Advice for 18 yr old

[Kapoho Joe]

quote:

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Originally posted by terracore

Sounds like the kid is talking pipe dreams to get attention. I say do nothing and so will he.

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TazmanianRhonda has the best advice so far.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

What would your advice be as a local resident?

- Come with a good plan.
- Come with an even better backup plan.
- Buy a round trip ticket with the return date to visit mom & dad at Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you've made it work in Hawaii by then, come on back with a one way ticket. If not, it should be cozy next to the furnace in mom & dad's basement for the winter.


“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky

[Carey]

TazR had some great advice... Perhaps the most important thing to ask this young adult is "What are your plans, & what are your contingent plans if something does not go as you think it will?"

I think most of us have had to go with plan B (C,D...) in our lives & know that any parent would be a little concerned if their young adult is 1/2 across the Pacific with no contingent plan!

It may also help the parent & young adult to know that this island does have a university, community colleges & colleges. (I do know some of the students there had x amount of time to "make it" or enroll....& some bounced out of the education scene to do the WOOF stuff & some did both, living in a WOOF situation while taking classes (but that really limits the beach scene...except as a really awesome place to study...that last tidbit is from my own experience...luckily I was taking Marine Bio!)

Also, you should have an idea if you are a part of the backup plan (discuss this with the parents &/or young adult to make sure you are all on the same page in that regards!), but if that is expected, are you willing to take on that role?

If this island is the one this young adult is looking to....you may want to see if they have any idea of what the "Beach scene" is here (or on any of the islands). Many do not! (esp if they are planning on living 'on the beach' here!)

[Mr nice guy]

I moved by myself to the Big Island (I'm back on the mainland now). Like others said: have a "plan B". When I came, I had three contacts before arriving and I met all of them.

I am inclined to say that the experience was mostly good, but very dependent on how honest everybody is about performance and expectations.

On my last trip I was expected to do construction for $4/hr after there was already a good, solid agreement in place. I had no problem giving notice as soon as I found another gig.

I did not suffer the pitfalls of heavy drug use, ebt cards, relying on cash gifts from home, jail, squatting, morgue, stolen shopping carts full of rubbish, being strung out, losing sanity, scamming the government (or individuals for that matter).

[HiloPuna]

I arrived here in 1974 (age 19) under the exact same circumstances. Young,uninterested in college at the time, and had a contact (brother) here who could provide the couch to sleep on. I still haven't left.

[EightFingers]

Couch should be pretty worn out......

[HiloPuna]

Wore it out, or my welcome to it, pretty quick. Left Kapoho and moved to Hilo, moved more than a dozen times since, in and out of Hilo and Puna. Hence the name. Live in Hilo now, wake up on my California King, wife of 36 years at my side, and watch the Keaukaha waves break on the shore 200' in front of me.

It can be done....and I never did make it back to college.

[Guest]

I would say the parents did a great job raising a compassionate young man who is now ready for a little independence. This way of Woofing looks like a great opportunity to experience and learn about other places. He has a good head on his shoulders because there is a lot worse places to live young than Hawaii. The dream of Living off the land in Hawaii isant going to get any easier or cheaper if he decides to ignore this nature call. Jmo.

https://www.helpgoabroad.com/blog/wwoof-...-paradise/

[bananahead]

he'd be one of hundreds doing this exact thing as a wwoofer at an eco-village in Puna.. all are fairly happy and making life experiences while still young...

paranoid mainland kooky parents may ruin it for him though... sad

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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[bananahead]

ps as far as I know Kalani has no real woofers, you have to work there and pay.. double dip kine...

real wwoofers will be at cinderland, sumland, garden temple, wittsend, bellyacres, the shire, etc.

******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha