Chapter 4 "Across the Pacific" Hale Hulili

Our temporary home was a beautiful vacation rental, nestled on a backdrop of open landscape. Our first three months here were not only a unique experience in the outside world, but at our home as well. The hale had a large water catchment, which required me to learn the techniques of care and maintenance. Self sufficiency was a pleasurable skill as long as one knew what they were doing. Our days there, were spent exploring the open backyard space, trekking down the road to see horses and relaxing on the lanai.

There were always downsides to an area as much as one might love it overall. One of the biggest challenges that I faced, was the lack of preschools in our area or any preschools with openings for that matter! I started calling a few weeks after we moved, but quickly learned, if you were going to settle in Hawaii, school deadlines ended in April for the following school year! I was finally able to gain an interview at the Waldorf School in Hawaiian Paradise Park, however, cost of tuition far exceeded what we normally paid!

This was my most frustrating obstacle, having to run through a huge maze of applications, medical forms, refusals and finally acceptance after two whole months of searching! It would be best for anyone planning to move here to have a house and location pinpointed ahead of time, making it easier and quicker to gain entry, should they have children to enroll.There proved to be a definite shortage of schools for children at the preschool level.

Another challenge, was learning to adapt to the outdoor lifestyle. While I enjoyed the open lanais and the sound of the frogs at night, my body took a long time to adjust to the lack of air conditioning! As Hawaiis' energy was four times more expensive than the mainland, this was not an option for us. We proceeded to buy multipe fans to facilitate throughout the house and even at night, we required air flow on the lanai. After a few months our bodies would adapt to the humid, tropical heat and we would come to love the year round ability to swim, hike and camp in temperate conditions!

Another critical point in establishment, was the price of food, should one follow a healthy lifestyle. Fruits and vegetables were exceptionally pricey and if one chose to buy locally, they must be cautious in terms of Rat Lungworm Disease. Washing fruits and veggies thoroughly was a must, as the slugs which carried the disease,were known to cross over crops and spread through contact with the produce. We were concerned with that aspect having young children, and mainly purchased fruit and vegetables from the mainland. The comfort level varied from person to person, as with any choices made in life.