A lot of people have a hard time parting with things when they make big moves. We are some of those people! I guess you could say there’s some things that have such a sentimental value that it’s impossible to part with them.

Everyone has valuables and everyone has things that have touched their heart through their life. Then there’s vehicles and things that have served a purpose to get you through your daily lives but you don’t have that same attachment to them.

Like for us, we will definitely be selling both our vehicles because there’s absolutely no sense to bring either one to the big island. For one we both want a truck and a car, currently we have two SUVs. Both have served us very well here at Wallowa Lake but their time with us will be at an end. I have been watching craigslist on the big island frequently and I can see that we will have no problem finding what we want for a fair price.

I’m pretty sure we will sell our bed and some of our furniture such as; couch, recliner, and dressers. Since we are only getting a 20 foot container for our move, we want to make sure that we don’t run out of room in it. I’m sure I mentioned that Kelly and I are avid snowboarders. We currently have 10 snowboards between the two of us… so needless to say we will be whittling a few of those down! Ha! But yes they will be coming with us! We still plan on making trips from time to time in the winter to the mainland for snowboarding!

We hope this served as some entertainment or good info maybe!

Mahalo from Mike and Kelly

So Kelly and I have gone back and forth on whether we should pack up our entire house and bring everything with us, or minimize our “stuff” and keep the expense down.

I think it’s safe to say that we will be going with the in between of those two choices. We are considering the 20 foot pod that is shipped for you. 20 feet is perfect for what we are wanting to bring with us to be honest. We have; 2 kayaks, furniture, inflatable hot tub, TVs, all our clothes, and some other Knick knacks and electronics.

After doing some research we have discovered that the cost from our home to the Hilo port is approximately 6000 dollars give or take. If we want to have it moved from the port to our new destination that would be a separate charge in itself. So either way we will have a full size truck and Hilo is not far from the area we are looking to live. Needless to say we will be doing a few trips back and forth from the port to our property. So the pod people give you 2 days to unload the pod yourself then they pick it up apparently. We will move quick!

Hopefully this was informative and interesting!

Mahalo from Mike and Kelly

Hello everyone!!!! Today we will discuss our plans for employment or work when we move to the big island. Also what our current employment is at this phase of the journey.

So currently my wife Kelly is in the medical field so if it comes down to it there’s typically a demand just about anywhere you go for work in that respect. We both feel that is a good safety net for us if something happens financially or who knows what! She also helps me with the on-site resort management for her family. With over 70 cabins to take care of as well as bookings, phone calls, and even fixing things I’d say we are well equipped to walk into any resort job if they’ll have us.

Right now we also own Wallowa Lake Tea Company, which started out as an online tea business until it flourished into a storefront that attracts all kinds of people. We plan on bringing our company with us to the big island and just go back to strictly online, which does still work well! We’ve even tossed around the idea of growing our own tea which actually has been done on the big island. Apparently it grows quite well in certain regions!

Another business venture we do intend on starting up when we arrive is a housekeeping and general maintenance business for all over the island. We have no problem driving whatsoever, especially because of where we live currently. We are 3+ hours from a big city in any direction so this doesn’t fret us whatsoever. We would just equate miles into the charging but still be extremely fair on pricing. Both of us bring quite a bit of skill to the table in this field whether it be minor maintenance or just general house cleaning.

Hope these ideas were entertaining and interesting, don’t worry, there’s plenty more to come!

Mahalo from Mike and Kelly

So today we will discuss what regions or towns we would like to live in or near. There are 3 main areas that are at the top of our list which are all fairly close to one another. They are; Pahoa, Mountain View, and Volcano. You’re probably asking yourself “why on earth would they choose this area of the island”? Well let me first start by saying that we want a good balance of rainfall. Mainly because we will have a water catchment system and that’s how we will have water, period! Another reason for these areas is the land pricing and privacy. We intend on having acreage so we can have fruit trees, vegetables, chickens, and maybe some pigs. Are you seeing a trend here… Yes we want to homestead, but still have some modern amenities like internet and obviously electricity. We won’t be totally cut off from the world but we will have the space to do whatever we want for the rest of our lives! We are currently looking at a minimum of 5 acres and all the way up to 20 acres. I will post another blog about all the fruit trees we will try to grow or at least intend on growing as well as vegetables.

Pricing for property in these areas is extremely fair for several reasons but I will name a few of the big ones… Not everyone wants to live in a pretty rainy area, sunny beach areas seem to be more appealing. These are in lava flow zones so that can definitely scare people off. These towns are small and most people would like all the amenities of the bigger cities like Kona. Not us, we can still make the trip if needed but it’s not a huge necessity. Another reason is the VOG, can be a bit much to most people but after being exposed to it, it’s not a huge concern of mine or my wifes.

Give us a follow for more updates and news on what we are up to. Thoughts, ideas and brainstorming is what fuels this whole endeavor!

Mahalo, Mike and Kelly

There’s nothing better than snorkeling and deep diving! Getting to see the other world under that water is beyond mesmerizing!

So many things go through ones mind when directing their path in an entirely new direction. Where will we live? What will we do? What kind of life do we want to lead? Can I afford it?

I don’t think that my answers to all those questions will be the same as others however, we are going to walk our path and maybe others can learn from ours… So many people ask us; are you nervous? Of course we are! I’ve been to the islands so many times I can’t even count, but yes, it’s a new world with new adventures. An older man that lives in Maui once told me; “if you wait and don’t follow your heart you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” He also went on to tell me that he felt like he waited too long and wished he had moved there at my age. I listen to people like this… Believe me, there are many of them…