Hi! I'm Jen, and I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. I lived in the islands for the first 18 years of my life, until I moved to Los Angeles for college, and then New York for post-grad life.
I don't think I could even fit all of the differences between Hawaii and the rest of the United States in this post alone, but I'll start with the 15 biggest ones I could think of.
Before we get into the post, I want to disclaim that these are just general observations I've made over the years, and not all of these points will define everyone's life experience, so please keep that in mind.
Without further ado, here are some of the biggest "culture shock" moments I had after moving to the mainland for the first time:
1.In Hawaii, I grew up surrounded by people who came from many different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. When I moved out of the state, I noticed that racial diversity was not as common as it was back home.
2.Another thing that shocked me was that so many Americans don't understand the distinction between Native Hawaiians and Hawaii residents.
3.Back home, the poke is served fresh, and is usually eaten alone, with rice, or 'ulu (breadfruit) chips. In most places on the mainland, poke is mixed in with lots of toppings like edamame, cucumber, and seaweed, and then drenched in sauce(s) of your choosing.
4.In California, they're called flip flops. In Hawaii, they're called slippers.
5.There are so many squirrels in California. There are none in Hawaii.
6.Ikea, Trader Joe's, Chipotle, and Panera Bread — they don't have 'em in Hawaii.
7.Free shipping, or in some cases, shipping at all, was a rarity in the islands.
8.Every state in the US observes daylight savings. Except Hawaii and Arizona.
9.At high school and college graduations in Hawaii, there's always a portion of the ceremony dedicated to giving graduates leis.
10.What do you call your best friend's mom? In Hawaii, you'd call them "aunty."
11.Most people on the mainland think spam is nasty.
12.The driving culture in Hawaii is a lot kinder than it is on the mainland.
13.Back home, its pretty much an unspoken rule that you'd take off your shoes before entering someone's home. On the mainland, I noticed that this is a lot less common.
14.This might only apply to states where it gets cold, but I had no idea that there was such a thing as a "snow day."
15.And finally, in Hawaii, they're called Aloha shirts, and it's pretty common for people to wear them to work and semi-formal events.