5 Ways Living in Hawaii Changed My Life

Five years ago during the pandemic, Wes and I accidentally ended up living in Hawaii.

We never planned on living there. At the time, I was happily living in San Francisco, and Wes had just gotten an apartment in Seattle. We were planning on moving to New York at the end of the year.

In August, we packed up our things to get ready for the move. We decided to do one last hurrah on the West Coast by booking a four-week “work-from-Hawaii” trip. Little did we know, that would be the month we’d both quit our jobs at Facebook and start our year-long nomad life.

Half of that year was spent living in Oahu. It was the best decision we ever made and that unexpected time in Hawaii reshaped how I think about work, creativity, and how I want to live.

One: Exiting the Tech Bubble 🫧

The biggest shift from living in San Francisco to Hawaii was the people.

I was no longer surrounded by tech bros and serial entrepreneurs. I was finally away from the constant corporate talk about “making impact” and filing tickets. Instead, the people I saw daily were more… normal. Their lives were slower-paced, their skin was always sun-kissed, and overall, they seemed more relaxed and happy.

Retail and restaurant workers were friendly. Hospitality and transportation workers were genuine when they welcomed me.

And to all of these workers, work was not the center of their lives. Their families, hobbies, and health mattered more. On island time, it’s common to see signs like this hanging outside the doors of shops. It’s such a contrast to the tech culture of being on-call 24/7. 🙃

Two: Falling in Love with Surfing 🏄‍♀️

The very first activity we signed up for was a three-day beginner surf lesson with our Brazilian Airbnb host and former big-wave surfer, Edison.

Edison moved from Brazil to Haleʻiwa in the ’80s. He’s a relaxed, tan, older man who was always keeping himself busy outside — building a new chicken coop or teaching surf lessons to beginners like me and Wes.

Growing up as swimmers, Wes and I had always wanted to learn how to surf. I was nervous about going out in the North Shore, but Edison reassured me that he’d take us to beginner-friendly spots so we could catch some waves.

He put us on twelve-foot logs, and we paddled our way into the water. When a wave came he pushed my board toward shore, and I found myself gliding across the wave. The feeling of bliss and freedom I felt that day never left me — and it’s something I still seek out five years later.

I fell in love with the sport and the community that came with it. I love waking up early to watch the sun rise and seeing dolphins swim around me. Surfing is therapeutic, and I’m grateful that my first experience with it was in Hawaii. 🌺

Three: Becoming Comfortable in My Skin 🪞

Being a surfer means you can’t wear makeup.

When I’m out in the water, I’m in my most naked, vulnerable state — in a bathing suit, hair down, with zero makeup. Before our stay in Hawaii, I was always sporting my “natural” makeup look: neutral eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and lengthening mascara. To be honest, even with this minimal look, I didn’t feel comfortable taking my makeup off around Wes.

But once I was in the water, I realized no one else was wearing makeup. And even when I wore it, it was pointless — it would wash away after a few minutes. Slowly, I started wearing less and less, and eventually, I felt totally fine being in my own skin and makeup-free (or スッピン, in Japanese).

Four: Appreciating Nature 🌴

Seeing how people in Hawaii spend so much of their time outdoors — not in front of a computer — was a reality check for me.

In Hawaii, many of the activities that both locals and tourists spend time doing are outdoors: hiking, running, surfing, snorkeling, yoga, and just lounging on the beach. No matter what you’re doing, nature is always around you.

And the plants! The plants are absolutely thriving on the island. You’ll often see monstera leaves as big as refrigerators and banyan trees that are over a century old (fun fact: the tree at the Moana Surfrider Waikiki is over 120 years old).

They’re beautiful and enormous, thanks to the rain the island gets all year long.

Five: Injecting Color and Illustration into My Artwork 🎨

When we first arrived in Hawaii, I had been practicing lettering for six years, and there was one big thing I was still struggling with: using color.

My lettering journey started with black ink — practicing lettering and calligraphy — and my work stayed black and white for many years. I felt intimidated by color because I never went to school for design.

But then I went to Hawaii and noticed how murals, packaging designs, and fabric patterns were bursting with color. I loved it.

I was drawn to the colorful work of Jack Soren and Nick Kuchar. I loved how each of them had their own unique way of illustrating people, animals, and landscapes to tell a story — and I wanted that for myself.

So I practiced every day, adding more sketches of turtles, flowers, and palm trees into my notebooks, and slowly incorporating more color into my artwork.

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It’s fascinating to compare the two versions of myself — before and after Hawaii.

And my artwork 🙂

I’m still the same person, but my outlook on life and creativity shifted in a big way because of that move.

Travel does that to you. Whether it’s a weekend trip to a different city or a big move to a new country, immersing yourself in a new environment can shape you in unexpected ways.

Sometimes, the trips we almost don’t take end up changing everything.

Cheers,
Chie