it’s worse than a Hawaiian
i enjoyed the hell out of this! being a new army wife and leaving the comforts of florida over two weeks ago, i envisioned my hawaiian arrival to be somewhat of a huge impact: i was excited even in the midst of being homesick. however, the clouds upon my descending flight, the muggy warmth and the overpriced merchandise shoved in your face the moment you drag your carry on off the plane, left me a questioning what this was going to be like.
i braved it. the hubbie got here in the beginning of december, snagged a house on base and had most things taken care of, so i couldn’t complain. it was my decision to leave home, to move here, however, i am starting to realize just how chaotic and boring it IS. i am a full time college student, still going to school through online (however my new semester doesn’t start until feb.). i am sure you are familiar with your husbands work schedule, pretty much from 6 – to 5:30 throughout the week he is at work. i love the fact we have weekends and i appreciate that aspect a lot. the first few days weren’t bad. i occupied my time cleaning our new apartment, watched movies we had downloaded on our laptops. i wrote, drew, hell, i even walked over an hour a few days to the px and commissary to get out and about. we had one vehicle shipped over, so the reality of me getting around was left by foot or getting a bike (and lets face it, the px doesn’t offer much!). i have had bad experiences already going into honolulu to a walmart for petes sakes. yeah, whatever, walmart doesn’t make hawaii hawaii, which, might i add is gorgeous when the sun is shining and you get to see mountains, the beautiful beaches and the lush tropical lands.. but these past few days, actually, lol, yes, DAYS, it has stormed. these storms remind me of tropical storms we had in florida. the winds roared and blew, pouring rains. ah. various other things, like the crazy amount of bugs, the limitations on finding food besides what the px offers or local bar/restaurants which aren’t the best if you want to get off base for a little bit for dinner.. it sucks. neighbors aren’t friendly or so it seems. i say hello and they run back into their houses like i am waving a gun in their face.
blah, but this was nice. i was googling “new army wife, bored at scholfield barracks!” made my thursday night/friday morning a little bit better reading some humor about this place! :)
Leaving to go back to FL. Hubby’s contract will end soon. So easier to leave and ship our stuff, vehicle and our kitty. I will truly miss the scenary and weather…But hey unless its mid summer… North Florida is great.
Army wife.. it made me feel better to read all these posts… I thought I was being a little princess… complaining… So all you sistas take care. Thanks for your readings as they made me laugh…Aloha and Mahalo.
Try the First Coast sometime… You may like it…
I love how open and honest you are! I have read both the post. I am soon to be moving to Hawaii in a week and a half coming from Belgium. I am looking forward to the sun cuz Europe well at least Belgium only a few weeks out of the summer we see sun more then one day in a row. I don’t like water and i don’t like the outdoorsy stuff like hiking. I know Hawaii is so not the place for me. I am just focusing on the fact it will have sun. I for one cannot wait to have american food again. It has been a very long time since i have been able to walk into a place and know exactly what i am ordering. I know taco bell is being sued but i am really looking forward to some taco bell. Oh and starbucks, which i already heard there is one in the PX. I can’t wait. I have bats, worms, and HUGE mosquitos here. I think I would rather deal with those then Roaches and Geckos Randomly running across my foot. I get the jitters just thinking about that. Do people actually worry that when they go out to the car that there is a family of roaches in it? As soon as i read that i told my husband i am not looking forward to our rental car and he better check every inch of that car before i get in it. I also told him that i want him to replace my interior in our new car to white. I want ever inch of it white so i can see a roach if any gets in there. I don’t need it to blend in and then find it as i am driving down the road.
I Saw one of the first comments the person was in Germany and she is over it. I Agree. I have been in Belgium for almost 3 years and i was ready to go back to the states after a month. Paris is cool but very dirty! I don’t see how people want to go back millions of times. They are crazy! I know Hawaii is expensive but I think I will be use to it since Europe is so expensive specially with horrible exchange rates. Only fantastic thing about Belgium is their chocolate, waffles, and beer. I will miss the waffles and chocolate part soooooo much. I have a plan in place already here with a fellow army wife. She will send me chocolate and i will send her whatever she needs from the US.
Anyways, sorry for rambling on. Your post was great and I am glad i learned about the bugs before i got there. Oh and don’t they all eat Spam there? Yuck!
It is sooooo funny to hear everyone complain about Hawaii; which I am sure is completely true! However, I have been in Colorado Springs, husband stationed at Ft. Carson for 4 years; I hate it here! People say this place is one of their top choices; yuck! I am so sick of being here! I hate the cold, snow, horrible drivers & the fact that there is absolutely nothing to do here! You can only hike so often! Yes, it is less expensive, but I make about 30% less than I did working in California and the jobs are soooo limited! My husband is being stationed at Wheeler in July and I am not overly excited, but I am truly happy to get out of Colorado! i have visited Hawaii a few times for vacation and I understand the island fever, Geckos & such, but for me, I can truly sit on the beach for hours and days and be completely happy! Thanks so much for all the great information, I really enjoy this website!
Hi Kathy so awesome to hear another wife share her experience . I think Hawaii will be great for you:) Thanks for stopping by!
OK-SO I SERIOUSLY WAS LAUGHING OUT LOUD READING THESE 2 BLOGS!! EVERYTHING YOU WROTE IS SOOO TRUE!! MY HUSBAND IS A MARINE AND I ALSO LIVE HERE IN “PARADISE” :)
I ACTUALLY ENJOYED LIVING HERE FOR THE 1ST COUPLE MONTHS, BUT IT ALL GOT REAL OLD REAL QUICK. IT IS JUST ANOTHER PLACE TO BE STATIONED, NOTHING SPECIAL.
THANK-YOU FOR MAKIN ME LAUGH :D
KATIE K
LOL, your so funny! I had to read a few parts outloud to my hubby. We’re being transfered there this summer.
HIIIIIIIILAAAARIOUS!!!! Oh man, you nailed it. Been living here almost three years and our PCS date can’t get here a minute too soon! Perhaps I missed it (my apologies if I did), but what about the racism here?! HOLY COW… and correct me if I’m wrong, but Hawaii is a state, right?… just sayin’! My goodness. Next to Fort Campbell, this one goes in the books as the WORST assignment ever (and I’ve been livin’ this life for 36+ years as a military bratt and now spouse) ie. been around the world and back! Thank you SO much for postin’ this! Glad for the experience, just so I can say I’ve been there, done that, but soooo glad it’s almost over! BTW, I too give the cliche’ answer to people all the time. “Great place to VISIT”
What was so bad about campbell? I loved it there. The only thing i didnt like was its too far from the beach. I hated ft. Drum it was too cold. Im at ft. Bragg and i think this was a mistake. I hate it here. My house is too far from post. Its got woods on 3 sides the bug problem is unbearable. Moths have eaten holes in all my clothes and several times i have woke up to a bathtub full of pill bugs and milipedes and black widow spiders hide all over the deck. I pay the orkin man $80 a month and it barely helps. Im thinking about trying for hawaii. Im from va beach and spent most my childhood in the water. What scares me though is what i have heard about prices of things. I dont know if i would like it there or not.
My husband and I totally felt the exact same way when we lived there. We hated it. Been gone for 6 months and while we did meet friends who live there, it’s a great chance we will never return. Horrible place to live!
I know I’m super late on this post but I wanted to see if you tried the Ginger House in Mililani Shopping Center. Pretty good Chinese food if you ask me. The jumbo salt and pepper shrimp is to die for. Anyway, while I understand your frustrations about living here, I have the opposite view. I flippin’ love it here (been here since summer 09) and I would stay here forever if I could, but I have family here and my Dad is originally from here so that probably sways my liking quite a bit. Well, I just wanted to drop a quick comment. I just recently stumbled across your blog, and I like it=)
OMG I love your post. i love love how blunt you are. because i dont want any sugar coated stuff. we are PCSing there in 5 months and I did a google search for anything about it. and i read all of your posts. thanks so much for all thr info. wish me luck
I totally agree with you. I also would like to add that the Island Palm Community is too busy to care if you are dying from the mold infestation in the house. In fact, they’ll only be kind enough to cover it with a coat of paint and hope you don’t notice it’s there when you move in. Only to wonder why you are sicker than you’ve ever been. Until you realize, you placed your kids bed under painted over mold! Shelves that fall onto my childrens’ head because they weren’t properly up, and yes, we sleep in cockroaches.
There is no communication in this community. Those of us living in the older homes of theirs’ are basically camping. Electricity sucks so bad it blew up our flat screen as soon as we plugged it in. (and yes, it was in a circut breaker) -They weren’t going to tell us that before moving in. And the big kicker- they will lecture you about bringing in your trash can before it’s even been dumped. And No big recycle bins unless you can buy your own for the trash men to destroy. And they pick and choose what can be under the car ports. They say nothing can be there, so I have a huge childrens F-150 which I used to use every day when I would go running (because I can’t push my kids in a stroller due to back problems) ….anyway….it’s in my living room, side ways because it’s so huge! It can’t go under the car port to stay dry, but they said it’s ok to go on the porch and get so wet it will never work again. This place is full of evil people, putting huge families in little pieces of sh** and then enforcing stupid rules. How is my childs F-150 any different than the dirt bikes and motorcycles, kayaks, and bikes? And yes, I agree, the schools are horrible. They do learn, but they lug around backpacks that are so heavy they can’t lift them. Why can’t these books be left at school and just photocopy the 1 problem that needs to be done as homework? The kids lie, cheat, and steal from other kids, and are bully’s. Horrible place to live
OMG go back to mainland!
Schofield IS NOT Hawai’i!
I live on the north shore, at sunset beach, and let me tell you, IT IS paradise. Mango and papaye trees in my backyard, jogging every morning on the beach, bbq almost every nights with friends and neighbor that create a big family, kids playing around in a SAFE environment. In one year i’ve seen 1 centipedes and 2 cockroaches in my house and FYI we forgot to put the garbage outside after diner (which is a TO DO in HI) HI has no deadly insects. 50% of the states on Mainland has some!
You american can’t leave without your walmart! Think about it for a sec. and for food, you just don’t know where to go
After reading the post by “karyne” I see what you mean about the schools being horrible. After one day, I’ve been here to long. I’m leaving. Good luck to you women and men who are PCS’ing. Keep the faith, troubles don’t last always. lol.
A side note, the METH problem here is OUT of CONTROL!
Thnk u for saying that schofield is not hawaii! We are blessed to live here and for those who can’t appreciate the beauty need to leave!
I’m so glad I found this blog! Girl you are nothing but the truth and I love it. I too live here in El Paso, TX and am desperately try to get out. I’ve been here for going on 3 years now. I live on post and have my house exterminated twice a month because if I see a bug, I’ll pack up and move. Lol before moving on post, we lived off post and my hubby got deployed at the beginning of summer. When I walked in my bathroom, there was a HUGE waterbug roach thing waiting for me. I killed it but then I saw another 2 days later and I packed my house up, put it all in storage, broke my lease and moved to my mama’s house in Ft. Campbell! Lol so I know exactly what you mean about the bugs. I’ve always wanted to move to Hawaii and watching Dog the Bounty Hunter really gives you a sense of what it looks like. Before moving to El Paso, we were at Fort Stewart, GA for 2 years. Savannah, Hilton Head, and Brunswick were always weekend trips. (I love River St by the way) so now I’m waiting my bunny to be assigned to Hawaii or to Ft. Benning, GA. I miss the good food but GA has it’s bugs too. There is no water here in El Paso so moving to Hawaii would be glorious for us as we had Tybee Island before we moved here. I get bored a lot here though and I hate the fact that most Americans here don’t speak English. Lol which reminds me, we had those lizards and frogs in GA and I am afraid of them as well. Thank goodness my kids aren’t! So good luck with your time in “Paradise”…hopefully I’ll be arriving soon. Oh one request, can you tell me what the PCS process is like over there or maybe do a informational post? We have 2 cars and I heard the Army will only ship 1 so we would have to ship the other. Thanks!
i know this blog is one from awhile back, but i was browsing through your site and stumbled upon it. I live in Hawaii and my husband is stationed at Schofield. And I have to say everything you say is OH SO TRUE. I absolutely hateeeee it here! My husband just joined the military and this is our first station. Needless to say not the best place to start out when you just got married and you’re new to the military. We’ve been here since Aug. and I am counting down the days until we leave!
I totally stumbled on your blog while doing some research about on post housing (we currently live off post down in ewa beach and it is literally sinking us) and I just had to say that you are SPOT ON with everything. I did an entire blog post dedicated to the effing roaches here. Ugh. I am so, so with you….100%. I can’t wait to get outta here in 2013 (or, 2 years 3 months….but whose counting??)
Well I have to say your blog did make me smile, and the fact that your from Long Island, NY (as am I born and raised!) and have been stationed in Savannah, GA where I am now I feel like we could be twins! I just found we will be PCSing to wonderful HAWAII (I saw that with sarcasim) in August. Everytime I tell someone they are so Happy for me and say stupid things like, “is that so great, I would love to live there!” Well I haven’t gotten there yet but when my husband told me we were moving there I started hysterical crying…that was before I found out he is deploying in October! As much as I was hoping this would be an ok move I am very apprehensive and somewhat scared! I appreciate your blog because it gives me a heads up and I can be prepared. I don’t know which base your husband was station in Savannah, GA but we were at Fort Stewart which is in Hinesville. The only places there were to eat were Ruby Tuesday’s, Applebees, or Chili’s!!! So I guess we are going back to the basics! I will continue to read your blogs your hilarious and its nice to finally meet someone who does sugar coat military life! :)
This was awesome . We just got stationed here in Jan. we are from Tn and been with the military 15 years we HATE it here .. we took a huge paycut coming here and cant seem to get out of this “rut” we are in .. we are trying despreatly to cancel orders relocate ..something the schools here really really suck they are like years behind and my girls who came froma gifted schools are seriously miserable .. all the people want to do here is eat .. luaus and dance wheres the education , extra curicular activites , the school doesnt want parents up there ? why the hell not? I am so glad you wrote this it made me feel much better I am tired of battling w/ friends on FB telling em ” how lucky I am”
I tell them trade places with me I hate it we are broke all the time eating out is not an option and the bugs are like whoa !!! thanks again for writing helped me vent a little lol .
Amanda, My daughter attends HTA (Hawaii Technology Academy) It is a FREE public charter school. The Learning Center is located in Waipahu. It is a cross between traditional school and online-virtual school. We received all of the curriculum free (text books and workbooks for every subject) and a laptop Macbook to use (FREE). The kids work from home with a guided online curriculum and go to the learning center once a week for face to face time. Kids can work ahead if they are gifted or work until they learn the topic if they need extra time. We had our daughter in a private, Catholic school our first year here and we were sorely disappointed in that experience. Really wasn’t any better than the public school. Plus, the school gives us $100 back each semester to help cover the cost of internet usage. You should look it up on the internet. We are very happy with this experience.
I just read your part 1 and part 2. Yes, there are many reasons that I like living here and there are many reasons that I loathe living here. I can handle the bugs but I’ve had my battle with ants. My husband makes a decent income with the army so we’ve flown to other islands a couple of times. But, he asked about going to Maui and I said, “can we just go to the mainland for the next trip?” Off to San Diego and Disneyland in July!! And hopefully, I’ll find a Sonic. And finally, I have said the SAME thing about the plus-size clothes. What’s up with all the large women and no plus-sized clothing stores. I WON’T pay Macy prices and not everyone large gal wants to walk around in a muu-muu or a sarong!
Hilarious, yes I have had my fair share of fights with the flying gigantic cockroaches. I llive in Mililani Mauka and I also had the infamou screaming 4 am morning when I woke up to find a gecco staring me down in the shower. While I like Mililani, my husband wants to move on post, IIIIIIII don’t know…..too many horror stories. I have added this page to my favs.
LOVE to hear an unbiased opinion on an Army post! We are looking into Hawaii and I love that you did share your opinion.. so THANK YOU! BUT reading this all i can think of for you is to NEVER come to Germany! :) The smallness of the island would suck.. but here, you have to get very expensive euro, pricey gas filled in the car, and pack lunches (because good luck finding fast food on the autobahn) for any trip to a castle or something… The scenery is the ONLY thing here, the history, the German life, that is all there is. Forget about any american food unless you cook it yourself, even Mcdonalds (which is half an hour a way) tastes German. If you want anything from the stores you love in the states you have to shop online to find them, IF they ship to your apo address you can get it in 2 to 6 weeks… so i can understand how you feel almost trapped, but be happy as you can for the american things you DO have :) I try to see the scenery and living here as a Gift even when all I want to do some days is go get a cheap tank top from target :) OH and at least they will let you KILL the bugs and give you bug killer.. we have these GIGANTIC spiders here, litterally the size of terantulas without being furry (and i almost faint when i see spiders… and im NOT a fainter) but when I talk to maintenance to bug bomb the house they say NO because they dont kill their spiders, they LIKE their spiders, and we have to get bug killer shipped in from helpful relatives pretinding its hair spray if we want it! :) Honey.. dont go to Germany… youll hate it.. if you cant find a plus size store there, that SUCKS, Ive been here a year and the ONLY clothing stores I’ve found are 4 hours away in Munich.. its a whole paycheck to even try to shop there… i feel your pain but also appreciate your honest opinion on Hawaii… its out top pic, then South Carolina :) love your site!
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OMG Thank you so much for posting this page. I was almost in tears today because I hate this place so much. I was raised in the south, so I am used to the same things. Its really tough here. You should feel a little lucky with the housing on base though, right? The rentals on the rest of the island SUCK. There is no central AC, no parking, and people fighting at 2 am everywhere. I almost have a heartattack when I see the dang bugs here. The people drive crazy. There is NO aloha like I had imagined. One freakin main highway-unbelievable for the amount of people that live here. Hope it gets better for you!!
Oh it’s totally better for me I am in NC now we PCS’ed in March. I hope you get through your tour okay and thanks for reading :)
Um…try Alaska before you complain of things here in HI. At least the weather’s good here, and you actually have far more to do here than in AK-and did I mention its more expensive in AK? Hawaii was like a jailbreak for me!
Thank You sooo much for posting this, my husband and i are currently in hawaii buy living in pearl city, he is stationed in ft.shafter. The thing is I have only been here for 4 months, no job and school doesnt start back up until january. Like you I am from the eastcoast (jersey to be exact), and it is kinda killing me no bein able to drive back home lmao. Overall I am a beach bum so it does feel nice about the beaches and all but it will only last for awile. Appreciate your bluntness, because now I dont feel bad bout feeling this way as well.
You had me laughing from the word “go” because we were stationed at Schofield for 8 (yes, I said 8) years! I felt exactly the way you do but honestly, the longer you are there, the more it wears on you and I honestly miss it. But the only reason we aren’t going back is because the schools are so horrible. I do recommend taking a hike in Kolekole pass though… not hard at all, believe me….I’m not a hiker at all and my 3 year (at the time) did it! You can see all the way to Ko’Olina from there. It’s really beautiful! And of course, take a drive to see the Pali lookout. That might give you something to do for at least 2 days! :) Try and enjoy your time there! And worse comes to worse, you can always volunteer at ACS or something to help occupy your time! :) Hope your hubby makes it home soon and safe!
I couldn’t have explained Hawaii better myself. That was dead on. There are also very few places to shop here clothes or things for your home and not many websites or companies deliver. It’s cyber Monday and I just tried to order a really cheap high chair and they don’t deliver to Hawaii. Sigh. We spend so much money that when you find a deal like that and you can’t even get it it’s very disappointing. I absolutely hate this place and will never come back when I get the chance to leave.
Wow! I’m not officially army wife yet because he is barely leaving for basic training but I love your stories! My husband is leaving for basic training in January and I have no idea where to start and what to expect. I will definitely come back here for advises. Thank you!!!
I will have to say that I understand why some do not like it here on the island, but when you refer to things as ghetto and horrible, I just find it sad. Hawaii is not like the mainland and I don’t believe that anyone should expect it to be. I live in Wahiawa in an old remodeled plantation home in a country local neighborhood and we love it here. My neighbors are great people, the neighborhood may be old, but it is safer than the bases on the island. I am a military wife also, but I find it sad that people can be so stuck up and stuffy. If you want cookie cutter suburbia then go back to the mainland :)
Thank u for the post girl!! this lady is a trip
Sounds like ou don’t like anything! No lace is perfect but o sound like a high maint chick. Hawaii has the most friendly people and is filled with beautiful places to frequent. the food is the best by far! you know that there is other places to ea than the crap yo listed right? Anyway, I love hi and would never wan to live any place else
Why don’t you read part one before you spam me with a bunch of annoying comments. I didn’t like it and I said it. I never spoke about rude Hawaiians or racism because I am neither. Like so many people you read what you want to read except what is actually written. If you truly was reading you would know I haven’t lived in Hawaii in over a year :)
Roxanne knows what I’m talking about!!! Sorry but you are one rude and stuck up. Please move back to the mainland! ur stinks o my aina!!!
Omg!,, a gecko looked at you? you poor thing!
People talking about how Hawaiians are not intelligent are some racist assholes! Shame on you for being so close minded. I hop you all do not teach your children to pass judgement the way you all are.