OP
Thanks, Thal. 
Advice needed for moving to Hawaii
- Thread starter DebbyDiver
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My understanding (and you'll learn that here in Hawaii "understandings" are often way off base) is that mail going out follows what we think of as a normal schedule, but coming in, it all goes to Honolulu were it waits till an airplane container is full to come here. Even worse is parcel post what waits for a cargo container and then a barge. So to the mainland is a normal schedule for all classes, but coming here on first class and priority is a normal schedule (which is a day of two slower than outgoing). If anyone knows more about this I'd appreciate a correction. I hear crazy things like mail does not get sorted here on Hawaii but goes to Oahu and then back again, so a letter that is mailed in Kona to Hilo gets there via Oahu.
OP
Sounds just like what happens here! But even then, sometimes priority boxes get held up in Jacksonville, FL or Puerto Rico. Someone just sent me a large-ish package via priority mail with insurance, tracking showed I should have had it in two days but it took two weeks. We've had real good luck with the flat rate boxes, though, going both ways. I think I'll use the large flat rates for most of what I'm sending to myself, for things that will fit as I'm really not sending much. I may even just go ahead and do that for the dozen or so books I'm taking.
He's the keyboard player for the local Blues Society and probably the only big thing we are shipping is his Nord electric piano. He's thinking UPS or FEDEX for that. How's UPS and FEDEX to B.I.?
He's the keyboard player for the local Blues Society and probably the only big thing we are shipping is his Nord electric piano. He's thinking UPS or FEDEX for that. How's UPS and FEDEX to B.I.?
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They work fine, but are expensive. I got everything that I sent Parcel Post and Media Mail, it just took between 2 weeks and 2 months.
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OP
Shouldn't be that expensive, I'm sending very, very little and they are only $15-ish per box. This is such an awesome opportunity to be cleansed of stuff. I got rid of (sold, donated, gifted, trashed) 98% of my belongings before I moved to STX, and I see that I really only needed 25% of that.
Tom, on the other hand, wanted to keep his stuff (and I say that generously, lol) until he found out the cost of a 20' container going all three legs. Suddenly, he has decided that he owns very little that's actually worth the cost. Keyboard, guitar, dive gear, not much else.
I know my attitude is a little weird, but I just don't get attached to stuff. As long as I have my dogs, dive gear, computer, and cameras, I'm pretty much all set. The rest can be obtained at Wal-Mart or Target. Of course, renting a furnished house is helping a LOT.
---------- Post added March 25th, 2012 at 10:59 AM ---------- Previous post was March 24th, 2012 at 05:12 PM ----------
Was also thinking...since we're renting a home on a large property and the landlord has a big home on the same property (out of eye sight, though!), things we need (dog sleeping crate and beds and bowls, for instance) can be shipped ahead of time and will be waiting when we get there. The rental home has a two car garage with shelving.
We are so excited, we've been reading books about the area and the island, perusing websites, and "driving" around using Google Street View.
And, it's rained here nonstop for days...we'll feel right at home with all of Hilo's precipitation. :chuckle:
Tom, on the other hand, wanted to keep his stuff (and I say that generously, lol) until he found out the cost of a 20' container going all three legs. Suddenly, he has decided that he owns very little that's actually worth the cost. Keyboard, guitar, dive gear, not much else.
I know my attitude is a little weird, but I just don't get attached to stuff. As long as I have my dogs, dive gear, computer, and cameras, I'm pretty much all set. The rest can be obtained at Wal-Mart or Target. Of course, renting a furnished house is helping a LOT.
---------- Post added March 25th, 2012 at 10:59 AM ---------- Previous post was March 24th, 2012 at 05:12 PM ----------
Was also thinking...since we're renting a home on a large property and the landlord has a big home on the same property (out of eye sight, though!), things we need (dog sleeping crate and beds and bowls, for instance) can be shipped ahead of time and will be waiting when we get there. The rental home has a two car garage with shelving.
We are so excited, we've been reading books about the area and the island, perusing websites, and "driving" around using Google Street View.
And, it's rained here nonstop for days...we'll feel right at home with all of Hilo's precipitation. :chuckle:
OP
I can't believe we forgot to ask the elevation of the home before we asked to rent it! Just found out today, it's 700', just north of Hilo with a view of Hilo Harbor.
My son used to live in Hilo before he moved up to Volcano, and may have been a bit lower but we could see the surfers at Honoli'i Beach Park. He loved it--it's very lush on that side because of the rain, and though there are tourists, it's a whole lot less touristy and has more of a community feel than Kailua does (just comparing the "airport cities"). There's a little bit of diving on that side, but only one dive shop (with a rather opinionated and crusty owner last time I was in there, but oh well, you can get a fill and go off on a shore dive no problem). The university has a dive club, so there are divers around doing the shore dives.
OP
Thanks! Tom already got a bite of "crust" when he wrote to that dive shop owner asking about spearfishing, lol. :chuckle:
Tom will be 30 days on/30 days off captaining a tugboat, I may or may not dive much when he's working, but good to know about the club so I can have buddies when he's away. We can go to Kona side for diving when he's off, spend a few days over there. He doesn't like the dry side of our island here and didn't think he'd like Kona much for lifestyle. Everything we read about Hilo makes us think it's perfect for us, university, farmer's market, parks. It rains a lot here, we're used to the soggy life.
This is all so exciting for us and we know if we made a mistake, it's no biggy since we're renting furnished...one or two carloads and we can be down the road. We've seen pictures of the inside and outside of the house and the view, we can see the harbor and, in fact, I'll be able to see Tom's tug coming in when he brings the fuel barge in and can drive down there to meet him for lunch.
We're hoping the 700' elevation is a good combo of cool enough to not use A/C but not so high that we're freezing. I didn't study the elevation factor enough before arranging for this house but in every other way, it is just what we were looking for. Hopefully we accidentally chose a good elevation for our lifestyle. We'd rather be hot than cold.
Tom will be 30 days on/30 days off captaining a tugboat, I may or may not dive much when he's working, but good to know about the club so I can have buddies when he's away. We can go to Kona side for diving when he's off, spend a few days over there. He doesn't like the dry side of our island here and didn't think he'd like Kona much for lifestyle. Everything we read about Hilo makes us think it's perfect for us, university, farmer's market, parks. It rains a lot here, we're used to the soggy life.
This is all so exciting for us and we know if we made a mistake, it's no biggy since we're renting furnished...one or two carloads and we can be down the road. We've seen pictures of the inside and outside of the house and the view, we can see the harbor and, in fact, I'll be able to see Tom's tug coming in when he brings the fuel barge in and can drive down there to meet him for lunch.
We're hoping the 700' elevation is a good combo of cool enough to not use A/C but not so high that we're freezing. I didn't study the elevation factor enough before arranging for this house but in every other way, it is just what we were looking for. Hopefully we accidentally chose a good elevation for our lifestyle. We'd rather be hot than cold.
Some of hot vs cold may depend on the time of year. I can recall times going to Hilo where I had to sleep in fleece in winter. I've checked where my son's place was, and it was MUCH lower than yours. In fact, it was pretty much directly behind the belt road. So stock up on fleece jammies!
OP
LOL, I brought some to STX with me for a New England visit that never happened...was going to donate them before I moved...I better keep them! :chuckle:
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