Hawaii Q+A
I went to Hawaii and worked from home for a month. I received a few questions about the trip and decided to answer them in an Q+A.
Why Hawaii?
COVID-19 gave the opportunity for society to explore work from home. Months were passing by and I knew I wanted to work in a city outside of my hometown, Indianapolis. I did not want to travel solo, but I would if I couldn’t find a person to join me.
I posted on social media about my plan to spend a month or two in a new city. The responses were slim to none. I even mentioned it a few times with other employees in my marketing rotational program.
Someone reached out. She mentioned Hawaii jokingly.
We set a few meetings to discuss different locations and reviewed their COVID rates, safety guidelines, Airbnb/VRBO pricing, and weather. We agreed on our nonnegotiables to be:
Domestic location
Warm weather
Price could not stray too far from estimated monthly expenses in Seattle
Individual bedrooms
For two people, expenses were extremely high for the locations we were considering. She connected a third marketing employee to our WFH vision and they hopped into the getaway planning along with their best friend. After reviewing our options, Hawaii (Big Island) seemed to be the most feasible with safety as priority since their COVID rates were extremely low and it was domestic.
We found an Airbnb that fit our needs and booked. The work from home adventure was booked for Jan 30-Feb 27. Hawaii was really happening. Woohoo!
Who’d you go with?
Microsoft employees and close friends.
The two other Microsoft employees worked in marketing as well for different teams. One of them invited a close friend to stay for three weeks. I also had a close friend visit and stay for two weeks. My friend and I attended the same high school and business school in Indiana.
What was protocol for COVID-19?
Prior to your arrival, you will need to create an online account with the State of Hawai‘i Safe Travels Hawai‘i program. You will next need to enter your traveler information and trip details on the application.
All travelers ages five and over will be required to take a COVID-19 test in order to bypass the State of Hawai‘i’s 10-day mandatory quarantine. The State of Hawaiʻi will only accept test results from their list of trusted testing partners.
The test will need to be taken no more than 72 hours before your flight departure time. If you have a multi-city flight itinerary, the departure time is from the last city you leave before arriving at a Hawai‘i airport.
The negative test result must be uploaded onto the Safe Travels Hawai‘i account prior to departure or printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawai‘i. If not, a 10-day quarantine will be required. If you receive an inconclusive result prior to departure, you will be placed in 10-day quarantine upon arrival.
A QR code will be emailed to you for the trip to Hawaii. You will present this to airport personnel on your mobile phone or printed on paper along with a photo ID and your test results.
Read more details here: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/getting-to-hawaii/
How would you describe the island? Any cultural differences?
A slow paced, relaxing getaway. The activities I participated in typically revolved around nature, a beach, or a nice restaurant for food and drinks. It is not a large population which keeps most of our destinations with low traffic. If Hawaii is your next destination, be prepared to slow down and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
I traveled to the Big Island which is the largest Hawaii island. One of the most popular cities in Hawaii is Honolulu and I visited for a weekend. Honolulu is more lively with younger people and is a bit more crowded. The Big Island felt like a town with long fun drives and Honolulu felt like a city mix of Atlanta and New Jersey.
Another reminder is to budget beforehand. Hawaii can be expensive for renting a space, eating out and taking advantage of a rental car. Places to visit are spread out and a drive can range from 10 minutes to 2.5 hours. Ubers are not as popular to catch in the area.
The citizens are very kind and outgoing. Most people are dressed casual, even at upscale restaurants. I did not cross paths with many people who looked like me, most were White or Hawaiian.
I also noticed was how there is more care for the environment. At most grocery stores, there are no bags for your groceries. The option to buy reusable bags is present at checkout. Paper bags are also an option at select locations for free. When dining out, most of the to-go boxes are compostable and recyclable.
Favorite dish?
The 5 course meal from Canoehouse. I had never tasted food packed with so much flavor. Plus, it was an experience I had never had before.
I hate to say that I cannot remember exactly what each dish was called. But I can still list most of what I can remember - (1) oysters, (2) mahi mahi, (3) scallions with sauteed mushrooms, (4) tenderloin and mashed potatoes, (5) sorbet-like dessert with a milky bottom topped with nuts and berries.
Favorite memory?
My favorite memory would have to be visiting the Papakōlea Beach Green Sand Beach.
There are only 4 green sand beaches in the world. Hawaii happens to be one of the locations I was able to visit. The crystal green sand is mixed with black (lava) and white (coral/shells) sand. The journey was a tough one, but it was worth every second!
This beach was not easy to reach. You drive to the southernmost tip of the United States, then hike 2.5 miles from the parking lot to the beach. The hike is hot with the sun beaming down and a bit challenging for those who aren’t avid hikers. The sand along the walk was similar to a desert. The wind would blow it into the air and I was grateful for my sunglasses to avoid drying my contact lenses even more.
The most difficult part was the steep walk down a slippery cliff right above the beach. By the time I arrived, I was tired but happy to see one of Hawaii’s beauties. I sat down and ate my lunch then headed to the water. The sand was so soft under my feet and the tides were strong.
We basked in the sun and let the day slip away. After packing up, we caught a ride from one of the islanders back to the parking lot. It was such a fun, bumpy ride that it almost felt like we were ATV’ing.
What are some key takeaways?
1. Slow down. Disconnect from the world every once in a while.
There is not a need to rush every single day of life. I can take a breath and that is OK. I can do what is needed and choose to relax or do what makes me happy.
2. Examine where time is dedicated. The questions I began to ask myself:
Do I conduct self-care?
When is my most productive part of the day?
Who am I surrounded by? How do they impact me?
I pondered on what I wanted to change about my daily habits and circle of community. It would take time but changes can always be made to improve one step at a time.
3. Chase for my source of happiness.
Hawaii made me realize that there are so many things I want to experience in life outside of my career and I am determined to prioritize them. I want to continue to travel and see new places, try new foods, and jump into the unknown.