Everyone automatically assumes that life in Hawaii is easy and that all we do is go to the beach and surf. That is simply not true – though we do love going to the beach. The reality is that you’ve got to be tough if you want to survive very long in paradise. Here are ten reasons why being resilient is a necessary trait for anyone from Hawaii.

1) We may not deal with bad weather very often, but we do have to endure hurricane season. This is a satellite image from just a few weeks ago when the Hawaiian Islands were surrounded by THREE hurricanes: Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena.

2) I guess it gets pretty hot and humid here, too. But people from Hawaii are tough enough to handle it. Luckily, we will never be as hot as this guy who was photographed measuring the temperature near the Mt. Kilauea volcanic eruption.

3) People from Hawaii deal with some pretty crazy insects, and wildlife. Think flying cockroaches in your shower and being stung by jellyfish while enjoying an afternoon at the beach.

4) At least for those who live on Oahu, we deal with traffic; Honolulu has the second worst traffic in the country, just behind Los Angeles. The average driver spends 50 hours each year stuck in traffic. And from a former commuter, that seems like a conservative estimate.

5) Speaking of driving, we’d be amiss without mentioning the killer potholes, and weird road construction… Do three lanes of the major highway really need to be closed for three miles to work on a 100-foot section of road?

6) People from Hawaii know how to work hard, because they have to. It’s expensive to live in paradise, and you’ve got to have a stellar work ethic in order to pay your bills – and afford groceries, or gas.

7) Even entertainment in Hawaii requires being tough – If it’s not tough to scamper over rocks, and along ridgelines, I’m not sure what is.

8) Not to mention being consistently pounded by waves – and still being brave enough to keep surfing – or swimming, paddling, snorkeling, etc.

9) Unless you live on Oahu – the main island for business, commerce and tourism – you might have limited access to healthcare, meaning you’ve to literally toughen up a bit. Many individuals living on the Big Island must fly to Oahu for specialty treatment.

10) Oh, and perhaps worst of all, we aren’t really allowed to complain. No matter how legitimate your complaints are, your friend who is enduring a New England winter won’t care… because you live in paradise.

Do you have what it takes to be Hawaii tough?