Why Are We Leaving Hawaii for Bend, Oregon? | Oregon Family Photography
Hawaii has been home for 3 glorious years. Here's a recap of our time here: Its where Auden turned 1, my photography business really started to grow, we learned to manage living with a toddler in a 40 story building (and retrieve dozens of items she threw off our balcony), it’s where my husband finished residency and managed an hour commute though the distance from home to work was less than a mile (Oahu traffic is no joke), got hired on with the VA hospital in Hilo, moved our family across the Pacific Ocean to the Big Island of Hawaii, Soren was born in our little single- story home (by accident), we spent days in the warm sunshine playing in the ocean, and felt the true aloha spirit from the people here, welcoming us as we came and loving us as we are.
(This little flashback below of how old Auden when we first moved to Hawaii just melts my heart.)
It feels so hard to leave this wonderful place that has been so good to us, but we knew that Hawaii unfortunately would not be long term. I think people who see us “living the dream” in Hawaii probably wonder, “how could you ever want to leave?”. Truthfully, Hawaii is much different for living than it is for vacationing. We’re not laying and relaxing at the beach everyday. There’s a lot more cockroaches in the non-vacation Hawaii life haha. And no AC. People work so much harder to be able to “live” in paradise. I understand too that people can adapt to this lifestyle, but for us, paying off student debt and working towards financial freedom felt like a life time away with the high cost of living.
When we saw the opportunity for a transfer position with the VA for Bend, Oregon, Keawe interviewed for the job, we did our research on the area, prayed hard and felt really good about it. We waited on pins and needles and a week later we found out he got it and wrapped our minds around this big news! Funny how slow life was feeling those first few weeks of quarantine! Bend, Oregon checked a lot of the boxes for us (I see you dishwasher and central air in my near future!). Here are some of the big reasons for our move.
Top Reasons We’re Moving to Bend, Oregon
Better Health Care Services-not too many people know but our littlest guy has hearing loss, as well as some other delays were discovering. We don't even have an audiologist on island! So the process of getting hearing evals, hearing molds done leading to hearing aids, genetic testing and additional services has taken much longer than we had hoped. We are excited that Bend has 3 pediatric audiologists and hearing loss specific services in the city.
Being closer to immediate family- though we've been so lucky to have some wonderful aunties and cousins here who have taken great care of us, neither of our immediate families are in Hawaii. We want our kids close to their grandparents. And it has not been easy to go to the mainland or for our family and friends to get to us. Driving an hour and a half to the airport, taking a red eye with kids, or never having direct flights on top of the 5 1/2 hour flight is no easy feat. Our families are not in Oregon, but they will be much closer now! We will be able to see Seattle, Utah and the Bay Area frequently now !
Lower Cost of Living- It's no secret that Hawaii ain't cheap! Paradise comes at a price but Hawaii makes up for it with its beautiful landscape, beaches and year round summer climates. We're looking forward to no sales tax, cheaper, long-lasting produce and hopefully buying our own home within the year!
Seasons- To be honest, the lack of seasons in Hawaii at times can feel a bit like Ground Hog's Day over and over and over. This is total preference for some, but to us, we miss Pumpkin Patches, Fall activities and winter sports. We're really excited for our kids to experience snow, snowboarding/skiing one day, cooler temperatures for the first time and having a Christmas with snow! I have a feeling Auden will be singing Frozen more than ever before once that first snowfall happens.
Better Education Opportunities- Kamehameha is probably the best private school of all the islands, but it is NOT easy to get into. Other schools on the island don’t have a great reputation. Bend has high ranking schools for all grades and educational programs. We've already got Auden registered for a great preschool program in the Fall (Covid please don’t shatter my dreams for some free time).
Though our babies will miss being so close to the beach and our friends we’ve made here we really are so excited for that this new adventure in Central Oregon and what it will bring for our family. Change is never easy (especially when it involves moving across the ocean) but we feel really good about what is in store for us in Bend. Thank you as always for supporting our little family and following us along wherever the wind takes us!