We have only been here a week and a half and all I do is cry. My girls are so stressed out (Jr high and High School) all they do is cry. Im so worried about them.

We are still in the Lodge which SUCKS and does not make matters any better...

Did anyone move there and not like it? How did you cope specially with older kids? I did make an appt for a counselor but right now I want to go back to CA SO bad.

Ive never EVER complained about the 10 deployments I've been through, but now with this move really sucks right now 

I have never been to HI but my husband got orders for recruiting duty and we are in Northern Ca and I hate it. I cried and cried and would have rather been through a deployment. I got to a point that I didn't care if people thought I was being a baby, I had always been the tough one, never complained very thankful for all the military gives us. But sometimes I just want to be like this sucks. We have 1 year and 9 months left until we return to Pendleton. I miss being around military people and base. My husband works 8-8:30 or later, works almost every weekend for a couple hours. I know people have it worse, but I was so used of at least eating dinner with him, I miss him. So hang in there and I think it's ok to be sad, and say boooo to this :0) 

I'll trade ya Cali for Hawaii. We are retiring there and I can't wait to get there!

We had the same problem with our move from NC to SC. The kids were settled, in HS and sports and we uprooted everything and they hated it beyond words. I definitely recommend some counseling and time to get used to it. Hawaii is beautiful and there's plenty to do for free or a military discount. Get out and explore!! 

Id give it some time. A week in a half isnt long enough to get settled and really enjoy Hawaii. Exspecially since you dont have a home yet and your in the lodge. You will LOVE it once you get settled and in your own home.

Its always hard going to a new place exspecially if you have always been in the same place for years. It takes awhile to get used to things.

Going from CP to Hawaii is a huge change. And it takes alot to get used to. 

We were stationed in HI (our kids were younger) and I hated it. The small lanes and parking spaces (we have a full size truck), the expense of everything, the way everything took forever to be completed on "island time" and the list goes on.... that is until we moved here to CA. I would rather go back to HI. I hate it here! Counseling seems like a good idea and it takes more than a week and a half to get used to a new place and find your groove. Don't forget that since you are military there are a lot of places there that offer discounts and if you get a HI license you qualify for the Ka'maina (ka ma I na) discounts which can sometimes be an even greater savings. I do have to admit if you go to the right places it is very beautiful especially the waterfalls you see by the tunnel when you leave K-bay after a good rain. 

I'll be there in 8 weeks!!!!! It gets harder to come back to the mainland every time. We'll be looking for a investment property this time around.

What are your kids interested in? 

How does anyone hate it there?! 

I've noticed Hawaii is a hit or miss, you either love it or hate it. My girls and I absolutely loved Hawaii. Grant Hawaii is a deployable fleet and right now my husband duty station is non deployable we are all antsing to be back in Hawaii. 

I think if my husband deployed out of Hawaii, I might not even notice he left!

They are finally moving one of the billets for Dh's MOS back to Hawaii. He already tossed his name in the hat for his next tour!! 

It's so bad I can't eat or sleep. I'm SO unhappy...I can't wait to get a house 

This is not my favorite place to live, I'd rather be back home in California, too but, anytime you need out of that lodge, you are welcome here. I can come and get you. We can get coffee, shop, pedicures, whatever. 

They are finally moving one of the billets for Dh's MOS back to Hawaii. He already tossed his name in the hat for his next tour!!

My husband is doing his B billet right now. So we are here at SOI for another 2 years. But afterwards we are DIFF heading back to Hawaii.

I'd rather be back home in California

I'm from Southern California so this is my home. I guess since I'm a Pacific Islander that's why I love it Hawaii. The COLA was such an awesome benefit and oh man! the beaches are beautiful. We were always at Ko'Olina Cove or Haunama Bay. 

I'm from Southern California so this is my home. I guess since I'm a Pacific Islander that's why I love it Hawaii. The COLA was such an awesome benefit and oh man! the beaches are beautiful. We were always at Ko'Olina Cove or Haunama Bay. 

We just arrived in August, it's been a huge adjustment, just getting used to everything. Plus, it was our first and only move in 18 years, we were at CP the whole time. The COLA IS nice, especially when prices here are not so dramatically different than Southern California. I do love the weather here, sooooo warm :) 

When the weather is nice its nice. But when it rains, driving there in the rain is a whole lot worse than here in California bc of all the pot holes and lack of stable foudnation for the roads.

Also on a plus side there's no daylight savings there!!

18 years and this is your first and only move?!? That's pretty rare. I've only moved from CP to HI and back to CA. I've been back in CA for almost 6 years now and we are dying to return to HI.

It is an adjustment, once yall are completely settled and adjusted in, hopefully, you will enjoy HI as much as GardenWitch and I do. 

18 years and this is your first and only move?!? That's pretty rare.

Yes, we were hoping he'd get to quietly retire in CA, LOL, but no such luck. He's thinking he'll be here for 6 years. I don't hate it at all, or even dislike it, I just prefer CA. I miss Mexican food so much. lol We've been doing all the touristy things, but trying hard not to do everything all at once, spreading stuff out a bit. :) We totally lucked out in regards to housing, so we haven't had that added stress like Tweedledee has to deal with. I am happy here, my kids are happy, they love their school. 

IDK if its still there... but... there's a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Diego's in Pearl City. The owner is from San Diego and that was our second home. I remember they were closed on certain days though, again, idk if its still there though. 

Ohhh! I will check it out. Thank you! We ended up living in Honolulu, in Army housing, so Pearl City is very close. We've been to both El Mariachi's and Cholo's. Last weekend, we made carnitas and tamales at home, lol. We did Wahoo's (you know, the fish taco place?) for takeout and it was $44 for just the two of us, lol, it wasn't THAT good! lol 

Diego's is CLOSED, according to Yelp :( 

Of course! We lived in Dorris Miller housing right down the street from the exchange. I was always going to the xchange to buy the malasadas from the truck in the parking lot.

When we were there Diego was an exact replica of the "-Bertos" chains here. Then again they were new there as well, so IDK if their still there or if the food still tastes the same. 

By the time we leave, we will be so good at cooking Mexican food, I've got a feeling. lol And, yes, omg, to the malasadas! We decided to limit them to special occasions or family visiting because they could become a problem for me LOL 

That family is still there in the xchange parking lot, in front of the commissary, selling fresh malasadas?? BWAHAHAAA!!!

I was pregnant with both of my girls there... that's probably how I gained over 100lbs each pregnancy. Thankfully I had a membership at 24hr fitness and was an avid goer after each birth and was able to get back down to 140lbs.

By the time you leave not only will you be good at cooking Mexican food you'll be addicted to chicken katsu.

OH!! Theres another place, "Soons Kal-Bi". It's korean bbq!! You can smell it as you drive past the Salt Lake crater. Its right behind the Salt Lake Moanalua Library. 

Diego's is CLOSED, according to Yelp :(

DAMN! That place was freakin amazing esp for Cali natives 

I have heard that you can only bring two dogs with you to HI. We have 3. Does anyone know if this is true?

Like so many others have said, a week and a half is hardly enough time to see a place. Hopefully things will get better for you and the girls. I know it sounds corny and it can be so hard, but just try and be positive.

Calimommy- where in Northern CA? 

Anderson, Ca 

I've never been stationed in Hawaii, but my brother-in-law was, and we went to K-Bay to visit him and of course Hawaii is beautiful, but it's not for everyone.

Honestly, that whole island lifestyle would drive me crazy! Everything is so slow and I just couldn't ever live there. Plus I would feel trapped, you can drive across that whole island in 45 minutes or something crazy! The beach is wonderful, but I'd like to see some different scenery in my life. California doesn't have the seasons, but at least I can bust out a peacoat every now and then and wear some riding boots! Def not Hawaii wear! Some people go to K-Bay and LOVE it, some hate it. Same thing with every base.

Give it a chance. Try new things, figure it out, just remember; it's not forever! :) 

I have heard that you can only bring two dogs with you to HI. We have 3. Does anyone know if this is true?

You can bring as many as you want but, all of the base housing on island only allows a max of two pets. 

You can bring as many as you want but, all of the base housing on island only allows a max of two pets.


isn't that almost every base housing? 

As far as pets go, even if you decide not to live in base housing keep in mind that the lodge where you will be staying until you find a place to live only allows two pets and a lot of places out in town do not allow pets. 

Liike mentioned above, the TLF ON Kaneohe Bay only has a handful of pet-approved rooms and they are reallllly gross, according to a girlfriend of mine who was staying in one. We left our dog with my parents to finish her quarantine, then they are bringing her out to us when they visit next month. 

It's pricey and I'm not sure exactly how "Mexican" it is, but Luibuenos in Haleiwa is awesome. He uses Hawaiian ingredients but everything has a Mexican flair to it. (Fusion?) Definitely a "treat" though.

The North Shore should be booming right now, nothing to perk some teen girls up than oggling cute surfer boys ;-)