I agree that the island of Hawaii is a beautiful place to visit, as are all the Hawaiian islands. However, there is an enormous difference between visiting and "living, working, and retiring" there. I lived in Hawaii for the past eight years, and recently moved back to "the Mainland."
At the time I moved to Hawaii, there was a nursing shortage, and I was able to find a job easily--that is no longer the case, as the market has become much more competitive. There is definitely a preference for hiring "local" people in most facilities, as well as immigrants from certain countries.
I chose to leave Hawaii for a number of reasons.
It's expensive.
It's in an inconvenient location for keeping an eye on my elderly parents.
I don't like being treated as a second-class citizen based on my race. (One positive outcome of living in Hawaii is that I have developed a whole new perspective and understanding of racism that most people in my demographic would never experience otherwise.)
And healthcare in Hawaii is far behind the continental US in terms of quality, in my opinion as a nurse. I would never encourage people to retire there, no matter how appealing the idea might sound.
I don't regret the time I spent living in Hawaii because it was a rich learning experience. I have met, worked with, and cared for people from all over the world--the Philippines, Japan, China, Korea, Micronesia, Tonga, Samoa--the list goes on and on. I also don't regret moving back to the Mainland. Yet. I'm sure in the midst of winter I'll be missing those white sand beaches!
Good luck!
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