15 Undying Habits That Prove You Can Never Take Hawaii Out Of The Local
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Megan Shute
Author
As the most isolated population center on the entire planet, the Hawaiian Islands are incredibly unique in everything from our scenery and land formations to our culture and common quirks. And while not everyone is the same, there are a few habits most Hawaii locals share that prove you can never take the Hawaii out of the local, no matter how hard you try or how long ago you moved to the mainland from the islands.
We can’t simply just go to the closest beach, because we’re never very far from any particular beach. We will also spend a great deal of time checking current surf conditions at any beach we are actually considering.
It not only disturbs the peace, but it's just plain rude. Have some Aloha spirit, man.
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Ah, Shave Ice: the quintessential Hawaiian treat, the perfect snack for a quick sugar rush after a day spent in the ocean. Who in their right mind would chose boring ice cream over shave ice? Unless your shave ice is served on top of ice cream... which is delicious.
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Is there really any competition? Malasadas – fluffy Portuguese doughnuts without a hole – are wildly popular throughout the Hawaiian Islands, and way better than doughnuts, at least if you ask a "normal" Hawaii local. A crispy golden brown exterior gives way to a soft and chewy inside in flavors like cinnamon sugar; some malasadas are even filled with custard, haupia, lilikoi, and guava.
When you're used to sunny skies and temperatures hovering around 85 degrees, anything colder makes you feel as though you're going to freeze... even if you once called the frozen tundra that is the American Midwest home.
You’ve been seen throwing a shaka in traffic, while crossing the street, and in most of your hiking photographs. Funny story: I once gave someone a shaka for letting me cross the road while visiting Minnesota. Their face was one of disbelief and concern that I was throwing a gang sign at them.
This quintessential canned ham product manufactured in Minnesota was introduced to the islands during the 1940s, and has become a wildly popular staple food across the islands. Spam musubi, anyone?
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Traffic in the Honolulu metropolitan area is the second worst in the country, second only to Los Angeles. It only makes sense that we plan our lives around not being stuck in traffic on H-1 East between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m., or going west between 3 and 7 p.m.
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Sometimes, you need to recharge by binge watching Netflix all day, but that can be hard when you feel guilty for not enjoying the weather and taking advantage of Hawaii’s beautiful landscape.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState.com
Sometimes, when we spend too much time without leaving Hawaii, we get island fever – either the islands feel too small, or we just need to get away and be able to drive more than a few hours without hitting the ocean.
No one likes the idea of hiking Diamond Head, fighting for space at Hawaii’s most popular beaches, or waking up to watch the sunrise over Haleakala, but once you’re doing it, you are instantly reminded of how incredible Hawaii truly is.
Instead, we use mauka, meaning "towards the mountain" and makai, meaning "towards the sea." And honestly, our directions are much simpler. Who actually knows which direction east is without pausing a second to think about it anyways?
It might be the Aloha spirit, but hugging is common - even if you just met someone. Mainlanders get pretty freaked out about it, though.
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We know best — since all we own are slippers (and maybe a pair of hiking boots).
In Hawaii, everyone is Ohana, even if you may not be related by blood.
To people from Hawaii, these things seem normal, but many outsiders struggle to make sense of the cultural differences when they visit here on vacation, or even when they move here. What other weird habits have you picked up while living in Hawaii?
Have you experienced these 20 frustrating things about living in Hawaii?
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