13 Things You Have To Do Before You’re An Official Hawaii Local

There is perhaps no better place to live than the paradise that is Hawaii. Whether you have never lived outside of Hawaii, or are contemplating a move to the Aloha State, there are a few things everyone has to do before they can claim their status as a true Hawaii local. Some of these things are silly, while others are much more serious, but we would like to believe that every local has done these 13 things. This is all meant to be in good fun, and we understand that there is much more to becoming a Hawaii local than completing a silly list on the internet, so please don't take this too seriously.

1. You have embraced the Aloha spirit, and have learned to live much slower.

2. You’ve watched the sun set (or rise) over the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

3. You have planned your days according to traffic patterns - especially on Oahu.

4. You’ve gone for a long walk along the beach.

5. You’ve completed at least a few of Hawaii’s most iconic hikes.

6. You have experienced the magnificence that is a cup of Hawaii-grown coffee – and prefer it to anything you can find at Starbucks.

7. You have stayed at the beach when it started raining because you knew it would stop shortly anyway.

8. You’ve started to use common Hawaiian words in your everyday speech without realizing it.

9. You have immense respect for the ‘aina (land), and the beauty that is Hawaii.

10. You have gone swimming with sea turtles.

11. You have a regular order at Zippy’s.

12. You have thrown a shaka in the air while merging in traffic, crossing the street, or while posing for a photo.

13. You have started to refer to Hawaii as your home, and have realized that you would never want to live anywhere else.

How many of these things have you completed? What else should someone do in order to become a true Hawaii local?