All Things Maui
The Mountain Queen's Online Journal 
Feb. 27, 2008 by The Mountain Queen
Living in Paradise
A friend on the mainland thinks that I spend all day on the beach, sitting under a palm tree drinking coconut juice. But the reality of living on Maui is much more challenging, from the high cost of living (gas is already $4.00 a gallon here), to education, to navigating the cultural barriers and fluctuating job market.
But just when I think about moving back to the Bay Area, I remember the Safeway that I used to go to. There were always several people outside the sliding glass doors, begging for money, there was the restaurant down the corner where a gunman shot and killed a waiter during a botched robbery, there was the drug deal I saw go down when I was just sitting at a stoplight waiting for the light to change green.
No place is perfect, but all things considered Maui comes pretty close.
But just when I think about moving back to the Bay Area, I remember the Safeway that I used to go to. There were always several people outside the sliding glass doors, begging for money, there was the restaurant down the corner where a gunman shot and killed a waiter during a botched robbery, there was the drug deal I saw go down when I was just sitting at a stoplight waiting for the light to change green.
No place is perfect, but all things considered Maui comes pretty close.
"Having visited Maui countless times, I've often wondered how paradise is when it becomes your home. Quite frankly and to your point, when you’re on vacation, it’s not exactly reality. You don’t have to be doing laundry, running to the store, paying the bills and dealing with the stresses of everyday life. I’ve often dreamed about escaping to Maui and doing a small business of my own, but I’m kind of afraid of ruining my view of paradise, not to mention losing my opportunity of comfortable retirement some day. I’m sure your perspective is accurate; I always see lots of business for sale…Hmmmm. "
Posted by CoolBreeze on Feb. 29, 2008